diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d79135bf..481236e0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ resolution is obtained than by using a smaller _maxzoom_ or _detail_.
  * `-pf` or `--no-feature-limit`: Don't limit tiles to 200,000 features
  * `-pk` or `--no-tile-size-limit`: Don't limit tiles to 500K bytes
  * `-pC` or `--no-tile-compression`: Don't compress the PBF vector tile data.
+ * `-pg` or `--no-tile-stats`: Don't generate the `tilestats` row in the tileset metadata. Uploads without [tilestats](https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-geostats) will take longer to process.
 
 ### Temporary storage
 
@@ -463,6 +464,7 @@ The options are:
  * `-i` or `--if-matched`: Only include features that matched the CSV.
  * `-pk` or `--no-tile-size-limit`: Don't skip tiles larger than 500K.
  * `-pC` or `--no-tile-compression`: Don't compress the PBF vector tile data.
+ * `-pg` or `--no-tile-stats`: Don't generate the `tilestats` row in the tileset metadata. Uploads without [tilestats](https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-geostats) will take longer to process.
  * `-l` *layer* or `--layer=`*layer*: Include the named layer in the output. You can specify multiple `-l` options to keep multiple layers. If you don't specify, they will all be retained.
  * `-L` *layer* or `--exclude-layer=`*layer*: Remove the named layer from the output. You can specify multiple `-L` options to remove multiple layers.
  * `-A` *attribution* or `--attribution=`*attribution*: Set the attribution string.
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 93caadec..4ca8012f 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -2000,7 +2000,7 @@ int read_input(std::vector<source> &sources, char *fname, int maxzoom, int minzo
 		}
 	}
 
-	mbtiles_write_metadata(outdb, outdir, fname, minzoom, maxzoom, minlat, minlon, maxlat, maxlon, midlat, midlon, forcetable, attribution, merged_lm, true, description);
+	mbtiles_write_metadata(outdb, outdir, fname, minzoom, maxzoom, minlat, minlon, maxlat, maxlon, midlat, midlon, forcetable, attribution, merged_lm, true, description, !prevent[P_TILE_STATS]);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -2176,6 +2176,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		{"no-feature-limit", no_argument, &prevent[P_FEATURE_LIMIT], 1},
 		{"no-tile-size-limit", no_argument, &prevent[P_KILOBYTE_LIMIT], 1},
 		{"no-tile-compression", no_argument, &prevent[P_TILE_COMPRESSION], 1},
+		{"no-tile-stats", no_argument, &prevent[P_TILE_STATS], 1},
 
 		{"Temporary storage", 0, 0, 0},
 		{"temporary-directory", required_argument, 0, 't'},
diff --git a/man/tippecanoe.1 b/man/tippecanoe.1
index cbc72e6c..4c5298d2 100644
--- a/man/tippecanoe.1
+++ b/man/tippecanoe.1
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ the line or polygon within one tile unit of its proper location. You can probabl
 \fB\fC\-pk\fR or \fB\fC\-\-no\-tile\-size\-limit\fR: Don't limit tiles to 500K bytes
 .IP \(bu 2
 \fB\fC\-pC\fR or \fB\fC\-\-no\-tile\-compression\fR: Don't compress the PBF vector tile data.
+.IP \(bu 2
+\fB\fC\-pg\fR or \fB\fC\-\-no\-tile\-stats\fR: Don't generate the \fB\fCtilestats\fR row in the tileset metadata. Uploads without tilestats \[la]https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-geostats\[ra] will take longer to process.
 .RE
 .SS Temporary storage
 .RS
@@ -543,6 +545,8 @@ The options are:
 .IP \(bu 2
 \fB\fC\-pC\fR or \fB\fC\-\-no\-tile\-compression\fR: Don't compress the PBF vector tile data.
 .IP \(bu 2
+\fB\fC\-pg\fR or \fB\fC\-\-no\-tile\-stats\fR: Don't generate the \fB\fCtilestats\fR row in the tileset metadata. Uploads without tilestats \[la]https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-geostats\[ra] will take longer to process.
+.IP \(bu 2
 \fB\fC\-l\fR \fIlayer\fP or \fB\fC\-\-layer=\fR\fIlayer\fP: Include the named layer in the output. You can specify multiple \fB\fC\-l\fR options to keep multiple layers. If you don't specify, they will all be retained.
 .IP \(bu 2
 \fB\fC\-L\fR \fIlayer\fP or \fB\fC\-\-exclude\-layer=\fR\fIlayer\fP: Remove the named layer from the output. You can specify multiple \fB\fC\-L\fR options to remove multiple layers.
diff --git a/mbtiles.cpp b/mbtiles.cpp
index ddab94a8..ece277ab 100644
--- a/mbtiles.cpp
+++ b/mbtiles.cpp
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ std::string tilestats(std::map<std::string, layermap_entry> const &layermap1) {
 	return out2;
 }
 
