diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b981be98f..e117f587d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ The author of the Silk icon set is Mark James.
                             Spacing between pattern lines (mm, default: 2.5)
         --support-material-angle
                             Support material angle in degrees (range: 0-90, default: 0)
+        --support-material-contact-distance
+                            Vertical distance between object and support material
+                            (0+, default: 0.2)
         --support-material-interface-layers
                             Number of perpendicular layers between support material and object (0+, default: 3)
         --support-material-interface-spacing
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/GUI/Tab.pm b/lib/Slic3r/GUI/Tab.pm
index 9d59865a1..b1eb2bcd3 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/GUI/Tab.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/GUI/Tab.pm
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ sub build {
         raft_layers
         support_material_pattern support_material_spacing support_material_angle
         support_material_interface_layers support_material_interface_spacing
-        dont_support_bridges
+        support_material_contact_distance dont_support_bridges
         notes
         complete_objects extruder_clearance_radius extruder_clearance_height
         gcode_comments output_filename_format
@@ -556,6 +556,7 @@ sub build {
         }
         {
             my $optgroup = $page->new_optgroup('Options for support material and raft');
+            $optgroup->append_single_option_line('support_material_contact_distance');
             $optgroup->append_single_option_line('support_material_pattern');
             $optgroup->append_single_option_line('support_material_spacing');
             $optgroup->append_single_option_line('support_material_angle');
@@ -766,7 +767,7 @@ sub _update {
         for qw(support_material_threshold support_material_enforce_layers
             support_material_pattern support_material_spacing support_material_angle
             support_material_interface_layers dont_support_bridges
-            support_material_extrusion_width);
+            support_material_extrusion_width support_material_contact_distance);
     $self->get_field($_)->toggle($have_support_material && $have_support_interface)
         for qw(support_material_interface_spacing support_material_interface_extruder
             support_material_interface_speed);
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Layer/PerimeterGenerator.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Layer/PerimeterGenerator.pm
index 67c758d6e..65950711f 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Layer/PerimeterGenerator.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Layer/PerimeterGenerator.pm
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ has 'ext_perimeter_flow'    => (is => 'ro', required => 1);
 has 'overhang_flow'         => (is => 'ro', required => 1);
 has 'solid_infill_flow'     => (is => 'ro', required => 1);
 has 'config'                => (is => 'ro', default => sub { Slic3r::Config::PrintRegion->new });
+has 'object_config'         => (is => 'ro', default => sub { Slic3r::Config::PrintObject->new });
 has 'print_config'          => (is => 'ro', default => sub { Slic3r::Config::Print->new });
 has '_lower_slices_p'       => (is => 'rw', default => sub { [] });
 has '_holes_pt'             => (is => 'rw');
@@ -347,7 +348,8 @@ sub _traverse_loops {
         
         # detect overhanging/bridging perimeters
         my @paths = ();
-        if ($self->config->overhangs && $self->layer_id > 0) {
+        if ($self->config->overhangs && $self->layer_id > 0
+            && !($self->object_config->support_material && $self->object_config->support_material_contact_distance == 0)) {
             # get non-overhang paths by intersecting this loop with the grown lower slices
             foreach my $polyline (@{ intersection_ppl([ $loop->polygon ], $self->_lower_slices_p) }) {
                 push @paths, Slic3r::ExtrusionPath->new(
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Layer/Region.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Layer/Region.pm
index 88f0db01f..edf56f243 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Layer/Region.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Layer/Region.pm
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ sub make_perimeters {
     my $generator = Slic3r::Layer::PerimeterGenerator->new(
         # input:
         config              => $self->config,
+        object_config       => $self->layer->object->config,
         print_config        => $self->layer->print->config,
         layer_height        => $self->height,
         layer_id            => $self->layer->id,
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
index 6211aff33..09f8407f9 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Print/Object.pm
@@ -55,13 +55,14 @@ sub slice {
         
             # raise first object layer Z by the thickness of the raft itself
             # plus the extra distance required by the support material logic
-            $print_z += $self->config->get_value('first_layer_height');
+            my $first_layer_height = $self->config->get_value('first_layer_height');
+            $print_z += $first_layer_height;
             $print_z += $self->config->layer_height * ($self->config->raft_layers - 1);
         
