diff --git a/javase/src/com/google/zxing/client/j2se/CommandLineRunner.java b/javase/src/com/google/zxing/client/j2se/CommandLineRunner.java
index 61ca47a94..03ba80481 100644
--- a/javase/src/com/google/zxing/client/j2se/CommandLineRunner.java
+++ b/javase/src/com/google/zxing/client/j2se/CommandLineRunner.java
@@ -18,13 +18,10 @@ package com.google.zxing.client.j2se;
 
 import com.google.zxing.BarcodeFormat;
 import com.google.zxing.BinaryBitmap;
-import com.google.zxing.ChecksumException;
 import com.google.zxing.DecodeHintType;
-import com.google.zxing.FormatException;
 import com.google.zxing.LuminanceSource;
 import com.google.zxing.MultiFormatReader;
 import com.google.zxing.NotFoundException;
-import com.google.zxing.ReaderException;
 import com.google.zxing.Result;
 import com.google.zxing.client.result.ParsedResult;
 import com.google.zxing.client.result.ResultParser;
@@ -69,12 +66,15 @@ public final class CommandLineRunner {
     }
 
     boolean tryHarder = false;
+    boolean pureBarcode = false;
     boolean productsOnly = false;
     boolean dumpResults = false;
     boolean dumpBlackPoint = false;
     for (String arg : args) {
       if ("--try_harder".equals(arg)) {
         tryHarder = true;
+      } else if ("--pure_barcode".equals(arg)) {
+        pureBarcode = true;
       } else if ("--products_only".equals(arg)) {
         productsOnly = true;
       } else if ("--dump_results".equals(arg)) {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public final class CommandLineRunner {
       }
     }
 
-    Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> hints = buildHints(tryHarder, productsOnly);
+    Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> hints = buildHints(tryHarder, pureBarcode, productsOnly);
     for (String arg : args) {
       if (!arg.startsWith("--")) {
         decodeOneArgument(arg, hints, dumpResults, dumpBlackPoint);
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ public final class CommandLineRunner {
 
   // Manually turn on all formats, even those not yet considered production quality.
   private static Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> buildHints(boolean tryHarder,
-      boolean productsOnly) {
+                                                              boolean pureBarcode,
+                                                              boolean productsOnly) {
     Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> hints = new Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object>(3);
     Vector<BarcodeFormat> vector = new Vector<BarcodeFormat>(8);
     vector.addElement(BarcodeFormat.UPC_A);
@@ -117,6 +118,9 @@ public final class CommandLineRunner {
     if (tryHarder) {
       hints.put(DecodeHintType.TRY_HARDER, Boolean.TRUE);
     }
+    if (pureBarcode) {
+      hints.put(DecodeHintType.PURE_BARCODE, Boolean.TRUE);
+    }
     return hints;
   }
 
diff --git a/zxingorg/src/com/google/zxing/web/DecodeServlet.java b/zxingorg/src/com/google/zxing/web/DecodeServlet.java
index 3926f0f8c..dce1be793 100644
--- a/zxingorg/src/com/google/zxing/web/DecodeServlet.java
+++ b/zxingorg/src/com/google/zxing/web/DecodeServlet.java
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public final class DecodeServlet extends HttpServlet {
   private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(DecodeServlet.class.getName());
 
   static final Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> HINTS;
+  static final Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object> HINTS_PURE;
 
   static {
     HINTS = new Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object>(5);
@@ -110,6 +111,8 @@ public final class DecodeServlet extends HttpServlet {
     possibleFormats.add(BarcodeFormat.DATAMATRIX);
     possibleFormats.add(BarcodeFormat.PDF417);
     HINTS.put(DecodeHintType.POSSIBLE_FORMATS, possibleFormats);
+    HINTS_PURE = new Hashtable<DecodeHintType, Object>(HINTS);
+    HINTS_PURE.put(DecodeHintType.PURE_BARCODE, Boolean.TRUE);
   }
 
   private HttpParams params;
@@ -245,6 +248,7 @@ public final class DecodeServlet extends HttpServlet {
 
   private static void processStream(InputStream is, ServletRequest request,
       HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
+
     BufferedImage image = ImageIO.read(is);
     if (image == null) {
       response.sendRedirect("badimage.jspx");
@@ -252,32 +256,42 @@ public final class DecodeServlet extends HttpServlet {
     }
 
     Reader reader = new MultiFormatReader();
-    Result result;
+    LuminanceSource source = new BufferedImageLuminanceSource(image);
+    BinaryBitmap bitmap = new BinaryBitmap(new GlobalHistogramBinarizer(source));
+    Result result = null;
+    ReaderException savedException = null;
+
     try {
-      LuminanceSource source = new BufferedImageLuminanceSource(image);
-      BinaryBitmap bitmap = new BinaryBitmap(new GlobalHistogramBinarizer(source));
-      result = reader.decode(bitmap, HINTS);
+      // Look for pure barcode
+      result = reader.decode(bitmap, HINTS_PURE);
     } catch (ReaderException re) {
+      savedException = re;
+    }
+
+    if (result == null) {
+      try {
+        // Look for normal barcode in photo
+        result = reader.decode(bitmap, HINTS);
+      } catch (ReaderException re) {
+        savedException = re;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (result == null) {
       try {
         // Try again with other binarizer
-        LuminanceSource source = new BufferedImageLuminanceSource(image);
-        BinaryBitmap bitmap = new BinaryBitmap(new HybridBinarizer(source));
-        result = reader.decode(bitmap, HINTS);
-      } catch (NotFoundException nfe) {
-        log.info("Not found: " + re.toString());
-        response.sendRedirect("notfound.jspx");
-        return;
-      } catch (FormatException fe) {
-        log.info("Format problem: " + re.toString());
-        response.sendRedirect("format.jspx");
-        return;
-      } catch (ChecksumException ce) {
-        log.info("Checksum problem: " + re.toString());
-        response.sendRedirect("format.jspx");
-        return;
+        BinaryBitmap hybridBitmap = new BinaryBitmap(new HybridBinarizer(source));
+        result = reader.decode(hybridBitmap, HINTS);
+      } catch (ReaderException re) {
+        savedException = re;
       }
     }
 
+    if (result == null) {
+      handleException(savedException, response);
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (request.getParameter("full") == null) {
       response.setContentType("text/plain");
       response.setCharacterEncoding("UTF8");
@@ -313,6 +327,22 @@ public final class DecodeServlet extends HttpServlet {
     }
   }
 
+  private static void handleException(ReaderException re, HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
+    if (re instanceof NotFoundException) {
+      log.info("Not found: " + re);
+      response.sendRedirect("notfound.jspx");
+    } else if (re instanceof FormatException) {
+      log.info("Format problem: " + re);
+      response.sendRedirect("format.jspx");
+    } else if (re instanceof ChecksumException) {
+      log.info("Checksum problem: " + re);
+      response.sendRedirect("format.jspx");
+    } else {
+      log.info("Unknown problem: " + re);
+      response.sendRedirect("notfound.jspx");
+    }
+  }
+
   private static boolean isSizeOK(HttpMessage getResponse) {
     Header lengthHeader = getResponse.getLastHeader("Content-Length");
     if (lengthHeader != null) {