diff --git a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
index 1b95b35f..9dabcc19 100644
--- a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
+++ b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ static GOptionEntry options_entries[] = {
 	{ NULL, 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, NULL, "", NULL }
 };
 
+static void *notify_user_info(PurpleConnection *gc, const char *who, PurpleNotifyUserInfo *user_info);
 static GHashTable *ui_info = NULL;
 
 static GHashTable *spectrum_ui_get_info(void)
@@ -381,8 +382,18 @@ class SpectrumNetworkPlugin : public NetworkPlugin {
 				if (CONFIG_STRING(config, "service.protocol") == "any" && legacyName.find("prpl-") == 0) {
 					name = name.substr(name.find(".") + 1);
 				}
-				serv_get_info(purple_account_get_connection(account), name.c_str());
 				m_vcards[user + name] = id;
+
+				std::cout << name << " " << purple_account_get_username(account) << "\n";
+				if (CONFIG_BOOL(config, "backend.no_vcard_fetch") && name != purple_account_get_username(account)) {
+					PurpleNotifyUserInfo *user_info = purple_notify_user_info_new();
+					notify_user_info(purple_account_get_connection(account), name.c_str(), user_info);
+					purple_notify_user_info_destroy(user_info);
+				}
+				else {
+					serv_get_info(purple_account_get_connection(account), name.c_str());
+				}
+				
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/spectrum/src/sample.cfg b/spectrum/src/sample.cfg
index 1ef0b140..d971d8a1 100644
--- a/spectrum/src/sample.cfg
+++ b/spectrum/src/sample.cfg
@@ -19,10 +19,8 @@ protocol=any
 #protocol=prpl-icq
 
 [backend]
-default_avatar=catmelonhead.jpg
-[purple]
-test=test1
-test2=test3
+#default_avatar=catmelonhead.jpg
+no_vcard_fetch=true
 
 [logging]
 #config=logging.cfg # log4cxx/log4j logging configuration file
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index d3c755bd..46ef14c2 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ bool Config::load(const std::string &configfile, boost::program_options::options
 		("logging.backend_config", value<std::string>()->default_value(""), "Path to log4cxx config file which is used for backends")
 		("backend.default_avatar", value<std::string>()->default_value(""), "Full path to default avatar")
 		("backend.avatars_directory", value<std::string>()->default_value(""), "Path to directory with avatars")
+		("backend.no_vcard_fetch", value<bool>()->default_value(false), "True if VCards for buddies should not be fetched. Only avatars will be forwarded.")
 	;
 
 	parsed_options parsed = parse_config_file(ifs, opts, true);