diff --git a/data/layout.xml b/data/layout.xml
index 22bd537..2c99fd5 100644
--- a/data/layout.xml
+++ b/data/layout.xml
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@
         <checkbox id="tools-vr-check" width="20" height="20"/>
         <text text="Enable VR" margin="0 0 0 5"/>
       </button-custom>
+      <button-custom id="tools-timelapse" height="40" align="center" color=".2" pad="0 0 0 10" dir="row">
+        <checkbox id="tools-timelapse-check" width="20" height="20"/>
+        <text text="Auto Timelapse" margin="0 0 0 5"/>
+      </button-custom>
     </popup-menu>
   </layout>
 
diff --git a/src/app.cpp b/src/app.cpp
index b4b4503..d854de4 100644
--- a/src/app.cpp
+++ b/src/app.cpp
@@ -471,7 +471,8 @@ void App::init()
 
     uirtt.create(width, height, -1, GL_RGBA8, true);
 
-    rec_start();
+    if (Settings::value_or<Serializer::Boolean>("auto-timelapse", false))
+        rec_start();
 
     if (!check_license())
     {
diff --git a/src/app_layout.cpp b/src/app_layout.cpp
index 31d6c84..db355bc 100644
--- a/src/app_layout.cpp
+++ b/src/app_layout.cpp
@@ -994,6 +994,28 @@ void App::init_menu_tools()
                         }
                     };
                 }
+
+                if (auto btn = popup_time->find<NodeButtonCustom>("tools-timelapse"))
+                {
+                    NodeCheckBox* cb = btn->find<NodeCheckBox>("tools-timelapse-check");
+                    cb->set_value(Settings::value_or<Serializer::Boolean>("auto-timelapse", true), false);
+
+                    btn->on_click = [this, btn](Node* b)
+                    {
+                        NodeCheckBox* cb = btn->find<NodeCheckBox>("tools-timelapse-check");
+                        cb->set_value(!cb->checked, true);
+                    };
+
+                    btn->find<NodeCheckBox>("tools-timelapse-check")->on_value_changed = [this, main](Node*, bool checked)
+                    {
+                        if (!checked && App::I->rec_running)
+                            App::I->rec_stop();
+                        else if (checked && !App::I->rec_running)
+                            App::I->rec_start();
+                        Settings::set("auto-timelapse", Serializer::Boolean(checked));
+                        Settings::save();
+                    };
+                }
             };
 
             popup_exp->find<NodeButtonCustom>("clear-grids")->on_click = [this, popup_exp](Node*) {
@@ -1250,7 +1272,6 @@ void App::initLayout()
         {
             layers->add_layer("Default", false, true);
             Canvas::I->m_unsaved = false;
-			Canvas::I->timelapse_reset_encoder();
         }
         
         init_toolbar_draw();
diff --git a/src/canvas.cpp b/src/canvas.cpp
index 45d9179..c16dae8 100644
--- a/src/canvas.cpp
+++ b/src/canvas.cpp
@@ -2548,6 +2548,7 @@ bool Canvas::project_open_thread(std::string file_path)
     {
         pb->destroy();
         App::I->title_update();
+        App::I->update_rec_frames();
         App::I->animation->load_layers();
     }
     return true;