diff --git a/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.cpp b/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.cpp
index 29d263163..bf044428a 100644
--- a/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.cpp
+++ b/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.cpp
@@ -74,17 +74,21 @@ void	btTriangleMesh::addIndex(int index)
 	}
 }
 
-int	btTriangleMesh::findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex)
+
+int	btTriangleMesh::findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex, bool removeDuplicateVertices)
 {
 	//return index of new/existing vertex
 	//todo: could use acceleration structure for this
 	if (m_use4componentVertices)
 	{
-		for (int i=0;i< m_4componentVertices.size();i++)
-		{
-			if ((m_4componentVertices[i]-vertex).length2() <= m_weldingThreshold)
+		if (removeDuplicateVertices)
 			{
-				return i;
+			for (int i=0;i< m_4componentVertices.size();i++)
+			{
+				if ((m_4componentVertices[i]-vertex).length2() <= m_weldingThreshold)
+				{
+					return i;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		m_indexedMeshes[0].m_numVertices++;
@@ -96,14 +100,17 @@ int	btTriangleMesh::findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex)
 	} else
 	{
 		
-		for (int i=0;i< m_3componentVertices.size();i+=3)
+		if (removeDuplicateVertices)
 		{
-			btVector3 vtx(m_3componentVertices[i],m_3componentVertices[i+1],m_3componentVertices[i+2]);
-			if ((vtx-vertex).length2() <= m_weldingThreshold)
+			for (int i=0;i< m_3componentVertices.size();i+=3)
 			{
-				return i/3;
+				btVector3 vtx(m_3componentVertices[i],m_3componentVertices[i+1],m_3componentVertices[i+2]);
+				if ((vtx-vertex).length2() <= m_weldingThreshold)
+				{
+					return i/3;
+				}
 			}
-		}
+	}
 		m_3componentVertices.push_back(vertex.getX());
 		m_3componentVertices.push_back(vertex.getY());
 		m_3componentVertices.push_back(vertex.getZ());
@@ -114,13 +121,12 @@ int	btTriangleMesh::findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex)
 
 }
 		
-void	btTriangleMesh::addTriangle(const btVector3& vertex0,const btVector3& vertex1,const btVector3& vertex2)
+void	btTriangleMesh::addTriangle(const btVector3& vertex0,const btVector3& vertex1,const btVector3& vertex2,bool removeDuplicateVertices)
 {
 	m_indexedMeshes[0].m_numTriangles++;
-		
-	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex0));
-	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex1));
-	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex2));
+	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex0,removeDuplicateVertices));
+	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex1,removeDuplicateVertices));
+	addIndex(findOrAddVertex(vertex2,removeDuplicateVertices));
 }
 
 int btTriangleMesh::getNumTriangles() const
diff --git a/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.h b/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.h
index 1f51b2f2c..f06fbb7c2 100644
--- a/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.h
+++ b/src/BulletCollision/CollisionShapes/btTriangleMesh.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ subject to the following restrictions:
 ///It allows either 32bit or 16bit indices, and 4 (x-y-z-w) or 3 (x-y-z) component vertices.
 ///If you want to share triangle/index data between graphics mesh and collision mesh (btBvhTriangleMeshShape), you can directly use btTriangleIndexVertexArray or derive your own class from btStridingMeshInterface.
 ///Performance of btTriangleMesh and btTriangleIndexVertexArray used in a btBvhTriangleMeshShape is the same.
-///It has a brute-force option to weld together closeby vertices.
 class btTriangleMesh : public btTriangleIndexVertexArray
 {
 	btAlignedObjectArray<btVector3>	m_4componentVertices;
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ class btTriangleMesh : public btTriangleIndexVertexArray
 
 		btTriangleMesh (bool use32bitIndices=true,bool use4componentVertices=true);
 
-		int		findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex);
+		int		findOrAddVertex(const btVector3& vertex, bool removeDuplicateVertices);
 		void	addIndex(int index);
 
 		bool	getUse32bitIndices() const
@@ -54,8 +53,9 @@ class btTriangleMesh : public btTriangleIndexVertexArray
 		{
 			return m_use4componentVertices;
 		}
-		
-		void	addTriangle(const btVector3& vertex0,const btVector3& vertex1,const btVector3& vertex2);
+		///By default addTriangle won't search for duplicate vertices, because the search is very slow for large triangle meshes.
+		///In general it is better to directly use btTriangleIndexVertexArray instead.
+		void	addTriangle(const btVector3& vertex0,const btVector3& vertex1,const btVector3& vertex2, bool removeDuplicateVertices=false);
 		
 		int getNumTriangles() const;