diff --git a/src/Render/FriendicaSmarty.php b/src/Render/FriendicaSmarty.php
index 50282c38eb..13ff6234e2 100644
--- a/src/Render/FriendicaSmarty.php
+++ b/src/Render/FriendicaSmarty.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class FriendicaSmarty extends Smarty
 
 	public $filename;
 
-	public function __construct(string $theme, array $theme_info, string $work_dir)
+	public function __construct(string $theme, array $theme_info, string $work_dir, bool $use_sub_dirs)
 	{
 		parent::__construct();
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class FriendicaSmarty extends Smarty
 		 * RAM available + have enabled caching inode tables (aka.
 		 * "descriptors"). Still it won't hurt you.
 		 */
-		$this->setUseSubDirs(true);
+		$this->setUseSubDirs($use_sub_dirs);
 
 		$this->left_delimiter  = Renderer::getTemplateLeftDelimiter();
 		$this->right_delimiter = Renderer::getTemplateRightDelimiter();
diff --git a/src/Render/FriendicaSmartyEngine.php b/src/Render/FriendicaSmartyEngine.php
index 1f766ec65d..5ea01166fd 100644
--- a/src/Render/FriendicaSmartyEngine.php
+++ b/src/Render/FriendicaSmartyEngine.php
@@ -44,10 +44,13 @@ final class FriendicaSmartyEngine extends TemplateEngine
 	 */
 	public function __construct(string $theme, array $theme_info)
 	{
-		$this->theme = $theme;
+		$this->theme      = $theme;
 		$this->theme_info = $theme_info;
-		$work_dir = DI::config()->get('smarty3', 'config_dir');
-		$this->smarty = new FriendicaSmarty($this->theme, $this->theme_info, $work_dir);
+
+		$work_dir     = DI::config()->get('smarty3', 'config_dir');
+		$use_sub_dirs = DI::config()->get('smarty3', 'use_sub_dirs');
+
+		$this->smarty = new FriendicaSmarty($this->theme, $this->theme_info, $work_dir, $use_sub_dirs);
 
 		if (!is_writable($work_dir)) {
 			$admin_message = DI::l10n()->t('The folder %s must be writable by webserver.', $work_dir);
diff --git a/static/defaults.config.php b/static/defaults.config.php
index 7625de0bd4..adffad8967 100644
--- a/static/defaults.config.php
+++ b/static/defaults.config.php
@@ -714,5 +714,10 @@ return [
 		// config_dir (String)
 		// Base working directory for the templating engine, must be writeable by the webserver user
 		'config_dir' => 'view/smarty3',
+
+		// use_sub_dirs (Boolean)
+		// By default the template cache is stored in several sub directories.
+		// 
+		'use_sub_dirs' => true,
 	],
 ];