diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
index 513f285b..982328cc 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ class SettingsDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
             config.getboolean('bitmessagesettings', 'socksauthentication'))
         self.checkBoxSocksListen.setChecked(
             config.getboolean('bitmessagesettings', 'sockslisten'))
+        self.checkBoxOnionOnly.setChecked(
+            config.safeGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'onionservicesonly'))
 
         proxy_type = config.safeGet(
             'bitmessagesettings', 'socksproxytype', 'none')
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ class SettingsDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
             self.lineEditSocksPassword.setEnabled(False)
             self.checkBoxAuthentication.setEnabled(False)
             self.checkBoxSocksListen.setEnabled(False)
+            self.checkBoxOnionOnly.setEnabled(False)
         elif proxy_type == 'SOCKS4a':
             self.comboBoxProxyType.setCurrentIndex(1)
         elif proxy_type == 'SOCKS5':
@@ -200,11 +203,13 @@ class SettingsDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
             self.lineEditSocksPassword.setEnabled(False)
             self.checkBoxAuthentication.setEnabled(False)
             self.checkBoxSocksListen.setEnabled(False)
+            self.checkBoxOnionOnly.setEnabled(False)
         elif comboBoxIndex in (1, 2):
             self.lineEditSocksHostname.setEnabled(True)
             self.lineEditSocksPort.setEnabled(True)
             self.checkBoxAuthentication.setEnabled(True)
             self.checkBoxSocksListen.setEnabled(True)
+            self.checkBoxOnionOnly.setEnabled(True)
             if self.checkBoxAuthentication.isChecked():
                 self.lineEditSocksUsername.setEnabled(True)
                 self.lineEditSocksPassword.setEnabled(True)
@@ -334,6 +339,11 @@ class SettingsDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
             self.lineEditSocksPassword.text()))
         self.config.set('bitmessagesettings', 'sockslisten', str(
             self.checkBoxSocksListen.isChecked()))
+        if self.checkBoxOnionOnly.isChecked() \
+                and not self.config.safeGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'onionservicesonly'):
+            self.net_restart_needed = True
+        self.config.set('bitmessagesettings', 'onionservicesonly', str(
+            self.checkBoxOnionOnly.isChecked()))
         try:
             # Rounding to integers just for aesthetics
             self.config.set('bitmessagesettings', 'maxdownloadrate', str(
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.ui b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.ui
index 307c06c2..963f2e64 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.ui
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.ui
@@ -403,6 +403,13 @@
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
+          <item row="4" column="1" colspan="4">
+           <widget class="QCheckBox" name="checkBoxOnionOnly">
+            <property name="text">
+             <string>Only connect to onion services (*.onion)</string>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
           <item row="0" column="1">
            <widget class="QComboBox" name="comboBoxProxyType">
             <item>
diff --git a/src/network/connectionchooser.py b/src/network/connectionchooser.py
index ead8b31b..838ca45d 100644
--- a/src/network/connectionchooser.py
+++ b/src/network/connectionchooser.py
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ def getDiscoveredPeer():
 def chooseConnection(stream):
     haveOnion = BMConfigParser().safeGet(
         "bitmessagesettings", "socksproxytype")[0:5] == 'SOCKS'
+    onionOnly = BMConfigParser().safeGetBoolean(
+        "bitmessagesettings", "onionservicesonly")
     if state.trustedPeer:
         return state.trustedPeer
     try:
@@ -49,6 +51,9 @@ def chooseConnection(stream):
             logger.warning('Error in %s', peer)
             rating = 0
         if haveOnion:
+            # do not connect to raw IP addresses--keep all traffic within Tor overlay
+            if onionOnly and not peer.host.endswith('.onion'):
+                continue
             # onion addresses have a higher priority when SOCKS
             if peer.host.endswith('.onion') and rating > 0:
                 rating = 1