diff --git a/bdfr/__main__.py b/bdfr/__main__.py
index dadba517..51f1ee86 100644
--- a/bdfr/__main__.py
+++ b/bdfr/__main__.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
     click.option("--max-score", type=int, default=None),
     click.option("--min-score-ratio", type=float, default=None),
     click.option("--max-score-ratio", type=float, default=None),
+    click.option("--stop-on-exist", is_flag=True, default=None),
 ]
 
 _archiver_options = [
diff --git a/bdfr/configuration.py b/bdfr/configuration.py
index 05fc27e8..16438ce3 100644
--- a/bdfr/configuration.py
+++ b/bdfr/configuration.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.upvoted: bool = False
         self.user: list[str] = []
         self.verbose: int = 0
+        self.stop_on_exist: bool = False
 
         # Archiver-specific options
         self.all_comments = False
diff --git a/bdfr/connector.py b/bdfr/connector.py
index 77a4a71a..c33c82ff 100644
--- a/bdfr/connector.py
+++ b/bdfr/connector.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ def __init__(self, args: Configuration, logging_handlers: Iterable[logging.Handl
         self._apply_logging_handlers(itertools.chain(logging_handlers, [file_log]))
         self.run_time = datetime.now().isoformat()
         self._setup_internal_objects()
+        self.existcount=0
 
         self.reddit_lists = self.retrieve_reddit_lists()
 
@@ -350,6 +351,8 @@ def get_multireddits(self) -> list[Iterator]:
 
     def create_filtered_listing_generator(self, reddit_source) -> Iterator:
         sort_function = self.determine_sort_function()
+        if self.args.stop_on_exist and sort_function != praw.models.Subreddit.new:
+            logger.warning("Stopping downloads when an old duplicate is encountered works best when sorted by new.")
         if self.sort_filter in (RedditTypes.SortType.TOP, RedditTypes.SortType.CONTROVERSIAL):
             return sort_function(reddit_source, limit=self.args.limit, time_filter=self.time_filter.value)
         else:
diff --git a/bdfr/downloader.py b/bdfr/downloader.py
index 20984e69..0ccc64fa 100644
--- a/bdfr/downloader.py
+++ b/bdfr/downloader.py
@@ -111,10 +111,16 @@ def _download_submission(self, submission: praw.models.Submission):
         for destination, res in self.file_name_formatter.format_resource_paths(content, self.download_directory):
             if destination.exists():
                 logger.debug(f"File {destination} from submission {submission.id} already exists, continuing")
+                if self.args.stop_on_exist and not submission.stickied:
+                    self.existcount+=1
+                if self.existcount>=5:
+                        logger.warning(f"Prevously-downloaded threshold met, exiting")
+                        exit(0)
                 continue
             elif not self.download_filter.check_resource(res):
                 logger.debug(f"Download filter removed {submission.id} file with URL {submission.url}")
                 continue
+            self.existcount=0
             try:
                 res.download({"max_wait_time": self.args.max_wait_time})
             except errors.BulkDownloaderException as e: