diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.cxx b/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.cxx
index 36cadecc..69e6f657 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.cxx
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.cxx
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ using std::endl;
 
 
 // Constructor.
-TGClipper::TGClipper() {
-        nudge=0.0;
+TGClipper::TGClipper():
+        nudge(0.0),
+        m_ignore_landmass(false)
+{
 }
 
 
@@ -461,7 +463,7 @@ bool TGClipper::clip_all(const point2d& min, const point2d& max) {
     water_mask.erase();
     island_mask.erase();
     for ( i = 0; i < TG_MAX_AREA_TYPES; i++ ) {
-        if ( is_landmass_area( i ) ) {
+        if ( is_landmass_area( i ) && !m_ignore_landmass ) {
             for ( unsigned j = 0; j < (int)polys_in.polys[i].size(); ++j ) {
                 land_mask =
                   tgPolygonUnion( land_mask, polys_in.polys[i][j] );
@@ -491,7 +493,7 @@ bool TGClipper::clip_all(const point2d& min, const point2d& max) {
             tmp = current;
 
             // if not a hole, clip the area to the land_mask
-            if ( ! is_hole_area( i ) ) {
+            if ( !m_ignore_landmass && !is_hole_area( i ) ) {
                 tmp = tgPolygonInt( tmp, land_mask );
             }
 
diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.hxx b/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.hxx
index 1fbd9721..bb84e24f 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.hxx
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Clipper/clipper.hxx
@@ -102,6 +102,16 @@ public:
     inline TGTriNodes get_fixed_elevations() const { return fixed_elevations; }
     
     double nudge;
+    
+    bool ignore_landmass() const {
+        return m_ignore_landmass;
+    }
+    
+    void ignore_landmass(bool b) {
+        m_ignore_landmass = b;
+    }
+protected:
+    bool m_ignore_landmass;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.cxx b/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.cxx
index f0c9150e..00e8195f 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.cxx
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.cxx
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@
 
 
 // Constructor
-TGConstruct::TGConstruct() { }
+TGConstruct::TGConstruct():
+        useUKGrid(false),
+        writeSharedEdges(true),
+        useOwnSharedEdges(false)
+{ }
 
 
 // Destructor
diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.hxx b/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.hxx
index 1565cd62..942d2b8e 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.hxx
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Main/construct.hxx
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ private:
     // flag indicating whether the shared edge data of the
     // tile to be built should be used in addition to neighbour data
     bool useOwnSharedEdges;
+    
+    // flag indicating whether to ignore the landmass
+    bool ignoreLandmass;
 
     // detail level constraints
     int min_nodes;
@@ -145,6 +148,10 @@ public:
     // own shared edge use flag
     inline bool get_use_own_shared_edges() const { return useOwnSharedEdges; }
     inline void set_use_own_shared_edges( const bool b ) { useOwnSharedEdges = b; }
+    
+    // ignore landmass flag
+    inline bool get_ignore_landmass() const { return ignoreLandmass; }
+    inline void set_ignore_landmass( const bool b) { ignoreLandmass = b; }
 
     // detail level constraints
     inline int get_min_nodes() const { return min_nodes; }
diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Main/main.cxx b/src/BuildTiles/Main/main.cxx
index c3ac5ade..542fd841 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Main/main.cxx
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Main/main.cxx
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ static int load_polys( TGConstruct& c, const TGArray &array ) {
     int count = 0;
     
     clipper.nudge = nudge;
+    clipper.ignore_landmass( c.get_ignore_landmass() );
 
     // initialize clipper
     clipper.init();
@@ -1046,6 +1047,7 @@ static void usage( const string name ) {
     cout << "  --useUKgrid" << endl;
     cout << "  --no-write-shared-edges" << endl;
     cout << "  --use-own-shared-edges" << endl;
+    cout << "  --ignore-landmass" << endl;
     cout << " ] <load directory...>" << endl;
     exit(-1);
 }
@@ -1075,6 +1077,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     // tile to be built should be used in addition to neighbour data
     bool useOwnSharedEdges = false;
     
+    bool ignoreLandmass = false;
+    
     sglog().setLogLevels( SG_ALL, SG_DEBUG );
 
     //
@@ -1112,6 +1116,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	    writeSharedEdges = false;
 	} else if (arg.find("--use-own-shared-edges") == 0) {
 	    useOwnSharedEdges = true;
+	} else if (arg.find("--ignore-landmass") == 0) {
+	    ignoreLandmass = true;
 	} else if (arg.find("--") == 0) {
 	    usage(argv[0]);
 	} else {
@@ -1186,6 +1192,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     c.set_useUKGrid( useUKgrid );
     c.set_write_shared_edges( writeSharedEdges );
     c.set_use_own_shared_edges( useOwnSharedEdges );
+    c.set_ignore_landmass( ignoreLandmass );
 
     c.set_min_nodes( 50 );
     c.set_max_nodes( (int)(TG_MAX_NODES * 0.8) );