Index: applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/OSMValidatorPlugin.java
===================================================================
--- applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/OSMValidatorPlugin.java	(revision 10065)
+++ applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/OSMValidatorPlugin.java	(revision 10122)
@@ -65,5 +65,4 @@
 	public OSMValidatorPlugin()
 	{
-		PreferenceEditor.importOldPreferences();
 		initializeTests( getTests() );
 	}
@@ -82,5 +81,6 @@
 			validationDialog = new ValidatorDialog(this);
 			newFrame.addToggleDialog(validationDialog);
-			Main.main.addLayer(new ErrorLayer(this));
+			if(Main.pref.getBoolean(PreferenceEditor.PREF_LAYER, true))
+				Main.main.addLayer(new ErrorLayer(this));
 			if( Main.pref.hasKey(PreferenceEditor.PREF_DEBUG + ".grid") )
 				Main.main.addLayer(new GridLayer(tr("Grid")));
Index: applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/PreferenceEditor.java
===================================================================
--- applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/PreferenceEditor.java	(revision 10065)
+++ applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/PreferenceEditor.java	(revision 10122)
@@ -32,4 +32,7 @@
 	public static final String PREF_DEBUG = PREFIX + ".debug";
 
+	/** The preferences key for debug preferences */
+	public static final String PREF_LAYER = PREFIX + ".layer";
+
 	/** The preferences key for enabled tests */
 	public static final String PREF_TESTS = PREFIX + ".tests";
@@ -42,4 +45,5 @@
 
 	private JCheckBox prefUseIgnore;
+	private JCheckBox prefUseLayer;
 
 	/** The list of all tests */
@@ -58,4 +62,8 @@
 		prefUseIgnore.setToolTipText(tr("Use the use ignore list to suppress warnings."));
 		testPanel.add(prefUseIgnore, GBC.eol());
+
+		prefUseLayer = new JCheckBox(tr("Use error layer."), Main.pref.getBoolean(PREF_LAYER, true));
+		prefUseLayer.setToolTipText(tr("Use the error layer to display problematic elements."));
+		testPanel.add(prefUseLayer, GBC.eol());
 
 		GBC a = GBC.eol().insets(-5,0,0,0);
@@ -103,37 +111,5 @@
 		Main.pref.put( PREF_TESTS_BEFORE_UPLOAD, testsBeforeUpload.toString());
 		Main.pref.put( PREF_USE_IGNORE, prefUseIgnore.isSelected());
+		Main.pref.put( PREF_LAYER, prefUseLayer.isSelected());
 	}
-	
-	/**
-	 * Import old stored preferences
-	 */
-	public static void importOldPreferences()
-	{
-		if( !Main.pref.hasKey("tests") || !Pattern.matches("(\\w+=(true|false),?)*", Main.pref.get("tests")) )
-			return;
-		
-		String enabledTests = Main.pref.get("tests");
-		Main.pref.put(PREF_TESTS, enabledTests);
-		Main.pref.put("tests", null );
-		
-		StringBuilder testsBeforeUpload = new StringBuilder();
-		Map<String, String> oldPrefs = Main.pref.getAllPrefix("tests");
-		for( Map.Entry<String, String> pref : oldPrefs.entrySet() )
-		{
-			String key = pref.getKey();
-			String value = pref.getValue();
-			if( key.endsWith(".checkBeforeUpload") )
-			{
-				String testName = key.substring(6, key.length() - 18);
-				testsBeforeUpload.append( ',' ).append( testName ).append( '=' ).append( value );
-			}
-			else
-				Main.pref.put( PREFIX + key.substring(5), value );
-			Main.pref.put(key, null );
-		}
-		
-		if (testsBeforeUpload.length() > 0 ) testsBeforeUpload = testsBeforeUpload.deleteCharAt(0);
-		Main.pref.put( PREF_TESTS_BEFORE_UPLOAD, testsBeforeUpload.toString());
-	}
-
 }