diff --git a/PyLoT.py b/PyLoT.py
index c4837690..d3367cfa 100755
--- a/PyLoT.py
+++ b/PyLoT.py
@@ -1701,6 +1701,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         # else:
         #     ans = False
         self.fnames = self.getWFFnames_from_eventbox()
+        self.fnames_syn = []
         eventpath = self.get_current_event_path()
         basepath = eventpath.split(os.path.basename(eventpath))[0]
         obspy_dmt = check_obspydmt_structure(basepath)
@@ -1714,12 +1715,16 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def prepareObspyDMT_data(self, eventpath):
         qcbox_processed = self.dataPlot.perm_qcbox_right
+        qcheckb_syn = self.dataPlot.syn_checkbox
         qcbox_processed.setEnabled(False)
+        qcheckb_syn.setEnabled(False)
         for fpath in os.listdir(eventpath):
             fpath = fpath.split('/')[-1]
             if 'syngine' in fpath:
                 eventpath_syn = os.path.join(eventpath, fpath)
-                self.fnames_syn = [os.path.join(eventpath_syn, filename) for filename in os.listdir(eventpath_syn)]
+                qcheckb_syn.setEnabled(True)
+                if self.dataPlot.syn_checkbox.isChecked():
+                    self.fnames_syn = [os.path.join(eventpath_syn, filename) for filename in os.listdir(eventpath_syn)]
             if 'processed' in fpath:
                 qcbox_processed.setEnabled(True)
         wftype = qcbox_processed.currentText() if qcbox_processed.isEnabled() else 'raw'
diff --git a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
index a3defac9..c53333eb 100644
--- a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
+++ b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ class WaveformWidgetPG(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.main_layout.addLayout(self.label_layout)
         self.label_layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
         self.label_layout.addWidget(self.perm_label_mid)
+        self.label_layout.addWidget(self.syn_checkbox)
         self.label_layout.addWidget(self.perm_qcbox_right)
         self.plotWidget.showGrid(x=False, y=True, alpha=0.3)
         self.wfstart, self.wfend = 0, 0
@@ -494,12 +495,14 @@ class WaveformWidgetPG(QtGui.QWidget):
 
     def connect_signals(self):
         self.perm_qcbox_right.currentIndexChanged.connect(self.parent().newWF)
+        self.syn_checkbox.clicked.connect(self.parent().newWF)
 
     def add_labels(self):
         self.status_label = QtGui.QLabel()
         self.perm_label_mid = QtGui.QLabel()
         self.perm_label_mid.setAlignment(4)
         self.perm_qcbox_right = QtGui.QComboBox()
+        self.syn_checkbox = QtGui.QCheckBox('synthetics')
         self.addQCboxItem('raw', 'black')
         self.addQCboxItem('processed', 'green')
         #self.perm_qcbox_right.setAlignment(2)