diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index 624f87cd..1fa0be3f 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -96,9 +96,12 @@ class ProjectConfig: public KeyValueConfigBase
 public:
     ProjectConfig() {
         this->baseGameVersion = BaseGameVersion::pokeemerald;
+        this->useEncounterJson = true;
     }
     void setBaseGameVersion(BaseGameVersion baseGameVersion);
     BaseGameVersion getBaseGameVersion();
+    void setEncounterJsonActive(bool active);
+    bool getEncounterJsonActive();
     void setProjectDir(QString projectDir);
 protected:
     QString getConfigFilepath();
@@ -108,6 +111,7 @@ protected:
 private:
     BaseGameVersion baseGameVersion;
     QString projectDir;
+    bool useEncounterJson;
 };
 
 extern ProjectConfig projectConfig;
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index e689b91e..9ca25a9b 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -337,6 +337,12 @@ void ProjectConfig::parseConfigKeyValue(QString key, QString value) {
             this->baseGameVersion = BaseGameVersion::pokeemerald;
             logWarn(QString("Invalid config value for base_game_version: '%1'. Must be 'pokeruby' or 'pokeemerald'.").arg(value));
         }
+    } else if (key == "use_encounter_json") {
+        bool ok;
+        this->useEncounterJson = value.toInt(&ok);
+        if (!ok) {
+            logWarn(QString("Invalid config value for use_encounter_json: '%1'. Must be 0 or 1.").arg(value));
+        }
     } else {
         logWarn(QString("Invalid config key found in config file %1: '%2'").arg(this->getConfigFilepath()).arg(key));
     }
@@ -345,6 +351,7 @@ void ProjectConfig::parseConfigKeyValue(QString key, QString value) {
 QMap<QString, QString> ProjectConfig::getKeyValueMap() {
     QMap<QString, QString> map;
     map.insert("base_game_version", baseGameVersionMap.value(this->baseGameVersion));
+    map.insert("use_encounter_json", QString::number(this->useEncounterJson));
     return map;
 }
 
@@ -373,6 +380,7 @@ void ProjectConfig::onNewConfigFileCreated() {
             this->baseGameVersion = static_cast<BaseGameVersion>(baseGameVersionComboBox->currentData().toInt());
         }
     }
+    this->useEncounterJson = true;
 }
 
 void ProjectConfig::setProjectDir(QString projectDir) {
@@ -387,3 +395,12 @@ void ProjectConfig::setBaseGameVersion(BaseGameVersion baseGameVersion) {
 BaseGameVersion ProjectConfig::getBaseGameVersion() {
     return this->baseGameVersion;
 }
+
+void ProjectConfig::setEncounterJsonActive(bool active) {
+    this->useEncounterJson = active;
+    this->save();
+}
+
+bool ProjectConfig::getEncounterJsonActive() {
+    return this->useEncounterJson;
+}
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 07df271c..3e43c655 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ void MainWindow::initMapSortOrder() {
 
 void MainWindow::setProjectSpecificUIVisibility()
 {
+    if (!projectConfig.getEncounterJsonActive())
+        ui->tabWidget->removeTab(4);
+
     switch (projectConfig.getBaseGameVersion())
     {
     case BaseGameVersion::pokeruby:
@@ -2216,6 +2219,7 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
         this->ui->splitter_main->saveState()
     );
     porymapConfig.save();
+    projectConfig.save();
 
     QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
 }
diff --git a/src/project.cpp b/src/project.cpp
index 22b9623f..57866281 100644
--- a/src/project.cpp
+++ b/src/project.cpp
@@ -521,6 +521,8 @@ void Project::saveMapGroups() {
 }
 
 void Project::saveWildMonData() {
+    if (!projectConfig.getEncounterJsonActive()) return;
+
     QString wildEncountersJsonFilepath = QString("%1/src/data/wild_encounters.json").arg(root);
     QFile wildEncountersFile(wildEncountersJsonFilepath);
     if (!wildEncountersFile.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly)) {
@@ -1378,6 +1380,8 @@ void Project::deleteFile(QString path) {
 }
 
 void Project::readWildMonData() {
+    if (!projectConfig.getEncounterJsonActive()) return;
+
     QString wildMonJsonFilepath = QString("%1/src/data/wild_encounters.json").arg(root);
     QJsonDocument wildMonsJsonDoc;
     if (!parser.tryParseJsonFile(&wildMonsJsonDoc, wildMonJsonFilepath)) {