diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
index 05d4215010a3c80641452e031aef8c4a29050fa4..f88495a74292f4e6680ad4d4b8fb63040f94f6dc 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ public class ReadAndWriteEntry
         System.out.println("-u\t[swing|console|script] the UI mode : run in swing (with popup dialog boxes) mode, run in console mode (choices entered in the console window), or in script mode (all choices default to continue, all parameters passed on command line) ");
         System.out.println("-p\tthe password for connecting to the Chado database");
         System.out.println("-fp\t the file path (the folder you want to save the files in)");
+        System.out.println("-np\t[y|n] do not write out private qualifiers, default is y");
         
         System.exit(0);
       }
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ public class ReadAndWriteEntry
       boolean include_diana_extensions = true;
       String suffix = ".embl";
       boolean gzip = true;
+      boolean noprivates = true;
       
       String filePath = "";
       
@@ -309,6 +311,11 @@ public class ReadAndWriteEntry
           if(i + 1 < args.length && args[i + 1].toLowerCase().equals("n"))
             gzip = false;
         }
+        else if (key.equals("-np"))
+        {
+          if(i + 1 < args.length && args[i + 1].toLowerCase().equals("n"))
+            noprivates = false;
+        }
         else if (key.equals("-o"))
         {
           if(i + 1 < args.length && args[i + 1].toLowerCase().equals("gff"))
@@ -386,6 +393,9 @@ public class ReadAndWriteEntry
       if(gzip)
         suffix = suffix + ".gz";
 
+      if(noprivates)
+        System.setProperty("noprivates", "true");
+      
       for(int i=0;i < names.length; i++)
       {