diff --git a/captcha.admin.inc b/captcha.admin.inc
index f27227a..2743dab 100644
--- a/captcha.admin.inc
+++ b/captcha.admin.inc
@@ -201,6 +201,14 @@ function captcha_admin_settings() {
     '#description' => t('Define if challenges should be omitted during the rest of a session once the user successfully responds to a challenge.'),
   );
 
+  // Enable wrong response counter.
+  $form['captcha_enable_stats'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Enable statistics'),
+    '#description' => t('Keep a counter of all wrong CAPTCHA responses. There is a performance penalty in enabling this option as all incorrect CAPTCHAs will result in clearing the variable cache.'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('captcha_enable_stats', FALSE),
+  );
+
   // Option for logging wrong responses.
   $form['captcha_log_wrong_responses'] = array(
     '#type' => 'checkbox',
@@ -309,6 +317,7 @@ function captcha_admin_settings_submit($form, &$form_state) {
 
   variable_set('captcha_default_validation', $form_state['values']['captcha_default_validation']);
   variable_set('captcha_persistence', $form_state['values']['captcha_persistence']);
+  variable_set('captcha_enable_stats', $form_state['values']['captcha_enable_stats']);
   variable_set('captcha_log_wrong_responses', $form_state['values']['captcha_log_wrong_responses']);
 
   drupal_set_message(t('The CAPTCHA settings have been saved.'), 'status');
diff --git a/captcha.install b/captcha.install
index c10b25c..f53f600 100644
--- a/captcha.install
+++ b/captcha.install
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function captcha_schema() {
 function captcha_requirements($phase) {
   $requirements = array();
   $t = get_t();
-  if ($phase == 'runtime') {
+  if ($phase == 'runtime' && variable_get('captcha_enable_stats', FALSE)) {
     // Show the wrong response counter in the status report.
     $requirements['captcha_wrong_response_counter'] = array(
       'title' => $t('CAPTCHA'),
diff --git a/captcha.module b/captcha.module
index cc0432c..7d7c53c 100644
--- a/captcha.module
+++ b/captcha.module
@@ -616,7 +616,9 @@ function captcha_validate($element, &$form_state) {
       // set form error
       form_set_error('captcha_response', t('The answer you entered for the CAPTCHA was not correct.'));
       // update wrong response counter
-      variable_set('captcha_wrong_response_counter', variable_get('captcha_wrong_response_counter', 0) + 1);
+      if (variable_get('captcha_enable_stats', FALSE)) {
+        variable_set('captcha_wrong_response_counter', variable_get('captcha_wrong_response_counter', 0) + 1);
+      }
       // log to watchdog if needed
       if (variable_get('captcha_log_wrong_responses', FALSE)) {
         watchdog('CAPTCHA',