diff --git a/doc/config.html b/doc/config.html
index 53e2c8f0..fd46d12c 100755
--- a/doc/config.html
+++ b/doc/config.html
@@ -2592,6 +2592,13 @@ Options Location = Main Building{a}, New Building{b}, Old Building{c}
         This can be handy when locating options from long lists in drop-down boxes in
         quick filters for example. Default for this setting is <b>0</b>.
       </li>
+      <li>
+        <b><code>Allow branching = 0|1</code></b><br>
+        With this option one can probihit "branching", which is that an entry gets
+        more than one reply. When braning is prohibited, only linear threads are
+        possible, which is one head entry, one reply to it, then one reply to the reply
+        and so on. Default for this setting is <b>1</b>.
+      </li>
     </ul>
     <p>
       <a name="themes" id="themes"></a>
diff --git a/src/elogd.c b/src/elogd.c
index 77982dbf..af665298 100755
--- a/src/elogd.c
+++ b/src/elogd.c
@@ -9163,6 +9163,7 @@ void show_edit_form(LOGBOOK * lbs, int message_id, BOOL breply, BOOL bedit, BOOL
    text = xmalloc(TEXT_SIZE);
    text[0] = 0;
    orig_author[0] = 0;
+   orig_tag[0] = 0;
    encoding[0] = 0;
    date[0] = 0;
    locked_by[0] = 0;
@@ -9316,10 +9317,7 @@ void show_edit_form(LOGBOOK * lbs, int message_id, BOOL breply, BOOL bedit, BOOL
 
       sprintf(str, "Preset on first reply %s", attr_list[index]);
       if ((i = getcfg(lbs->name, str, preset, sizeof(preset))) > 0 && breply) {
-
-         el_retrieve(lbs, message_id, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, str, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-
-         if (str[0] == 0) {
+         if (orig_tag[0] == 0) {
             if (!breedit || (breedit && i == 2)) { /* subst on reedit only if preset is under condition */
 
                /* do not format date for date attributes */
@@ -9492,6 +9490,15 @@ void show_edit_form(LOGBOOK * lbs, int message_id, BOOL breply, BOOL bedit, BOOL
       }
    }
 
+   /* check for non-allowed branching */
+   if (breply && getcfg(lbs->name, "Allow branching", str, sizeof(str)) && atoi(str) == 0) {
+      if (reply_tag[0]) {
+         show_error("Branches are not allowed in this logbook");
+         xfree(text);
+         return;
+      }
+   }
+
    /* check for author */
    if (bedit && getcfg(lbs->name, "Restrict edit", str, sizeof(str)) && atoi(str) == 1) {
       if (!is_author(lbs, attrib, owner)) {