diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 72528ace..2a9c1ed2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 - openslide2vips gets underlying tile size from openslide
 - embed has 'background' option
 - dzsave --layout google has a @background option
+- dzsave has a --depth option
 - update for new glib threading API
 - remove no threads option
 
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 5a02bb05..129490b7 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-- add something to dzsave to control pyramid depth ... can then use it for
-  straight tiling
+- test dzsave depth option
 
 - boolean.c has
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
index 0e408b24..80ea9376 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
  * 	- add zoomify and google maps output
  * 10/10/12
  * 	- add @background option
+ * 1/11/12
+ * 	- add @depth option
  */
 
 /*
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ struct _VipsForeignSaveDz {
 	int tile_size;
 	VipsForeignDzLayout layout;
 	VipsArea *background;
+	VipsForeignDzDepth depth;
 
 	Layer *layer;			/* x2 shrink pyr layer */
 
@@ -238,13 +241,24 @@ pyramid_build( VipsForeignSaveDz *dz, Layer *above, int width, int height )
 		return( NULL );
 	}
 
-	/* DeepZoom stops at 1x1 pixels, others when the image fits within a
-	 * tile.
-	 */
-	if( dz->layout == VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_DZ ) 
+	switch( dz->depth ) {
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL:
 		limit = 1;
-	else
+		break;
+
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE:
 		limit = dz->tile_size;
+		break;
+
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1:
+		limit = VIPS_MAX( width, height );
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		g_assert( 0 );
+		limit = dz->tile_size;
+		break;
+	}
 
 	if( width > limit || 
 		height > limit ) {
@@ -982,8 +996,7 @@ pyramid_strip( VipsRegion *region, VipsRect *area, void *a )
 
 		layer->write_y += target.height;
 
-		/* If we've filled the strip of the layer below, let it know.
-		 * We can either fill the region, if it's somewhere half-way
+		/* We can either fill the region, if it's somewhere half-way
 		 * down the image, or, if it's at the bottom, get to the last
 		 * writeable line.
 		 */
@@ -1013,10 +1026,6 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_build( VipsObject *object )
 			VIPS_SETSTR( dz->suffix, ".jpg" );
 	}
 
-	if( VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( vips_foreign_save_dz_parent_class )->
-		build( object ) )
-		return( -1 );
-
 	if( dz->overlap >= dz->tile_size || 
 		dz->overlap >= dz->tile_size ) {
 		vips_error( "dzsave", 
@@ -1025,6 +1034,21 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_build( VipsObject *object )
 		return( -1 );
 	}
 
+	/* DeepZoom stops at 1x1 pixels, others when the image fits within a
+	 * tile.
+	 */
+	if( dz->layout == VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_DZ ) {
+		if( !vips_object_get_argument_assigned( object, "depth" ) )
+			dz->depth = VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL;
+	}
+	else
+		if( !vips_object_get_argument_assigned( object, "depth" ) )
+			dz->depth = VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE;
+
+	if( VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( vips_foreign_save_dz_parent_class )->
+		build( object ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
 	/* Build the skeleton of the image pyramid.
 	 */
 	if( !(dz->layer = pyramid_build( dz, 
@@ -1145,6 +1169,14 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_class_init( VipsForeignSaveDzClass *class )
 		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsForeignSaveDz, background ),
 		VIPS_TYPE_ARRAY_DOUBLE );
 
+	VIPS_ARG_ENUM( class, "depth", 13, 
+		_( "Depth" ), 
+		_( "Pyramid depth" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsForeignSaveDz, depth ),
+		VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH, 
+			VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL ); 
+
 	/* How annoying. We stupidly had these in earlier versions.
 	 */
 
