diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a3b62795..c9fa6b2a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Download the docker-compose.yml, the .env and the setup.sh files:
     curl -o docker-compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tomav/docker-mailserver/master/docker-compose.yml.dist
 
     curl -o .env https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tomav/docker-mailserver/master/.env.dist
-    
+
     curl -o env-mailserver https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tomav/docker-mailserver/master/env-mailserver.dist
 
 #### Create a docker-compose environment
@@ -426,9 +426,9 @@ If this is not set and reports are enabled with the old options, logrotate will
 
 Note: This variable used to control logrotate inside the container and sent the pflogsumm report when the logs were rotated.
 It is still supported for backwards compatibility, but the new option LOGROTATE_INTERVAL has been added that only rotates
-the logs. 
+the logs.
 
-##### LOGROTATE_INTERVAL 
+##### LOGROTATE_INTERVAL
 
   Defines the interval in which the mail log is being rotated.
   - **daily** => Rotate daily.
@@ -474,6 +474,22 @@ Note: this spamassassin setting needs `ENABLE_SPAMASSASSIN=1`. By default, the m
 
 Note: this spamassassin setting needs `ENABLE_SPAMASSASSIN=1`
 
+##### SA_SHORTCIRCUIT_BAYES_SPAM
+
+  - **1** => will activate spamassassin short circuiting for bayes spam detection.
+
+This will uncomment the respective line in ```/etc/spamassasin/local.cf```
+
+Note: activate this only if you are confident in your bayes database for identifying spam.
+
+##### SA_SHORTCIRCUIT_BAYES_HAM
+
+  - **1** => will activate spamassassin short circuiting for bayes ham detection
+
+This will uncomment the respective line in ```/etc/spamassasin/local.cf```
+
+Note: activate this only if you are confident in your bayes database for identifying ham.
+
 ## Fetchmail
 
 ##### ENABLE_FETCHMAIL
diff --git a/target/start-mailserver.sh b/target/start-mailserver.sh
index 64b14fd8..261eca88 100644
--- a/target/start-mailserver.sh
+++ b/target/start-mailserver.sh
@@ -625,8 +625,8 @@ function _setup_dovecot() {
 		sed -i "s/#sieve_after =/sieve_after =/" /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-sieve.conf
 		cp /tmp/docker-mailserver/after.dovecot.sieve /usr/lib/dovecot/sieve-global/
 		sievec /usr/lib/dovecot/sieve-global/after.dovecot.sieve
-	else 
-		sed -i "s/  sieve_after =/  #sieve_after =/" /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-sieve.conf	
+	else
+		sed -i "s/  sieve_after =/  #sieve_after =/" /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-sieve.conf
 	fi
 	chown docker:docker -R /usr/lib/dovecot/sieve*
 	chmod 550 -R /usr/lib/dovecot/sieve*
@@ -1390,6 +1390,16 @@ function _setup_security_stack() {
 		else
 			sed -i -r 's/^\$sa_spam_subject_tag (.*);/\$sa_spam_subject_tag = '"'$SA_SPAM_SUBJECT'"';/g' /etc/amavis/conf.d/20-debian_defaults
 		fi
+
+        # activate short circuits when SA BAYES is certain it has spam.
+        if [ "$SA_SHORTCIRCUIT_BAYES_SPAM" = 1 ]; then
+            sed -i -r 's/^# shortcircuit BAYES_99/shortcircuit BAYES_99/g' /etc/spamassassin/local.cf
+        fi
+
+        if [ "$SA_SHORTCIRCUIT_BAYES_HAM" = 1 ]; then
+            sed -i -r 's/^# shortcircuit BAYES_00/shortcircuit BAYES_00/g' /etc/spamassassin/local.cf
+        fi
+
 		test -e /tmp/docker-mailserver/spamassassin-rules.cf && cp /tmp/docker-mailserver/spamassassin-rules.cf /etc/spamassassin/
 	fi