diff --git a/tests/test_warcprox.py b/tests/test_warcprox.py
index f054d69..9d6db7d 100755
--- a/tests/test_warcprox.py
+++ b/tests/test_warcprox.py
@@ -1426,11 +1426,19 @@ def test_controller_with_defaults():
     assert not wwp.writer_pool.default_warc_writer.record_builder.base32
     assert wwp.writer_pool.default_warc_writer.record_builder.digest_algorithm == 'sha1'
 
+
+class EarlyPlugin(warcprox.BaseStandardPostfetchProcessor):
+    CHAIN_POSITION = 'early'
+    def _process_url(self):
+        pass
+
+
 def test_load_plugin():
     options = warcprox.Options(port=0, plugins=[
         'warcprox.stats.RunningStats',
         'warcprox.BaseStandardPostfetchProcessor',
-        'warcprox.BaseBatchPostfetchProcessor',])
+        'warcprox.BaseBatchPostfetchProcessor',
+        '%s.%s' % (__name__, EarlyPlugin.__name__),])
     controller = warcprox.controller.WarcproxController(options)
     assert isinstance(
             controller._postfetch_chain[-1],
@@ -1451,6 +1459,9 @@ def test_load_plugin():
     assert isinstance(
             controller._postfetch_chain[-4].listener,
             warcprox.stats.RunningStats)
+    assert isinstance(
+            controller._postfetch_chain[0],
+            EarlyPlugin)
 
 def test_choose_a_port_for_me(warcprox_):
     options = warcprox.Options()
diff --git a/tests/test_writer.py b/tests/test_writer.py
index fb39378..126932a 100644
--- a/tests/test_writer.py
+++ b/tests/test_writer.py
@@ -163,6 +163,47 @@ def test_special_dont_write_prefix():
             wwt.join()
 
 
+def test_do_not_archive():
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+        logging.debug('cd %s', tmpdir)
+        os.chdir(tmpdir)
+
+        wwt = warcprox.writerthread.WarcWriterProcessor(
+                Options(writer_threads=1))
+        wwt.inq = warcprox.TimestampedQueue(maxsize=1)
+        wwt.outq = warcprox.TimestampedQueue(maxsize=1)
+        try:
+            wwt.start()
+            # to be written -- default do_not_archive False
+            recorder = ProxyingRecorder(io.BytesIO(b'some payload'), None)
+            recorder.read()
+            wwt.inq.put(RecordedUrl(
+                url='http://example.com/yes', content_type='text/plain',
+                status=200, client_ip='127.0.0.2', request_data=b'abc',
+                response_recorder=recorder, remote_ip='127.0.0.3',
+                timestamp=datetime.utcnow(),
+                payload_digest=recorder.block_digest))
+            # not to be written -- do_not_archive set True
+            recorder = ProxyingRecorder(io.BytesIO(b'some payload'), None)
+            recorder.read()
+            wwt.inq.put(RecordedUrl(
+                url='http://example.com/no', content_type='text/plain',
+                status=200, client_ip='127.0.0.2', request_data=b'abc',
+                response_recorder=recorder, remote_ip='127.0.0.3',
+                timestamp=datetime.utcnow(),
+                payload_digest=recorder.block_digest,
+                warcprox_meta={'warc-prefix': '-'},
+                do_not_archive=True))
+            recorded_url = wwt.outq.get(timeout=10)
+            assert recorded_url.warc_records
+            recorded_url = wwt.outq.get(timeout=10)
+            assert not recorded_url.warc_records
+            assert wwt.outq.empty()
+        finally:
+            wwt.stop.set()
+            wwt.join()
+
+
 def test_warc_writer_filename(tmpdir):
     """Test if WarcWriter is writing WARC files with custom filenames.
     """
diff --git a/warcprox/controller.py b/warcprox/controller.py
index 30446c3..ff63657 100644
--- a/warcprox/controller.py
+++ b/warcprox/controller.py
@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ class WarcproxController(object):
                 self._postfetch_chain.append(
                         warcprox.ListenerPostfetchProcessor(
                             plugin, self.options))
+            elif hasattr(plugin, 'CHAIN_POSITION') and plugin.CHAIN_POSITION == 'early':
+                self._postfetch_chain.insert(0, plugin)
             else:
                 self._postfetch_chain.append(plugin)
 
diff --git a/warcprox/warcproxy.py b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
index 5793057..5b42655 100644
--- a/warcprox/warcproxy.py
+++ b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
@@ -331,7 +331,8 @@ class RecordedUrl:
             warcprox_meta=None, content_type=None, custom_type=None,
             status=None, size=None, client_ip=None, method=None,
             timestamp=None, host=None, duration=None, referer=None,
-            payload_digest=None, truncated=None, warc_records=None):
+            payload_digest=None, truncated=None, warc_records=None,
+            do_not_archive=False):
         # XXX should test what happens with non-ascii url (when does
         # url-encoding happen?)
         if type(url) is not bytes:
@@ -372,6 +373,7 @@ class RecordedUrl:
         self.payload_digest = payload_digest
         self.truncated = truncated
         self.warc_records = warc_records
+        self.do_not_archive = do_not_archive
 
 # inherit from object so that multiple inheritance from this class works
 # properly in python 2
diff --git a/warcprox/writerthread.py b/warcprox/writerthread.py
index b3dceab..a3eeedb 100644
--- a/warcprox/writerthread.py
+++ b/warcprox/writerthread.py
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ class WarcWriterProcessor(warcprox.BaseStandardPostfetchProcessor):
                      and 'warc-prefix' in recorded_url.warcprox_meta
                   else self.options.prefix)
         # special warc name prefix '-' means "don't archive"
-        return prefix != '-' and self._filter_accepts(recorded_url)
+        return (prefix != '-' and not recorded_url.do_not_archive
+                and self._filter_accepts(recorded_url))
 
     def _log(self, recorded_url, records):
         try: