diff --git a/netfetch/src/ca/conn.rs b/netfetch/src/ca/conn.rs
index 75dde75..26410eb 100644
--- a/netfetch/src/ca/conn.rs
+++ b/netfetch/src/ca/conn.rs
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ const POLL_READ_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_millis(1000 * 10);
 const DO_RATE_CHECK: bool = false;
 const CHANNEL_STATUS_PONG_QUIET: Duration = Duration::from_millis(1000 * 60 * 60);
 const METRICS_EMIT_IVL: Duration = Duration::from_millis(1000 * 1);
-const USE_BIN_WRITER: bool = true;
 
 macro_rules! trace3 { ($($arg:tt)*) => ( if false { log::trace!($($arg)*); } ); }
 
@@ -1052,6 +1051,7 @@ pub struct CaConnOpts {
     // TODO make private when we don't share it anymore
     pub(super) insert_queue_max: usize,
     pub(super) array_truncate: usize,
+    binwriter_enable: bool,
 }
 
 impl CaConnOpts {
@@ -1059,6 +1059,12 @@ impl CaConnOpts {
         self.insert_queue_max = val;
         self
     }
+
+    pub fn binwriter_use(self, v: bool) -> Self {
+        let mut ret = self;
+        ret.binwriter_enable = v;
+        ret
+    }
 }
 
 impl Default for CaConnOpts {
@@ -1066,6 +1072,7 @@ impl Default for CaConnOpts {
         Self {
             insert_queue_max: 20000,
             array_truncate: 2000000,
+            binwriter_enable: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1946,6 +1953,7 @@ impl CaConn {
                             stnow,
                             tscaproto,
                             ch_conf.use_ioc_time(),
+                            self.opts.binwriter_enable,
                             mett,
                             &mut self.rng,
                         )?;
@@ -1979,6 +1987,7 @@ impl CaConn {
                             stnow,
                             tscaproto,
                             ch_conf.use_ioc_time(),
+                            self.opts.binwriter_enable,
                             mett,
                             &mut self.rng,
                         )?;
@@ -2157,6 +2166,7 @@ impl CaConn {
                                         tsnow,
                                         tscaproto,
                                         ch_conf.use_ioc_time(),
+                                        self.opts.binwriter_enable,
                                         mett,
                                         &mut self.rng,
                                     )?;
@@ -2250,6 +2260,7 @@ impl CaConn {
                                             tsnow,
                                             tscaproto,
                                             ch_conf.use_ioc_time(),
+                                            self.opts.binwriter_enable,
                                             mett,
                                             &mut self.rng,
                                         )?;
@@ -2283,6 +2294,7 @@ impl CaConn {
         tsnow: Instant,
         tscaproto: Instant,
         use_ioc_time: bool,
+        binwriter_enable: bool,
         mett: &mut CaConnMetrics,
         rng: &mut Xoshiro128PlusPlus,
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -2301,6 +2313,7 @@ impl CaConn {
             stnow,
             tscaproto,
             use_ioc_time,
+            binwriter_enable,
             mett,
             rng,
         )?;
@@ -2319,6 +2332,7 @@ impl CaConn {
         stnow: SystemTime,
         tscaproto: Instant,
         use_ioc_time: bool,
+        binwriter_enable: bool,
         mett: &mut CaConnMetrics,
         rng: &mut Xoshiro128PlusPlus,
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -2380,7 +2394,7 @@ impl CaConn {
             Self::check_ev_value_data(&value.data, &writer.scalar_type())?;
             crst.muted_before = 0;
             crst.insert_item_ivl_ema.tick(tsnow);
-            if USE_BIN_WRITER {
+            if binwriter_enable {
                 binwriter.ingest(tsev, value.f32_for_binning(), iqdqs)?;
             }
             {
@@ -3458,7 +3472,7 @@ impl CaConn {
             if let ChannelState::Writable(st2) = chst {
                 let iqdqs = &mut self.iqdqs;
                 st2.writer.tick(iqdqs)?;
-                if USE_BIN_WRITER {
+                if self.opts.binwriter_enable {
                     st2.binwriter.tick(iqdqs)?;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/netfetch/src/ca/connset.rs b/netfetch/src/ca/connset.rs
index e1990c7..ee075b7 100644
--- a/netfetch/src/ca/connset.rs
+++ b/netfetch/src/ca/connset.rs
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ pub struct CaConnSet {
     thr_msg_storage_len: ThrottleTrace,
     cssid_latency_max: Duration,
     mett: stats::mett::CaConnSetMetrics,
+    use_binwriter: bool,
 }
 
 impl CaConnSet {
@@ -422,6 +423,7 @@ impl CaConnSet {
         channel_info_query_tx: Sender<ChannelInfoQuery>,
         ingest_opts: CaIngestOpts,
     ) -> CaConnSetCtrl {
+        let use_binwriter = ingest_opts.binwriter_enable();
         let (ca_conn_res_tx, ca_conn_res_rx) = async_channel::bounded(200);
         let (connset_inp_tx, connset_inp_rx) = async_channel::bounded(200);
         let (connset_out_tx, connset_out_rx) = async_channel::bounded(200);
@@ -467,6 +469,7 @@ impl CaConnSet {
             thr_msg_storage_len: ThrottleTrace::new(Duration::from_millis(1000)),
             cssid_latency_max: Duration::from_millis(2000),
             mett: stats::mett::CaConnSetMetrics::new(),
+            use_binwriter,
         };
         // TODO await on jh
         let jh = tokio::spawn(CaConnSet::run(connset));
@@ -1276,7 +1279,7 @@ impl CaConnSet {
 
     fn create_ca_conn(&mut self, add: ChannelAddWithAddr) -> Result<CaConnRes, Error> {
         // TODO should we save this as event?
-        let opts = CaConnOpts::default();
+        let opts = CaConnOpts::default().binwriter_use(self.use_binwriter);
         let addr = add.addr;
         let addr_v4 = if let SocketAddr::V4(x) = add.addr {
             x
diff --git a/netfetch/src/conf.rs b/netfetch/src/conf.rs
index 9903f0b..1e479fb 100644
--- a/netfetch/src/conf.rs
+++ b/netfetch/src/conf.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ pub struct CaIngestOpts {
     scylla_disable: bool,
     #[serde(default)]
     scylla_ignore_writes: bool,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    binwriter_enable: bool,
 }
 
 impl CaIngestOpts {
@@ -160,6 +162,10 @@ impl CaIngestOpts {
         self.scylla_ignore_writes
     }
 
+    pub fn binwriter_enable(&self) -> bool {
+        self.binwriter_enable
+    }
+
     pub fn is_valid(&self) -> bool {
         let confs = [&self.scylla_st, &self.scylla_mt, &self.scylla_lt, &self.scylla_st_rf1];
         let has_default_hosts = self.scylla.is_some();