diff --git a/docs/settings.rst b/docs/settings.rst
index 2a29f3a8..fcafbd6c 100644
--- a/docs/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/settings.rst
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Rosetta can be configured via the following parameters, to be defined in your pr
 * ``ROSETTA_CACHE_NAME``: When using ``rosetta.storage.CacheRosettaStorage``, you can store the Rosetta data in a specific cache. This is particularly useful when your ``default`` cache is a ``django.core.cache.backends.dummy.DummyCache`` (which happens on pre-production environments). If unset, it will default to ``rosetta`` if a cache with this name exists, or ``default`` if not.
 * ``ROSETTA_POFILENAMES``: Defines which po file names are exposed in the web interface. Defaults to ``('django.po', 'djangojs.po')``
 * ``ROSETTA_EXCLUDED_PATHS``: Exclude paths defined in this list from being searched (usually ends with "locale"). Defaults to ``()``
-
+* ``ROSETTA_AUTO_COMPILE``: Determines whether the MO file is automatically compiled when the PO file is saved. Defaults to ``True``.
 
 Storages
 --------
diff --git a/rosetta/conf/settings.py b/rosetta/conf/settings.py
index d24f8251..81310a8d 100644
--- a/rosetta/conf/settings.py
+++ b/rosetta/conf/settings.py
@@ -95,3 +95,6 @@
 # 'translators` group, create individual per-language groups, e.g.
 # 'translators-de', 'translators-fr', ...
 ROSETTA_LANGUAGE_GROUPS = getattr(settings, 'ROSETTA_LANGUAGE_GROUPS', False)
+
+# Determines whether the MO file is automatically compiled when the PO file is saved.
+AUTO_COMPILE = getattr(settings, 'ROSETTA_AUTO_COMPILE', True)
diff --git a/rosetta/tests/tests.py b/rosetta/tests/tests.py
index 2defbc6c..513ea098 100644
--- a/rosetta/tests/tests.py
+++ b/rosetta/tests/tests.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import six
 import django
 import vcr
+import hashlib
 
 
 class RosettaTestCase(TestCase):
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.__require_auth = rosetta_settings.ROSETTA_REQUIRES_AUTH
         self.__google_translate = rosetta_settings.GOOGLE_TRANSLATE
         self.__enable_translation = rosetta_settings.ENABLE_TRANSLATION_SUGGESTIONS
+        self.__auto_compile = rosetta_settings.AUTO_COMPILE
 
         shutil.copy(self.dest_file, self.dest_file + '.orig')
 
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ def tearDown(self):
         rosetta_settings.ROSETTA_REQUIRES_AUTH = self.__require_auth
         rosetta_settings.GOOGLE_TRANSLATE = self.__google_translate
         rosetta_settings.ENABLE_TRANSLATION_SUGGESTIONS = self.__enable_translation
+        rosetta_settings.AUTO_COMPILE = self.__auto_compile
         shutil.move(self.dest_file + '.orig', self.dest_file)
 
     def test_1_ListLoading(self):
@@ -726,6 +729,83 @@ def test_38_issue_161_more_weird_locales(self):
         r = self.client.get(reverse('rosetta-pick-file'))
         self.assertTrue(os.path.normpath('locale/zh_Hans/LC_MESSAGES/django.po') in str(r.content))
 
+    def test_40_issue_155_auto_compile(self):
+
+        def file_hash(file_string):
+            if six.PY3:
+                with open(file_string, encoding="latin-1") as file:
+                    file_content = file.read().encode('utf-8')
+            else:
+                with open(file_string) as file:
+                    file_content = file.read()
+            return hashlib.md5(file_content).hexdigest()
+
+        def message_hashes():
+            r = self.client.get(reverse('rosetta-home'))
+            return dict([(m.msgid, 'm_' + m.md5hash) for m in r.context['rosetta_messages']])
+
+        po_file = self.dest_file
+        mo_file = self.dest_file[:-3] + '.mo'
+
+        # Load the template file
+        self.client.get(reverse('rosetta-pick-file') + '?filter=third-party')
+        self.client.get(reverse('rosetta-language-selection', args=('xx', 0), kwargs=dict()))
+
+        # MO file will be compiled by default.
+        # Get PO and MO files into an initial reference state (MO will be created or updated)
+        msg_hashes = message_hashes()
+        self.client.post(reverse('rosetta-home'), {
+            msg_hashes['String 1']: "Translation 1", '_next': '_next'})
+        po_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_before = file_hash(po_file), file_hash(mo_file)
+
+        # Make a change to the translations
+        msg_hashes = message_hashes()
+        self.client.post(reverse('rosetta-home'), {
+            msg_hashes['String 1']: "Translation 2", '_next': '_next'})
+
+        # Get the new hashes of the PO and MO file contents
+        po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after = file_hash(po_file), file_hash(mo_file)
+
+        # Both the PO and MO should have changed
+        self.assertNotEqual(po_file_hash_before, po_file_hash_after)
+        self.assertNotEqual(mo_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_after)
+
+        # Disable auto-compilation of the MO when the PO is saved
+        rosetta_settings.AUTO_COMPILE = False
+
+        # Make a change to the translations
+        po_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_before = po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after
+        msg_hashes = message_hashes()
+        self.client.post(reverse('rosetta-home'), {
+            msg_hashes['String 1']: "Translation 3", '_next': '_next'})
+        po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after = file_hash(po_file), file_hash(mo_file)
+
+        # Only the PO should have changed, the MO should be unchanged
+        self.assertNotEqual(po_file_hash_before, po_file_hash_after)
+        self.assertEqual(mo_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_after)
+
+        # Verify that translating another string also leaves the MO unchanged
+        po_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_before = po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after
+        msg_hashes = message_hashes()
+        self.client.post(reverse('rosetta-home'), {
+            msg_hashes['String 2']: "Translation 4", '_next': '_next'})
+        po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after = file_hash(po_file), file_hash(mo_file)
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(po_file_hash_before, po_file_hash_after)
+        self.assertEqual(mo_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_after)
+
+        # Double check that switching back to auto compilation updates the MO
+        rosetta_settings.AUTO_COMPILE = True
+
+        po_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_before = po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after
+        msg_hashes = message_hashes()
+        self.client.post(reverse('rosetta-home'), {
+            msg_hashes['String 2']: "Translation 5", '_next': '_next'})
+        po_file_hash_after, mo_file_hash_after = file_hash(po_file), file_hash(mo_file)
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(po_file_hash_before, po_file_hash_after)
+        self.assertNotEqual(mo_file_hash_before, mo_file_hash_after)
+
 
 # Stubbed access control function
 def no_access(user):
diff --git a/rosetta/views.py b/rosetta/views.py
index 330e7057..29a5298c 100644
--- a/rosetta/views.py
+++ b/rosetta/views.py
@@ -161,8 +161,10 @@ def _request_request(key, default=None):
                 try:
                     rosetta_i18n_pofile.save()
                     po_filepath, ext = os.path.splitext(rosetta_i18n_fn)
-                    save_as_mo_filepath = po_filepath + '.mo'
-                    rosetta_i18n_pofile.save_as_mofile(save_as_mo_filepath)
+
+                    if rosetta_settings.AUTO_COMPILE:
+                        save_as_mo_filepath = po_filepath + '.mo'
+                        rosetta_i18n_pofile.save_as_mofile(save_as_mo_filepath)
 
                     post_save.send(sender=None, language_code=rosetta_i18n_lang_code, request=request)
                     # Try auto-reloading via the WSGI daemon mode reload mechanism