diff --git a/utils/flees-manager.py b/utils/flees-manager.py
index 209e916..01f947b 100755
--- a/utils/flees-manager.py
+++ b/utils/flees-manager.py
@@ -242,14 +242,17 @@ def remove_share(shares,config,opts):
         print("Removing share: %s"%( name, ))
         print(json.dumps(share_, indent = 2, sort_keys = True))
 
-    shares = [share for share in shares if share['name'] != name]
+    if opts.write:
+        shares = [share for share in shares if share['name'] != name]
 
-    shares_file = os.path.join(config['__root_path__'], opts.shares_file)
-    print("creating backup %s"%(shares_file+".bkp",))
-    copyfile(shares_file, shares_file+".bkp")
-    with open(shares_file,'wt') as fp:
-        json.dump(shares, fp, indent = 2, sort_keys = True)
-    print("Removed %s from %s"%(name, shares_file))
+        shares_file = os.path.join(config['__root_path__'], opts.shares_file)
+        print("creating backup %s"%(shares_file+".bkp",))
+        copyfile(shares_file, shares_file+".bkp")
+        with open(shares_file,'wt') as fp:
+            json.dump(shares, fp, indent = 2, sort_keys = True)
+        print("Removed %s from %s"%(name, shares_file))
+    else:
+        print("Share was not actually removed. Use -w to rewrite shares file.")
 
 
 def print_rest_api(shares, config, opts):
@@ -371,6 +374,9 @@ def parse_options():
     ## Remove
     parser_remove = subparsers.add_parser('remove', help = "Remove a share")
     parser_remove.add_argument(dest="name")
+    parser_remove.add_argument('-w','--write', action="store_true", dest="write", default = False,
+            help = "Write changes to the shares.json file"
+    )
     ## Add
     parser_add = subparsers.add_parser('add', help = "Add a share")
     parser_add.add_argument('-n','--name', action="store", dest="name", required = True)