diff --git a/Nasal/gui.nas b/Nasal/gui.nas
index 0246b0ddb..dc240c4f9 100644
--- a/Nasal/gui.nas
+++ b/Nasal/gui.nas
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ _setlistener("/sim/signals/nasal-dir-initialized", func {
             fpsDisplay(1);
         }
     });
+
+    # only enable precipitation if gui *and* aircraft want it
+    var p = "/sim/rendering/precipitation-";
+    var precip_gui = getprop(p ~ "gui-enable");
+    var precip_ac = getprop(p ~ "aircraft-enable");
+    props.globals.getNode(p ~ "enable").setAttribute("userarchive", 0); # TODO remove later
+    var set_precip = func setprop(p ~ "enable", precip_gui and precip_ac);
+    setlistener(p ~ "gui-enable", func(n) set_precip(precip_gui = n.getValue()));
+    setlistener(p ~ "aircraft-enable", func(n) set_precip(precip_ac = n.getValue()));
 });
 
 
diff --git a/preferences.xml b/preferences.xml
index 43e746fa1..79f7e2d93 100644
--- a/preferences.xml
+++ b/preferences.xml
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
    <enhanced-lighting type="bool" userarchive="y">false</enhanced-lighting>
    <distance-attenuation type="bool" userarchive="y">false</distance-attenuation>
    <particles type="bool" userarchive="y">true</particles>
-   <precipitation-enable type="bool" userarchive="y">false</precipitation-enable>
+   <precipitation-gui-enable type="bool" userarchive="y">false</precipitation-gui-enable>
+   <precipitation-aircraft-enable type="bool">true</precipitation-aircraft-enable>
    <precipitation>
     <!-- streaks coloring and transparency -->
     <min-light type="float">0.35</min-light>