diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index 9cf2f8f..222d622 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Add to INSTALLED_APPS:
 Additionally, replace the existing __MEDIA\_URL__ setting with:
 
 	MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
-	
+
 __MEDIA\_URL__ is the URL that will be used in debug mode. Otherwise, the __MEDIA\_URL__ will be inferred from the settings listed below.
 
 The following settings must also be added:
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ Previous versions of mediasync rewrote URLs in CSS files to use the correct __ME
 
 	MEDIASYNC_REWRITE_CSS = True
 
+The media URL is selected based on the __DEBUG__ attribute in settings.py. When *True*, media will be served locally instead of from S3. Sometimes it is necessary to serve media from S3 even when __DEBUG__ is *True*. To force remote serving of media, set __MEDIASYNC\_SERVE\_REMOTE__ to *True*.
+
+	MEDIASYNC_SERVE_REMOTE = True
+
 ### urls.py
 
 A static media URL needs to be setup in urls.py that enables access to the media directory ONLY IN DEBUG MODE.
@@ -169,4 +173,4 @@ When pushed to S3, the local URL is rewritten as the MEDIA\_URL from settings.py
 ## Running MEDIASYNC
 
 
-	./manage.py mediasync
\ No newline at end of file
+	./manage.py syncmedia
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mediasync/templatetags/media.py b/mediasync/templatetags/media.py
index 392ee61..1bebd25 100644
--- a/mediasync/templatetags/media.py
+++ b/mediasync/templatetags/media.py
@@ -10,15 +10,16 @@ register = template.Library()
 
 assert hasattr(settings, "MEDIASYNC_AWS_BUCKET")
 
+SERVE_REMOTE = getattr(settings, "MEDIASYNC_SERVE_REMOTE", not settings.DEBUG)
 BUCKET_CNAME = getattr(settings, "MEDIASYNC_BUCKET_CNAME", False)
 AWS_PREFIX = getattr(settings, "MEDIASYNC_AWS_PREFIX", None)
 
-if settings.DEBUG:
-    mu = settings.MEDIA_URL
-else:
+if SERVE_REMOTE:
     mu = (BUCKET_CNAME and "http://%s" or "http://%s.s3.amazonaws.com") % settings.MEDIASYNC_AWS_BUCKET
     if AWS_PREFIX:
         mu = "%s/%s" % (mu, AWS_PREFIX)
+else:
+    mu = settings.MEDIA_URL
 
 MEDIA_URL = mu.rstrip('/')