@@ -1182,6 +1214,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_init( VipsForeignSaveDz *dz )
 	dz->background = 
 		vips_area_new_array( G_TYPE_DOUBLE, sizeof( double ), 1 ); 
 	((double *) (dz->background->data))[0] = 255;
+	dz->depth = VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL; 
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1197,6 +1230,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_init( VipsForeignSaveDz *dz )
  * @overlap; set tile overlap 
  * @tile_size; set tile size 
  * @background: background colour
+ * @depth: how deep to make the pyramid
  *
  * Save an image as a set of tiles at various resolutions. By default dzsave
  * uses DeepZoom layout -- use @layout to pick other conventions.
@@ -1208,7 +1242,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_init( VipsForeignSaveDz *dz )
  * In Zoomify and Google layout, a directory called @basename is created to 
  * hold the tile structure. 
  *
- * You can set @suffix to something like ".jpg[Q=85]" to set the tile write
+ * You can set @suffix to something like ".jpg[Q=85]" to control the tile write
  * options. 
  * 
  * In Google layout mode, edge tiles are expanded to @tile_size by @tile_size 
@@ -1218,6 +1252,9 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_init( VipsForeignSaveDz *dz )
  * You can set the size and overlap of tiles with @tile_size and @overlap.
  * They default to the correct settings for the selected @layout. 
  *
+ * Use @depth to control how low the pyramid goes. This defaults to the
+ * correct setting for the @layout you select.
+ *
  * See also: vips_tiffsave().
  *
  * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error.
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/enumtypes.h b/libvips/include/vips/enumtypes.h
index c0875594..54c9c742 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/enumtypes.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/enumtypes.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ GType vips_foreign_tiff_resunit_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 #define VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_TIFF_RESUNIT (vips_foreign_tiff_resunit_get_type())
 GType vips_foreign_dz_layout_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 #define VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT (vips_foreign_dz_layout_get_type())
+GType vips_foreign_dz_depth_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+#define VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH (vips_foreign_dz_depth_get_type())
 /* enumerations from "../../../libvips/include/vips/arithmetic.h" */
 GType vips_operation_math_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 #define VIPS_TYPE_OPERATION_MATH (vips_operation_math_get_type())
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
index 322eb635..90e3293c 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ int vips_radsave( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, ... )
  * @VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_ZOOMIFY: use Zoomify directory layout
  * @VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_GOOGLE: use Google maps directory layout
  *
- * Use inches or centimeters as the resolution unit for a tiff file.
+ * What directory layout and metadata standard to use. 
  */
 typedef enum {
 	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_DZ,
@@ -439,6 +439,21 @@ typedef enum {
 	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_LAYOUT_LAST
 } VipsForeignDzLayout;
 
+/**
+ * VipsForeignDzDepth:
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL: create layers down to 1x1 pixel
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE: create layers down to 1x1 tile
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1: only create a single layer
+ *
+ * How many pyramid layers to create.
+ */
+typedef enum {
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_LAST
+} VipsForeignDzDepth;
+
 int vips_dzsave( VipsImage *in, const char *basename, ... )
 	__attribute__((sentinel));
 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/enumtypes.c b/libvips/iofuncs/enumtypes.c
index 564f1bdd..b8ee6f33 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/enumtypes.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/enumtypes.c
@@ -124,6 +124,25 @@ vips_foreign_dz_layout_get_type( void )
 
 	return( etype );
 }
+GType
+vips_foreign_dz_depth_get_type( void )
+{
+	static GType etype = 0;
+
+	if( etype == 0 ) {
+		static const GEnumValue values[] = {
+			{VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL, "VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1PIXEL", "1pixel"},
+			{VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE, "VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1TILE", "1tile"},
+			{VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1, "VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_1", "1"},
+			{VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_LAST, "VIPS_FOREIGN_DZ_DEPTH_LAST", "last"},
+			{0, NULL, NULL}
+		};
+		
+		etype = g_enum_register_static( "VipsForeignDzDepth", values );
+	}
+
+	return( etype );
+}
 /* enumerations from "../../libvips/include/vips/conversion.h" */
 GType
 vips_extend_get_type( void )