diff --git a/lib/compress.js b/lib/compress.js
index 752e1f08..5776fb88 100644
--- a/lib/compress.js
+++ b/lib/compress.js
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ function Compressor(options, false_by_default) {
         screw_ie8     : true,
         sequences     : !false_by_default,
         side_effects  : !false_by_default,
+        switches      : !false_by_default,
         top_retain    : null,
         toplevel      : !!(options && options["top_retain"]),
         unsafe        : false,
@@ -2526,6 +2527,7 @@ merge(Compressor.prototype, {
     });
 
     OPT(AST_Switch, function(self, compressor){
+        if (!compressor.option("switches")) return self;
         var branch;
         var value = self.expression.evaluate(compressor);
         if (value !== self.expression) {
diff --git a/test/compress/issue-1750.js b/test/compress/issue-1750.js
index 53a78e65..c1448afe 100644
--- a/test/compress/issue-1750.js
+++ b/test/compress/issue-1750.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ case_1: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 0, b = 1;
diff --git a/test/compress/reduce_vars.js b/test/compress/reduce_vars.js
index b3812022..cdc4ef20 100644
--- a/test/compress/reduce_vars.js
+++ b/test/compress/reduce_vars.js
@@ -1400,6 +1400,7 @@ issue_1670_1: {
         dead_code: true,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
@@ -1431,6 +1432,7 @@ issue_1670_2: {
         passes: 2,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
@@ -1461,6 +1463,7 @@ issue_1670_3: {
         dead_code: true,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
@@ -1492,6 +1495,7 @@ issue_1670_4: {
         passes: 2,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
@@ -1521,6 +1525,7 @@ issue_1670_5: {
         keep_fargs: false,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
@@ -1550,6 +1555,7 @@ issue_1670_6: {
         keep_fargs: false,
         reduce_vars: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         unused: true,
     }
     input: {
diff --git a/test/compress/switch.js b/test/compress/switch.js
index cb481de6..03c1e00a 100644
--- a/test/compress/switch.js
+++ b/test/compress/switch.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ constant_switch_1: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (1+1) {
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ constant_switch_2: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (1) {
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ constant_switch_3: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (10) {
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ constant_switch_4: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (2) {
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ constant_switch_5: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (1) {
@@ -118,6 +123,7 @@ constant_switch_6: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         OUT: {
@@ -151,6 +157,7 @@ constant_switch_7: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         OUT: {
@@ -193,6 +200,7 @@ constant_switch_8: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         OUT: switch (1) {
@@ -221,6 +229,7 @@ constant_switch_9: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         OUT: switch (1) {
@@ -246,7 +255,10 @@ constant_switch_9: {
 }
 
 drop_default_1: {
-    options = { dead_code: true };
+    options = {
+        dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
+    }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
           case 'bar': baz();
@@ -261,7 +273,10 @@ drop_default_1: {
 }
 
 drop_default_2: {
-    options = { dead_code: true };
+    options = {
+        dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
+    }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
           case 'bar': baz(); break;
@@ -277,7 +292,10 @@ drop_default_2: {
 }
 
 keep_default: {
-    options = { dead_code: true };
+    options = {
+        dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
+    }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
           case 'bar': baz();
@@ -300,6 +318,7 @@ issue_1663: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 100, b = 10;
@@ -331,6 +350,7 @@ issue_1663: {
 drop_case: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
@@ -349,6 +369,7 @@ drop_case: {
 keep_case: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
@@ -369,6 +390,7 @@ issue_376: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (true) {
@@ -391,6 +413,7 @@ issue_376: {
 issue_441_1: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
@@ -418,6 +441,7 @@ issue_441_1: {
 issue_441_2: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (foo) {
@@ -452,6 +476,7 @@ issue_1674: {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (0) {
@@ -473,6 +498,7 @@ issue_1679: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 100, b = 10;
@@ -520,6 +546,7 @@ issue_1680_1: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
         evaluate: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         function f(x) {
@@ -560,6 +587,7 @@ issue_1680_1: {
 issue_1680_2: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 100, b = 10;
@@ -595,6 +623,7 @@ issue_1680_2: {
 issue_1690_1: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (console.log("PASS")) {}
@@ -608,6 +637,7 @@ issue_1690_1: {
 issue_1690_2: {
     options = {
         dead_code: false,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (console.log("PASS")) {}
@@ -623,6 +653,7 @@ if_switch_typeof: {
         conditionals: true,
         dead_code: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         if (a) switch(typeof b) {}
@@ -635,6 +666,7 @@ if_switch_typeof: {
 issue_1698: {
     options = {
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 1;
@@ -656,6 +688,7 @@ issue_1698: {
 issue_1705_1: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 0;
@@ -684,6 +717,7 @@ issue_1705_2: {
         reduce_vars: true,
         sequences: true,
         side_effects: true,
+        switches: true,
         toplevel: true,
         unused: true,
     }
@@ -704,6 +738,7 @@ issue_1705_2: {
 issue_1705_3: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         switch (a) {
@@ -763,6 +798,7 @@ beautify: {
 issue_1758: {
     options = {
         dead_code: true,
+        switches: true,
     }
     input: {
         var a = 1, b = 2;