-void mbtiles_write_metadata(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *outdir, const char *fname, int minzoom, int maxzoom, double minlat, double minlon, double maxlat, double maxlon, double midlat, double midlon, int forcetable, const char *attribution, std::map<std::string, layermap_entry> const &layermap, bool vector, const char *description) {
+void mbtiles_write_metadata(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *outdir, const char *fname, int minzoom, int maxzoom, double minlat, double minlon, double maxlat, double maxlon, double midlat, double midlon, int forcetable, const char *attribution, std::map<std::string, layermap_entry> const &layermap, bool vector, const char *description, bool do_tilestats) {
 	char *sql, *err;
 
 	sqlite3 *db = outdb;
@@ -455,8 +455,12 @@ void mbtiles_write_metadata(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *outdir, const char *fnam
 			aprintf(&buf, "} }");
 		}
 
-		aprintf(&buf, " ],");
-		aprintf(&buf, "\"tilestats\": %s", tilestats(layermap).c_str());
+		aprintf(&buf, " ]");
+
+		if (do_tilestats) {
+			aprintf(&buf, ",\"tilestats\": %s", tilestats(layermap).c_str());
+		}
+
 		aprintf(&buf, "}");
 
 		sql = sqlite3_mprintf("INSERT INTO metadata (name, value) VALUES ('json', %Q);", buf.c_str());
diff --git a/mbtiles.hpp b/mbtiles.hpp
index efc0a976..2e252622 100644
--- a/mbtiles.hpp
+++ b/mbtiles.hpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ sqlite3 *mbtiles_open(char *dbname, char **argv, int forcetable);
 
 void mbtiles_write_tile(sqlite3 *outdb, int z, int tx, int ty, const char *data, int size);
 
-void mbtiles_write_metadata(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *outdir, const char *fname, int minzoom, int maxzoom, double minlat, double minlon, double maxlat, double maxlon, double midlat, double midlon, int forcetable, const char *attribution, std::map<std::string, layermap_entry> const &layermap, bool vector, const char *description);
+void mbtiles_write_metadata(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *outdir, const char *fname, int minzoom, int maxzoom, double minlat, double minlon, double maxlat, double maxlon, double midlat, double midlon, int forcetable, const char *attribution, std::map<std::string, layermap_entry> const &layermap, bool vector, const char *description, bool do_tilestats);
 
 void mbtiles_close(sqlite3 *outdb, const char *pgm);
 
diff --git a/options.hpp b/options.hpp
index 3b585497..3ebc6e66 100644
--- a/options.hpp
+++ b/options.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define P_DUPLICATION ((int) 'D')
 #define P_TINY_POLYGON_REDUCTION ((int) 't')
 #define P_TILE_COMPRESSION ((int) 'C')
+#define P_TILE_STATS ((int) 'g')
 
 extern int prevent[256];
 extern int additional[256];
diff --git a/tile-join.cpp b/tile-join.cpp
index ebfed4f7..e168338d 100644
--- a/tile-join.cpp
+++ b/tile-join.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ std::string dequote(std::string s);
 
 int pk = false;
 int pC = false;
+int pg = false;
 size_t CPUS;
 int quiet = false;
 
@@ -1035,6 +1036,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 		{"no-tile-size-limit", no_argument, &pk, 1},
 		{"no-tile-compression", no_argument, &pC, 1},
+		{"no-tile-stats", no_argument, &pg, 1},
 
 		{0, 0, 0, 0},
 	};
@@ -1092,6 +1094,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 				pk = true;
 			} else if (strcmp(optarg, "C") == 0) {
 				pC = true;
+			} else if (strcmp(optarg, "g") == 0) {
+				pg = true;
 			} else {
 				fprintf(stderr, "%s: Unknown option for -p%s\n", argv[0], optarg);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -1194,7 +1198,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		name = set_name;
 	}
 
-	mbtiles_write_metadata(outdb, out_dir, name.c_str(), st.minzoom, st.maxzoom, st.minlat, st.minlon, st.maxlat, st.maxlon, st.midlat, st.midlon, 0, attribution.size() != 0 ? attribution.c_str() : NULL, layermap, true, description.c_str());
+	mbtiles_write_metadata(outdb, out_dir, name.c_str(), st.minzoom, st.maxzoom, st.minlat, st.minlon, st.maxlat, st.maxlon, st.midlat, st.midlon, 0, attribution.size() != 0 ? attribution.c_str() : NULL, layermap, true, description.c_str(), !pg);
 
 	if (outdb != NULL) {
 		mbtiles_close(outdb, argv[0]);