diff --git a/toonz/sources/include/toonz/preferences.h b/toonz/sources/include/toonz/preferences.h
index 801ca00..f93750a 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/include/toonz/preferences.h
+++ b/toonz/sources/include/toonz/preferences.h
@@ -361,6 +361,9 @@ public:
     return m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame;
   }
 
+  void setTouchGestureControl(bool on);
+  bool getTouchGestureControl() { return m_touchGestureControlEnabled; }
+
   // Tools Tab
   void setDropdownShortcutsCycleOptions(bool on);
   bool getDropdownShortcutsCycleOptions() {
@@ -652,6 +655,8 @@ private:
 
   bool m_currentTimelineEnabled;
 
+  bool m_touchGestureControlEnabled;
+
 private:
   Preferences();
   ~Preferences();
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.cpp
index 6c3314a..3920008 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.cpp
@@ -527,6 +527,12 @@ void PreferencesPopup::onDownArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame(int index) {
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+void PreferencesPopup::onTouchGestureControlChanged(int index) {
+  m_pref->setTouchGestureControl(index == Qt::Checked);
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 void PreferencesPopup::onSubsceneFolderChanged(int index) {
   m_pref->enableSubsceneFolder(index == Qt::Checked);
 }
@@ -1343,6 +1349,8 @@ PreferencesPopup::PreferencesPopup()
       tr("Use higher DPI for calculations - Slower but more accurate"), this);
   m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame = new CheckBox(
       tr("Down arrow at end of level strip creates a new frame"), this);
+  CheckBox *touchGestureControlCB =
+      new CheckBox(tr("Enable Touch Gesture Control on Viewer"), this);
 
   //--- Tools -------------------------------
   categoryList->addItem(tr("Tools"));
@@ -1647,6 +1655,7 @@ PreferencesPopup::PreferencesPopup()
       m_pref->getUseHigherDpiOnVectorSimplify());
   m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame->setChecked(
       m_pref->getDownArrowLevelStripNewFrame());
+  touchGestureControlCB->setChecked(m_pref->getTouchGestureControl());
   m_newLevelToCameraSizeCB->setChecked(
       m_pref->isNewLevelSizeToCameraSizeEnabled());
   QStringList scanLevelTypes;
@@ -2181,6 +2190,8 @@ PreferencesPopup::PreferencesPopup()
                                  Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
       drawingFrameLay->addWidget(m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame, 0,
                                  Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
+      drawingFrameLay->addWidget(touchGestureControlCB, 0,
+                                 Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
       QGroupBox *replaceVectorGroupBox = new QGroupBox(
           tr("Replace Vectors with Simplified Vectors Command"), this);
       QVBoxLayout *replaceVectorsLay = new QVBoxLayout();
@@ -2638,6 +2649,8 @@ PreferencesPopup::PreferencesPopup()
   ret = ret && connect(m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame,
                        SIGNAL(stateChanged(int)),
                        SLOT(onDownArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame(int)));
+  ret = ret && connect(touchGestureControlCB, SIGNAL(stateChanged(int)),
+                       SLOT(onTouchGestureControlChanged(int)));
   ret = ret && connect(m_newLevelToCameraSizeCB, SIGNAL(clicked(bool)),
                        SLOT(onNewLevelToCameraSizeChanged(bool)));
 
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.h b/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.h
index 231b107..58e308b 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.h
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonz/preferencespopup.h
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ private slots:
   void onFitToFlipbook(int);
   void onDropdownShortcutsCycleOptionsChanged(int);
   void onDownArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame(int);
+  void onTouchGestureControlChanged(int);
   void onAddLevelFormat();
   void onRemoveLevelFormat();
   void onEditLevelFormat();
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonz/sceneviewerevents.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonz/sceneviewerevents.cpp
index b53947d..5abee1c 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonz/sceneviewerevents.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonz/sceneviewerevents.cpp
@@ -927,15 +927,17 @@ void SceneViewer::touchEvent(QTouchEvent *e, int type) {
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 bool SceneViewer::event(QEvent *e) {
-  if (e->type() == QEvent::Gesture) {
-    gestureEvent(static_cast<QGestureEvent *>(e));
-    return true;
-  }
-  if (e->type() == QEvent::TouchBegin || e->type() == QEvent::TouchEnd ||
-      e->type() == QEvent::TouchCancel || e->type() == QEvent::TouchUpdate) {
-    touchEvent(static_cast<QTouchEvent *>(e), e->type());
-    m_gestureActive = true;
-    return true;
+  if (Preferences::instance()->getTouchGestureControl()) {
+    if (e->type() == QEvent::Gesture) {
+      gestureEvent(static_cast<QGestureEvent *>(e));
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (e->type() == QEvent::TouchBegin || e->type() == QEvent::TouchEnd ||
+        e->type() == QEvent::TouchCancel || e->type() == QEvent::TouchUpdate) {
+      touchEvent(static_cast<QTouchEvent *>(e), e->type());
+      m_gestureActive = true;
+      return true;
+    }
   }
   if (e->type() == QEvent::ShortcutOverride || e->type() == QEvent::KeyPress) {
     if (!((QKeyEvent *)e)->isAutoRepeat()) {
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/preferences.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/preferences.cpp
index 34d6874..6072e3d 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/preferences.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/preferences.cpp
@@ -292,6 +292,13 @@ Preferences::Preferences()
     , m_keepFillOnVectorSimplify(true)
     , m_useHigherDpiOnVectorSimplify(false)
     , m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame(false)
+// 11/30/2017 disable touch control by default in osx
+// as there seems to be a malfunction with trackpad
+#ifdef MACOSX
+    , m_touchGestureControlEnabled(false)
+#else
+    , m_touchGestureControlEnabled(true)
+#endif
     , m_viewerBGColor(128, 128, 128, 255)
     , m_previewBGColor(64, 64, 64, 255)
     , m_chessboardColor1(180, 180, 180)
@@ -578,6 +585,8 @@ Preferences::Preferences()
   getValue(*m_settings, "keepFillOnVectorSimplify", m_keepFillOnVectorSimplify);
   getValue(*m_settings, "downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame",
            m_downArrowInLevelStripCreatesNewFrame);
+  getValue(*m_settings, "touchGestureControlEnabled",
+           m_touchGestureControlEnabled);
   getValue(*m_settings, "DragCellsBehaviour", m_dragCellsBehaviour);
 
   getValue(*m_settings, "LineTestFpsCapture", m_lineTestFpsCapture);
@@ -1352,6 +1361,13 @@ void Preferences::setDownArrowLevelStripNewFrame(bool on) {
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
+void Preferences::setTouchGestureControl(bool on) {
+  m_touchGestureControlEnabled = on;
+  m_settings->setValue("touchGestureControlEnabled", on ? "1" : "0");
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+
 void Preferences::enableLevelsBackup(bool enabled) {
   m_levelsBackupEnabled = enabled;
   m_settings->setValue("levelsBackupEnabled", enabled ? "1" : "0");