diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index df59b7f..b8d5e44 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-2.6.2
+2.7.1
     - Fix renderer not rendering marker-lines
 
+2.7.0
+    - Adds option to not fetch map when instantiating a windshaft provider (#74)
+
 2.6.1
     - Fix marker fill opacity (#72)
 
diff --git a/lib/torque/provider/windshaft.js b/lib/torque/provider/windshaft.js
index e34c98d..14b7808 100644
--- a/lib/torque/provider/windshaft.js
+++ b/lib/torque/provider/windshaft.js
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@
       var e = this.options.extra_params || (this.options.extra_params = {});
       e.auth_token = this.options.auth_token;
     }
-
-    this._fetchMap();
+    if (!this.options.no_fetch_map) {
+      this._fetchMap();
+    }
   };
 
   json.prototype = {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 31635e0..3bd5d9f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "torque.js",
-    "version": "2.6.2",
+    "version": "2.7.1",
     "description": "Torque javascript library",
     "repository": {
         "type": "git",
diff --git a/test/provider.windshaft.test.js b/test/provider.windshaft.test.js
index 2491b8d..b2a35e3 100644
--- a/test/provider.windshaft.test.js
+++ b/test/provider.windshaft.test.js
@@ -135,4 +135,30 @@ test("auth_token with several params as array param and present in url", functio
     ok(lastCall.indexOf("auth_token[]=token2") !== -1);
 });
 
+[
+    { shouldInvokeFetchMap: true, desc: 'undefined no_fetch_map option provided should invoke _fetchMap' },
+    { no_fetch_map: false, shouldInvokeFetchMap: true, desc: 'no_fetch_map=false should invoke _fetchMap' },
+    { no_fetch_map: true, shouldInvokeFetchMap: false, desc: 'no_fetch_map=true should NOT invoke _fetchMap' }
+].forEach(function(fetchMapCase) {
+
+    test("no_fetch_map option: " + fetchMapCase.desc, function() {
+        var fetchMapFn = torque.providers.windshaft.prototype._fetchMap;
+
+        var _fetchMapInvoked = false;
+        torque.providers.windshaft.prototype._fetchMap = function() {
+            _fetchMapInvoked = true;
+        };
+
+        new torque.providers.windshaft({
+            table: 'test',
+            user: "rambo",
+            no_fetch_map: fetchMapCase.no_fetch_map
+        });
+
+        equal(_fetchMapInvoked, fetchMapCase.shouldInvokeFetchMap);
+
+        torque.providers.windshaft.prototype._fetchMap = fetchMapFn;
+    });
+
+});