diff --git a/README b/README
index 8c3bed688cb3993c93ab4f2b34fbb1d2e0dd4517..902d5a45aefd206fdb1a3d95369f8b7d6811b275 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Thank you for using CATview - the Colored & Aligned Texts view.
 
-This is version 2.6.3
+This is version 2.6.5
 
 For information about the features and usage of CATview, please visit:
 https://catview.uzi.uni-halle.de
diff --git a/catview.js b/catview.js
index a8f38843e33eafed0749785521e80b3b03aa0a7b..711b6aae26c673756bed13044b7c71f79a76163c 100644
--- a/catview.js
+++ b/catview.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  SOFTWARE.
 */
 
-// CATview - the Colored & Aligned Texts view - version 2.6.3
+// CATview - the Colored & Aligned Texts view - version 2.6.5
 const CATview = new function() {
   this.debug = false;
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const CATview = new function() {
     if(CATview.debug)
       console.log('CATview.initialize');
 
-    CATview.version = '2.6.4';
+    CATview.version = '2.6.5';
 
     // id of the parent container that will include CATview
     CATview.parent_id = 'CATview';
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ const CATview = new function() {
     CATview.drag_do_end = false;
     CATview.drag_threshold = 0.1;
     CATview.drag_mode = 'insert';  // 'insert' || 'swap'
+    
+    this.zebra_enabled = true;
   };
 
   // method to set margins and content width/height according to the current orientation of CATview and its axis
@@ -875,6 +877,9 @@ const CATview = new function() {
     let zebra = CATview.svg.select(".zebra");
     zebra.selectAll('*').remove();  // remove the current content
 
+    if(!CATview.zebra_enabled)
+      return false;
+
     let width, height;
     if(CATview.vertical){
       height = CATview.height_svg - CATview.space_for_tool_icons;