diff --git a/ICSharpCode.Decompiler/DecompilerSettings.cs b/ICSharpCode.Decompiler/DecompilerSettings.cs
index e0da5f5ceb..1032093b39 100644
--- a/ICSharpCode.Decompiler/DecompilerSettings.cs
+++ b/ICSharpCode.Decompiler/DecompilerSettings.cs
@@ -1959,6 +1959,21 @@ public bool ApplyWindowsRuntimeProjections {
 			}
 		}
 
+		bool autoLoadAssemblyReferences = true;
+
+		[Category("DecompilerSettings.Other")]
+		[Description("DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences")]
+		public bool AutoLoadAssemblyReferences {
+			get { return autoLoadAssemblyReferences; }
+			set {
+				if (autoLoadAssemblyReferences != value)
+				{
+					autoLoadAssemblyReferences = value;
+					OnPropertyChanged();
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		#endregion
 
 		bool forStatement = true;
diff --git a/ILSpy/Commands/GeneratePdbContextMenuEntry.cs b/ILSpy/Commands/GeneratePdbContextMenuEntry.cs
index 84bafc4239..64e8acfeff 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Commands/GeneratePdbContextMenuEntry.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Commands/GeneratePdbContextMenuEntry.cs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ internal static void GeneratePdbForAssembly(LoadedAssembly assembly)
 				{
 					try
 					{
-						var decompiler = new CSharpDecompiler(file, assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(), options.DecompilerSettings);
+						var decompiler = new CSharpDecompiler(file, assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(options.DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences), options.DecompilerSettings);
 						decompiler.CancellationToken = ct;
 						PortablePdbWriter.WritePdb(file, decompiler, options.DecompilerSettings, stream, progress: options.Progress);
 					}
diff --git a/ILSpy/Languages/CSharpLanguage.cs b/ILSpy/Languages/CSharpLanguage.cs
index b098c8c4ad..fbf2a1ce0e 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Languages/CSharpLanguage.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Languages/CSharpLanguage.cs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public override IReadOnlyList<LanguageVersion> LanguageVersions {
 
 		CSharpDecompiler CreateDecompiler(PEFile module, DecompilationOptions options)
 		{
-			CSharpDecompiler decompiler = new CSharpDecompiler(module, module.GetAssemblyResolver(), options.DecompilerSettings);
+			CSharpDecompiler decompiler = new CSharpDecompiler(module, module.GetAssemblyResolver(options.DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences), options.DecompilerSettings);
 			decompiler.CancellationToken = options.CancellationToken;
 			decompiler.DebugInfoProvider = module.GetDebugInfoOrNull();
 			while (decompiler.AstTransforms.Count > transformCount)
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ public override ProjectId DecompileAssembly(LoadedAssembly assembly, ITextOutput
 				base.DecompileAssembly(assembly, output, options);
 
 				// don't automatically load additional assemblies when an assembly node is selected in the tree view
-				IAssemblyResolver assemblyResolver = assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(loadOnDemand: options.FullDecompilation);
+				IAssemblyResolver assemblyResolver = assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(loadOnDemand: options.FullDecompilation && options.DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences);
 				var typeSystem = new DecompilerTypeSystem(module, assemblyResolver, options.DecompilerSettings);
 				var globalType = typeSystem.MainModule.TypeDefinitions.FirstOrDefault();
 				if (globalType != null)
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class ILSpyWholeProjectDecompiler : WholeProjectDecompiler
 			readonly DecompilationOptions options;
 
 			public ILSpyWholeProjectDecompiler(LoadedAssembly assembly, DecompilationOptions options)
-				: base(options.DecompilerSettings, assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(), assembly.GetAssemblyReferenceClassifier(options.DecompilerSettings.ApplyWindowsRuntimeProjections), assembly.GetDebugInfoOrNull())
+				: base(options.DecompilerSettings, assembly.GetAssemblyResolver(options.DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences, options.DecompilerSettings.ApplyWindowsRuntimeProjections), assembly.GetAssemblyReferenceClassifier(options.DecompilerSettings.ApplyWindowsRuntimeProjections), assembly.GetDebugInfoOrNull())
 			{
 				this.assembly = assembly;
 				this.options = options;
diff --git a/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs b/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
index 07d6d8832b..1866a7b293 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
@@ -774,6 +774,15 @@ public static string DecompilerSettings_AsyncEnumerator {
             }
         }
         
+        /// <summary>
+        ///   Looks up a localized string similar to Automatically load assembly references.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static string DecompilerSettings_AutoLoadAssemblyReferences {
+            get {
+                return ResourceManager.GetString("DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences", resourceCulture);
+            }
+        }
+        
         /// <summary>
         ///   Looks up a localized string similar to User-defined checked operators.
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.resx b/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.resx
index e7bc5c4e7a..cc08fca35e 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.resx
+++ b/ILSpy/Properties/Resources.resx
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ Are you sure you want to continue?</value>
   <data name="DecompilerSettings.AsyncEnumerator" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Decompile async IAsyncEnumerator methods</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="DecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Automatically load assembly references</value>
+  </data>
   <data name="DecompilerSettings.CheckedOperators" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>User-defined checked operators</value>
   </data>
diff --git a/ILSpy/TreeNodes/AssemblyReferenceTreeNode.cs b/ILSpy/TreeNodes/AssemblyReferenceTreeNode.cs
index d2a5b138fa..ad003ffcc8 100644
--- a/ILSpy/TreeNodes/AssemblyReferenceTreeNode.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/TreeNodes/AssemblyReferenceTreeNode.cs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public override void ActivateItem(System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
 
 		protected override void LoadChildren()
 		{
-			var resolver = parentAssembly.LoadedAssembly.GetAssemblyResolver();
+			var resolver = parentAssembly.LoadedAssembly.GetAssemblyResolver(MainWindow.Instance.CurrentDecompilerSettings.AutoLoadAssemblyReferences);
 			var module = resolver.Resolve(r);
 			if (module != null)
 			{