             # at this stage we don't know which nozzles are actually used for the first layer
             # so we compute the average of all of them
             my $nozzle_diameter = sum(@{$self->print->config->nozzle_diameter})/@{$self->print->config->nozzle_diameter};
-            my $distance = Slic3r::Print::SupportMaterial::contact_distance($nozzle_diameter);
+            my $distance = $self->_support_material->contact_distance($first_layer_height, $nozzle_diameter);
         
             # force first layer print_z according to the contact distance
             # (the loop below will raise print_z by such height)
@@ -537,6 +538,14 @@ sub generate_support_material {
     }
     $self->print->status_cb->(85, "Generating support material");
     
+    $self->_support_material->generate($self);
+    
+    $self->set_step_done(STEP_SUPPORTMATERIAL);
+}
+
+sub _support_material {
+    my ($self) = @_;
+    
     my $first_layer_flow = Slic3r::Flow->new_from_width(
         width               => ($self->config->first_layer_extrusion_width || $self->config->support_material_extrusion_width),
         role                => FLOW_ROLE_SUPPORT_MATERIAL,
@@ -546,16 +555,13 @@ sub generate_support_material {
         bridge_flow_ratio   => 0,
     );
     
-    my $s = Slic3r::Print::SupportMaterial->new(
+    return Slic3r::Print::SupportMaterial->new(
         print_config        => $self->print->config,
         object_config       => $self->config,
         first_layer_flow    => $first_layer_flow,
         flow                => $self->support_material_flow,
         interface_flow      => $self->support_material_flow(FLOW_ROLE_SUPPORT_MATERIAL_INTERFACE),
     );
-    $s->generate($self);
-    
-    $self->set_step_done(STEP_SUPPORTMATERIAL);
 }
 
 sub detect_surfaces_type {
@@ -616,6 +622,11 @@ sub detect_surfaces_type {
                     S_TYPE_BOTTOMBRIDGE,
                 );
                 
+                # if we have soluble support material, don't bridge
+                if ($self->config->support_material && $self->config->support_material_contact_distance == 0) {
+                    $_->surface_type(S_TYPE_BOTTOM) for @bottom;
+                }
+                
                 # if user requested internal shells, we need to identify surfaces
                 # lying on other slices not belonging to this region
                 if ($self->config->interface_shells) {
diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/Print/SupportMaterial.pm b/lib/Slic3r/Print/SupportMaterial.pm
index e431f3fb5..6287f3a7e 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/Print/SupportMaterial.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/Print/SupportMaterial.pm
@@ -270,8 +270,7 @@ sub contact_area {
                 @{$layer->regions};
             my $nozzle_diameter = sum(@nozzle_diameters)/@nozzle_diameters;
             
-            my $contact_z = $layer->print_z - contact_distance($nozzle_diameter);
-            ###$contact_z = $layer->print_z - $layer->height;
+            my $contact_z = $layer->print_z - $self->contact_distance($layer->height, $nozzle_diameter);
             
             # ignore this contact area if it's too low
             next if $contact_z < $self->object_config->get_value('first_layer_height');
@@ -339,12 +338,13 @@ sub support_layers_z {
     # layer_height > nozzle_diameter * 0.75
     my $nozzle_diameter = $self->print_config->get_at('nozzle_diameter', $self->object_config->support_material_extruder-1);
     my $support_material_height = max($max_object_layer_height, $nozzle_diameter * 0.75);
+    my $contact_distance = $self->contact_distance($support_material_height, $nozzle_diameter);
     
     # initialize known, fixed, support layers
     my @z = sort { $a <=> $b }
         @$contact_z,
         @$top_z,  # TODO: why we have this?
-        (map $_ + contact_distance($nozzle_diameter), @$top_z);
+        (map $_ + $contact_distance, @$top_z);
     
     # enforce first layer height
     my $first_layer_height = $self->object_config->get_value('first_layer_height');
@@ -906,10 +906,15 @@ sub overlapping_layers {
     } 0..$#$support_z;
 }
 
-# class method
 sub contact_distance {
-    my ($nozzle_diameter) = @_;
-    return $nozzle_diameter * 1.5;
+    my ($self, $layer_height, $nozzle_diameter) = @_;
+    
+    my $extra = $self->object_config->support_material_contact_distance;
+    if ($extra == 0) {
+        return $layer_height;
+    } else {
+        return $nozzle_diameter + $extra;
+    }
 }
 
 1;
diff --git a/slic3r.pl b/slic3r.pl
index 3e782ebb5..585d6845b 100755
--- a/slic3r.pl
+++ b/slic3r.pl
@@ -405,6 +405,8 @@ $j
                         Spacing between pattern lines (mm, default: $config->{support_material_spacing})
     --support-material-angle
                         Support material angle in degrees (range: 0-90, default: $config->{support_material_angle})
+    --support-material-contact-distance
+                        Vertical distance between object and support material (0+, default: $config->{support_material_contact_distance})
     --support-material-interface-layers
                         Number of perpendicular layers between support material and object (0+, default: $config->{support_material_interface_layers})
     --support-material-interface-spacing
diff --git a/t/support.t b/t/support.t
index edf5476c5..54d5ef700 100644
--- a/t/support.t
+++ b/t/support.t
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ use Slic3r::Test;
             first_layer_flow    => $flow,
         );
         my $support_z = $support->support_layers_z(\@contact_z, \@top_z, $config->layer_height);
-        my $expected_top_spacing = Slic3r::Print::SupportMaterial::contact_distance($config->nozzle_diameter->[0]);
+        my $expected_top_spacing = $support->contact_distance($config->layer_height, $config->nozzle_diameter->[0]);
         
         is $support_z->[0], $config->first_layer_height,
             'first layer height is honored';
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.cpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.cpp
index ea585d863..439aef84e 100644
--- a/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.cpp
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.cpp
@@ -780,6 +780,19 @@ PrintConfigDef::build_def() {
     Options["support_material_angle"].min = 0;
     Options["support_material_angle"].max = 359;
 
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].type = coFloat;
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].gui_type = "f_enum_open";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].label = "Contact Z distance";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].category = "Support material";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].tooltip = "The vertical distance between object and support material interface. Setting this to 0 will also prevent Slic3r from using bridge flow and speed for the first object layer.";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].sidetext = "mm";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].cli = "support-material-contact-distance=f";
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].min = 0;
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].enum_values.push_back("0");
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].enum_values.push_back("0.2");
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].enum_labels.push_back("0 (soluble)");
+    Options["support_material_contact_distance"].enum_labels.push_back("0.2 (detachable)");
+
     Options["support_material_enforce_layers"].type = coInt;
     Options["support_material_enforce_layers"].label = "Enforce support for the first";
     Options["support_material_enforce_layers"].category = "Support material";
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.hpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.hpp
index 500babb88..e622f2e95 100644
--- a/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.hpp
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/PrintConfig.hpp
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ class PrintObjectConfig : public virtual StaticPrintConfig
     ConfigOptionEnum<SeamPosition>  seam_position;
     ConfigOptionBool                support_material;
     ConfigOptionInt                 support_material_angle;
+    ConfigOptionFloat               support_material_contact_distance;
     ConfigOptionInt                 support_material_enforce_layers;
     ConfigOptionInt                 support_material_extruder;
     ConfigOptionFloatOrPercent      support_material_extrusion_width;
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ class PrintObjectConfig : public virtual StaticPrintConfig
         this->seam_position.value                                = spAligned;
         this->support_material.value                             = false;
         this->support_material_angle.value                       = 0;
+        this->support_material_contact_distance.value            = 0.2;
         this->support_material_enforce_layers.value              = 0;
         this->support_material_extruder.value                    = 1;
         this->support_material_extrusion_width.value             = 0;
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@ class PrintObjectConfig : public virtual StaticPrintConfig
         if (opt_key == "seam_position")                              return &this->seam_position;
         if (opt_key == "support_material")                           return &this->support_material;
         if (opt_key == "support_material_angle")                     return &this->support_material_angle;
+        if (opt_key == "support_material_contact_distance")          return &this->support_material_contact_distance;
         if (opt_key == "support_material_enforce_layers")            return &this->support_material_enforce_layers;
         if (opt_key == "support_material_extruder")                  return &this->support_material_extruder;
         if (opt_key == "support_material_extrusion_width")           return &this->support_material_extrusion_width;