diff --git a/matlab/RunOpenEMS.m b/matlab/RunOpenEMS.m
index 0e2140a..50b724f 100644
--- a/matlab/RunOpenEMS.m
+++ b/matlab/RunOpenEMS.m
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@ function RunOpenEMS(Sim_Path, Sim_File, opts, Settings)
 % Sim_File = 'helix.xml'; %should be created by WriteOpenEMS
 % opts = '--engine=fastest';
 % 
-% optinal:  
+% optional:  
 % (ssh only on unix with working ssh client)
 % Settings.SSH.host = '<hostname or ip>'
 % Settings.SSH.bin = '<path_to_openEMS>/openEMS.sh'
 %
 % Settings.LogFile = 'openEMS.log'
+% Settings.Silent  = 0
 %
 % RunOpenEMS(Sim_Path,Sim_File,opts,Settings)
 %
@@ -57,13 +58,13 @@ if (isfield(Settings,'SSH') && isunix)
     else
         append_unix = [];
     end
-	status = unix(['ssh ' Settings.SSH.host ' "cd /tmp/' ssh_work_path ' && ' Settings.SSH.bin ' ' Sim_File ' ' opts '"' append_unix])
+	status = unix(['ssh ' Settings.SSH.host ' "cd /tmp/' ssh_work_path ' && ' Settings.SSH.bin ' ' Sim_File ' ' opts '"' append_unix]);
     if (status~=0)
         disp(result);
         error('openEMS:RunOpenEMS','ssh openEMS failed!');
     end
 
-    disp(['Remote simulation done... copying back results and cleaning up...']);
+    disp( 'Remote simulation done... copying back results and cleaning up...' );
 
     [stat, res] = unix(['scp -r ' Settings.SSH.host ':/tmp/' ssh_work_path '/* ' pwd '/']);
     if (stat~=0);
@@ -78,8 +79,12 @@ if (isfield(Settings,'SSH') && isunix)
     end       
 else
     args = [Sim_File ' ' opts];
-    if isfield(Settings,'LogFile')
+    if isfield(Settings,'LogFile') && isfield(Settings,'Silent')
+        invoke_openEMS(args,Settings.LogFile,Settings.Silent);
+    elseif isfield(Settings,'LogFile')
         invoke_openEMS(args,Settings.LogFile);
+    elseif isfield(Settings,'Silent')
+        invoke_openEMS(args,[],Settings.Silent);
     else
         invoke_openEMS(args);
     end
diff --git a/matlab/invoke_openEMS.m b/matlab/invoke_openEMS.m
index 5672d20..0d74bd2 100644
--- a/matlab/invoke_openEMS.m
+++ b/matlab/invoke_openEMS.m
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-function invoke_openEMS( opts , logfile)
-% function invoke_openEMS( opts )
+function invoke_openEMS( opts, logfile, silent )
+% function invoke_openEMS( opts, logfile, silent )
 %
 % internal method to invoke openEMS, use RunOpenEMS instead
 %
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ function invoke_openEMS( opts , logfile)
 if nargin < 1
     error 'specify the xml file to simulate'
 end
+if nargin < 3
+    silent = 0;
+end
+if (nargin < 2) || isempty(logfile)
+    if isunix
+        logfile = '/dev/null';
+    else
+        logfile = 'nul:';
+    end
+end
 
 % opts = [opts ' --disable-dumps'];
 % opts = [opts ' --debug-material'];
@@ -31,8 +41,12 @@ end
 
 command = [openEMS_Path ' ' opts];
 
-if (isunix && nargin>1)
-    command = [command ' 2>&1 | tee ' logfile];
+if ~silent
+    if (isunix && nargin>1)
+        command = [command ' 2>&1 | tee ' logfile];
+    end
+else
+    command = [command ' > ' logfile ' 2>&1'];
 end
 
 disp( ['invoking openEMS simulator: ' command] );