diff --git a/code/localization/localize.cpp b/code/localization/localize.cpp
index 96c0c9b992c..207596154fa 100644
--- a/code/localization/localize.cpp
+++ b/code/localization/localize.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ bool *Lcl_unexpected_tstring_check = nullptr;
 // NOTE: with map storage of XSTR strings, the indexes no longer need to be contiguous,
 // but internal strings should still increment XSTR_SIZE to avoid collisions.
 // retail XSTR_SIZE = 1570
-// #define XSTR_SIZE	1915 // This is the next available ID
+// #define XSTR_SIZE	1918 // This is the next available ID
 
 // struct to allow for strings.tbl-determined x offset
 // offset is 0 for english, by default
diff --git a/code/radar/radar.cpp b/code/radar/radar.cpp
index 9bf32bf9ee2..1623054f2bd 100644
--- a/code/radar/radar.cpp
+++ b/code/radar/radar.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,9 @@ void HudGaugeRadarStd::drawBlips(int blip_type, int bright, int distort)
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			if (b->radar_image_2d == -1 && b->radar_color_image_2d == -1)
+			bool show_icon = (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::On ||
+			                  (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::TargetOnly && (b->flags & BLIP_CURRENT_TARGET)));
+			if (!show_icon || (b->radar_image_2d == -1 && b->radar_color_image_2d == -1))
 				drawContactCircle(x, y, b->rad);
 			else
 				drawContactImage(x, y, b->rad, b->radar_image_2d, b->radar_color_image_2d, b->radar_image_size);
diff --git a/code/radar/radardradis.cpp b/code/radar/radardradis.cpp
index 36450865d59..e6fe7668e43 100644
--- a/code/radar/radardradis.cpp
+++ b/code/radar/radardradis.cpp
@@ -319,10 +319,14 @@ void HudGaugeRadarDradis::drawBlips(int blip_type, int bright, int distort)
 		} else {
 			if (b->flags & BLIP_DRAW_DISTORTED) {
 				blipDrawFlicker(b, &pos, alpha);
-			} else if (b->radar_image_2d >= 0 || b->radar_color_image_2d >= 0) {
-				drawContact(&pos, b->radar_image_2d, b->radar_color_image_2d, b->dist, alpha, scale_factor);
 			} else {
-				drawContact(&pos, -1, unknown_contact_icon, b->dist, alpha, scale_factor);
+				bool show_icon = (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::On ||
+				                  (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::TargetOnly && (b->flags & BLIP_CURRENT_TARGET)));
+				if (show_icon && (b->radar_image_2d >= 0 || b->radar_color_image_2d >= 0)) {
+					drawContact(&pos, b->radar_image_2d, b->radar_color_image_2d, b->dist, alpha, scale_factor);
+				} else {
+					drawContact(&pos, -1, unknown_contact_icon, b->dist, alpha, scale_factor);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/code/radar/radarorb.cpp b/code/radar/radarorb.cpp
index f8a51e46427..988e59a5e48 100644
--- a/code/radar/radarorb.cpp
+++ b/code/radar/radarorb.cpp
@@ -281,7 +281,9 @@ void HudGaugeRadarOrb::drawBlips(int blip_type, int bright, int distort)
 		}
 		else
 		{
-            if (b->radar_image_2d >= 0 || b->radar_color_image_2d >= 0)
+			bool show_icon = (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::On ||
+			                  (Radar_2d_icon_mode == RadarIconMode::TargetOnly && (b->flags & BLIP_CURRENT_TARGET)));
+			if (show_icon && (b->radar_image_2d >= 0 || b->radar_color_image_2d >= 0))
 			{
 				drawContactImage(&pos, b->rad, b->radar_image_2d, b->radar_color_image_2d, b->radar_projection_size);
 			}
diff --git a/code/radar/radarsetup.cpp b/code/radar/radarsetup.cpp
index e8d2649ea0d..1f48e0a4a70 100644
--- a/code/radar/radarsetup.cpp
+++ b/code/radar/radarsetup.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "localization/localize.h"
 #include "network/multi.h"
 #include "object/object.h"
+#include "options/Option.h"
 #include "playerman/player.h"
 #include "radar/radar.h"
 #include "radar/radarorb.h"
@@ -88,6 +89,31 @@ int See_all = 0;
 
 DCF_BOOL(see_all, See_all);
 
+RadarIconMode Radar_2d_icon_mode = RadarIconMode::On;
+
+static auto RadarIconModeOption __UNUSED = options::OptionBuilder<RadarIconMode>("HUD.Radar2dIconMode",
+	std::pair<const char*, int>{"Radar 2D Icons", 1915},
+	std::pair<const char*, int>{"Controls how custom 2D ship icons are displayed on the radar", 1916})
+	.category(std::make_pair("Game", 1824))
+	.values({{RadarIconMode::Off,        {"Off", 1286}},
+	         {RadarIconMode::On,         {"On", 1285}},
+	         {RadarIconMode::TargetOnly, {"Target Only", 1917}}})
+	.default_val(RadarIconMode::On)
+	.bind_to(&Radar_2d_icon_mode)
+	.importance(56)
+	.finish();
+
+void radar_check_2d_icon_options()
+{
+	bool has_icons = std::any_of(Ship_info.begin(), Ship_info.end(), [](const ship_info& sip) {
+		return sip.radar_image_2d_idx >= 0 || sip.radar_color_image_2d_idx >= 0;
+	});
+
+	if (!has_icons) {
+		options::OptionsManager::instance()->removeOption(RadarIconModeOption);
+	}
+}
+
 void radar_stuff_blip_info(object *objp, int is_bright, color **blip_color, int *blip_type)
 {
 	ship *shipp = NULL;
diff --git a/code/radar/radarsetup.h b/code/radar/radarsetup.h
index b0d01a7478d..84fc93e7cac 100644
--- a/code/radar/radarsetup.h
+++ b/code/radar/radarsetup.h
@@ -89,10 +89,18 @@ enum RadarVisibility
 	DISTORTED //!< Visible but not fully
 };
 
+enum class RadarIconMode {
+	Off = 0,
+	On = 1,
+	TargetOnly = 2
+};
+extern RadarIconMode Radar_2d_icon_mode;
+
 void radar_frame_init();
 void radar_mission_init();
 void radar_plot_object( object *objp );
 RadarVisibility radar_is_visible( object *objp );
+void radar_check_2d_icon_options();
 
 extern sound_handle Radar_static_looping;
 
diff --git a/code/ship/ship.cpp b/code/ship/ship.cpp
index a5eb8acb665..091c8a3e1df 100644
--- a/code/ship/ship.cpp
+++ b/code/ship/ship.cpp
@@ -6752,6 +6752,8 @@ void ship_init()
 
 		// We shouldn't already have any subsystem pointers at this point.
 		Assertion(Ship_subsystems.empty(), "Some pre-allocated subsystems didn't get cleared out: " SIZE_T_ARG " batches present during ship_init(); get a coder!\n", Ship_subsystems.size());
+	
+		radar_check_2d_icon_options();
 	}
 }