diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4d1bc35..007c681 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.3.1b4.dev129',
+        version='2.3.1b4.dev130',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/warcprox/main.py b/warcprox/main.py
index 6140f72..47c4bb4 100644
--- a/warcprox/main.py
+++ b/warcprox/main.py
@@ -81,8 +81,11 @@ def _build_arg_parser(prog):
             help='write gzip-compressed warc records')
     arg_parser.add_argument('--no-warc-open-suffix', dest='no_warc_open_suffix',
             default=False, action='store_true', help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
-    arg_parser.add_argument('-n', '--prefix', dest='prefix',
-            default='WARCPROX', help='WARC filename prefix')
+    # not mentioned in --help: special value for '-' for --prefix means don't
+    # archive the capture, unless prefix set in warcprox-meta header
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+            '-n', '--prefix', dest='prefix', default='WARCPROX',
+            help='default WARC filename prefix')
     arg_parser.add_argument(
             '-s', '--size', dest='rollover_size', default=1000*1000*1000,
             type=int, help='WARC file rollover size threshold in bytes')
diff --git a/warcprox/mitmproxy.py b/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
index 8d950fa..bfe3a7d 100644
--- a/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
+++ b/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class ProxyingRecorder(object):
         self.block_digest = hashlib.new(digest_algorithm)
         self.payload_offset = None
         self.proxy_client = proxy_client
-        self._proxy_client_conn_open = True
+        self._proxy_client_conn_open = bool(self.proxy_client)
         self.len = 0
         self.url = url
 
diff --git a/warcprox/writerthread.py b/warcprox/writerthread.py
index 3f42fc1..fb1f7a6 100644
--- a/warcprox/writerthread.py
+++ b/warcprox/writerthread.py
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ class WarcWriterThread(threading.Thread):
     logger = logging.getLogger("warcprox.warcproxwriter.WarcWriterThread")
 
     def __init__(
-            self, name='WarcWriterThread', recorded_url_q=None,
-            writer_pool=None, dedup_db=None, listeners=[],
-            options=warcprox.Options()):
+            self, recorded_url_q, name='WarcWriterThread', writer_pool=None,
+            dedup_db=None, listeners=[], options=warcprox.Options()):
         """recorded_url_q is a queue.Queue of warcprox.warcprox.RecordedUrl."""
         threading.Thread.__init__(self, name=name)
         self.recorded_url_q = recorded_url_q
@@ -73,6 +72,15 @@ class WarcWriterThread(threading.Thread):
         meth = recorded_url.method.upper()
         return meth in self._ALWAYS_ACCEPT or meth in self.method_filter
 
+    # XXX optimize handling of urls not to be archived throughout warcprox
+    def _should_archive(self, recorded_url):
+        prefix = (recorded_url.warcprox_meta['warc-prefix']
+                  if recorded_url.warcprox_meta
+                     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)
+
     def _run(self):
         self.name = '%s(tid=%s)'% (self.name, warcprox.gettid())
         while not self.stop.is_set():
@@ -87,7 +95,7 @@ class WarcWriterThread(threading.Thread):
                         recorded_url = self.recorded_url_q.get(block=True, timeout=0.5)
                         records = []
                         self.idle = None
-                        if self._filter_accepts(recorded_url):
+                        if self._should_archive(recorded_url):
                             if self.dedup_db:
                                 warcprox.dedup.decorate_with_dedup_info(self.dedup_db,
                                         recorded_url, base32=self.options.base32)