diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/Options.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/Options.hh
index 3b5967a2..cac16812 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/Options.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/Options.hh
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public:
       FaceTexCoord   = 0x0400, ///< Has (r) / store (w) face texture coordinates
       ColorAlpha     = 0x0800, ///< Has (r) / store (w) alpha values for colors
       ColorFloat     = 0x1000, ///< Has (r) / store (w) float values for colors (currently only implemented for PLY and OFF files)
-      Custom         = 0x2000, ///< Has (r)             custom properties (currently only implemented in PLY Reader ASCII version)
+      Custom         = 0x2000, ///< Has (r) / store (w) custom properties (currently PLY only supports reading and only ASCII version. OM supports reading and writing)
       Status         = 0x4000, ///< Has (r) / store (w) status properties
       TexCoordST     = 0x8000  ///< Write texture coordinates as ST instead of UV
   };
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
index 9526c05a..cfe60603 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
@@ -562,34 +562,35 @@ bool _OMWriter_::write_binary(std::ostream& _os, BaseExporter& _be,
 
   // -------------------- write custom properties
 
-
-
-  const auto store_property = [this, &_os, swap, &bytes](
-    const BaseKernel::const_prop_iterator _it_begin, 
-    const BaseKernel::const_prop_iterator _it_end, 
-    const OMFormat::Chunk::Entity _ent)
+  if (_opt.check(Options::Custom))
   {
-    for (auto prop = _it_begin; prop != _it_end; ++prop)
+    const auto store_property = [this, &_os, swap, &bytes](
+      const BaseKernel::const_prop_iterator _it_begin,
+      const BaseKernel::const_prop_iterator _it_end,
+      const OMFormat::Chunk::Entity _ent)
     {
-      if (!*prop || (*prop)->name().empty() ||
-          ((*prop)->name().size() > 1 && (*prop)->name()[1] == ':'))
-      { // skip dead and "private" properties (no name or name matches "?:*")
-        continue;
+      for (auto prop = _it_begin; prop != _it_end; ++prop)
+      {
+        if (!*prop || (*prop)->name().empty() ||
+            ((*prop)->name().size() > 1 && (*prop)->name()[1] == ':'))
+        { // skip dead and "private" properties (no name or name matches "?:*")
+          continue;
+        }
+        bytes += store_binary_custom_chunk(_os, **prop, _ent, swap);
       }
-      bytes += store_binary_custom_chunk(_os, **prop, _ent, swap);
-    }
-  };
+    };
 
-  store_property(_be.kernel()->vprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->vprops_end(),
-      OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Vertex);
-  store_property(_be.kernel()->fprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->fprops_end(),
-      OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Face);
-  store_property(_be.kernel()->eprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->eprops_end(),
-      OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Edge);
-  store_property(_be.kernel()->hprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->hprops_end(),
-      OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Halfedge);
-  store_property(_be.kernel()->mprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->mprops_end(),
-      OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Mesh);
+    store_property(_be.kernel()->vprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->vprops_end(),
+        OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Vertex);
+    store_property(_be.kernel()->fprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->fprops_end(),
+        OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Face);
+    store_property(_be.kernel()->eprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->eprops_end(),
+        OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Edge);
+    store_property(_be.kernel()->hprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->hprops_end(),
+        OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Halfedge);
+    store_property(_be.kernel()->mprops_begin(), _be.kernel()->mprops_end(),
+        OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Mesh);
+  }
 
   memset(&chunk_header, 0, sizeof(chunk_header));
   chunk_header.name_ = false;