diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index fbba304b9..e1ce97bfa 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ OMW::Engine::Engine()
   , mScriptManager (0)
   , mScriptContext (0)
   , mGuiManager (0)
+  , mFSStrict (false)
 {
     MWClass::registerClasses();
 }
@@ -258,6 +259,11 @@ void OMW::Engine::addResourcesDirectory (const boost::filesystem::path& path)
         Ogre::ResourceGroupManager::DEFAULT_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME, true);
 }
 
+void OMW::Engine::enableFSStrict()
+{
+    mFSStrict = true;
+}
+
 // Set data dir
 
 void OMW::Engine::setDataDirs (const std::vector<boost::filesystem::path>& dataDirs)
@@ -266,7 +272,7 @@ void OMW::Engine::setDataDirs (const std::vector<boost::filesystem::path>& dataD
     assert (!dataDirs.empty());
     mDataDir = dataDirs[0];
 
-    mFileCollections = Files::Collections (dataDirs, true);
+    mFileCollections = Files::Collections (dataDirs, !mFSStrict);
 }
 
 // Set resource dir
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
index 4631f60a7..e49ddfc06 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ namespace OMW
             MWWorld::Ptr mIgnoreLocalPtr;
 
             Files::Collections mFileCollections;
+            bool mFSStrict;
 
             // not implemented
             Engine (const Engine&);
@@ -109,6 +110,12 @@ namespace OMW
 
             ~Engine();
 
+            /// Enable strict filesystem mode (do not fold case)
+            ///
+            /// \attention The strict mode must be specified before any path-related settings
+            /// are given to the engine.
+            void enableFSStrict();
+
             /// Set data dirs
             void setDataDirs (const std::vector<boost::filesystem::path>& dataDirs);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index 8dff52024..e117a0688 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char**argv, OMW::Engine& engine)
         ( "script-all", boost::program_options::value<bool>()->
             implicit_value (true)->default_value (false),
             "compile all scripts (excluding dialogue scripts) at startup")
+        ( "fs-strict", boost::program_options::value<bool>()->
+            implicit_value (true)->default_value (false),
+            "strict file system handling (no case folding)")
         ;
 
     bpo::variables_map variables;
@@ -109,6 +112,9 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char**argv, OMW::Engine& engine)
     }
 
     // directory settings
+    if (variables["fs-strict"].as<bool>()==true)
+        engine.enableFSStrict();
+
     std::vector<std::string> dataDirs = variables["data"].as<std::vector<std::string> >();
     std::vector<boost::filesystem::path> dataDirs2 (dataDirs.begin(), dataDirs.end());