diff --git a/README b/README
index ef1348d..e3957d5 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Public version of the DNSSEC key rollover monitor and checker.
 
-The tool has been described in a paper released at the SATIN conference 
-<http://conferences.npl.co.uk/satin/>. See the paper at 
+The tool has been described in a paper released at the SATIN conference
+<http://conferences.npl.co.uk/satin/>. See the paper at
 <http://conferences.npl.co.uk/satin/papers/satin2011-Bortzmeyer.pdf>.
 
 
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ Basic instructions:
 
 1) sqlite3 dnssec.sqlite < create.sql
 
-2) Edit ~/.key-report.ini may be using key-report.ini.sample as a
-starting point.
+2) Edit ~/.key-report.ini; you can use key-report.ini.sample as a
+starting point. Set fileonly to a file which is appended to if
+you don't want to (or can't) send e-mail.
 
 3) while true:
    key-store-and-report.py $YOURDOMAIN $YOURSERVER
diff --git a/key-report.ini.sample b/key-report.ini.sample
index b8a6432..cf078a1 100644
--- a/key-report.ini.sample
+++ b/key-report.ini.sample
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ mailserver: smtp.example.net
 prefix: DNSSEC Check of my zones
 maintainer: John.Foo@bar.example
 output: false
+fileonly: /path/to/file
diff --git a/key-store-and-report.py b/key-store-and-report.py
index 5c23267..ae91465 100755
--- a/key-store-and-report.py
+++ b/key-store-and-report.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 maintainer_address = "foo@bar"
 output = True
 syslog = False
+file_only = False
 SECTION = "default"
 version = sys.argv[0] + " $Revision: 10774 $ (Python %s)" % \
           re.sub ("\n", " ", sys.version)
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
 # prefix: DNSSEC Check at AFNIC
 # maintainer: Stephane.Bortzmeyer+dnssec-key-check@nic.fr
 # timeout: 10
+# fileonly: xxxx.out   # append output to file; no mail is sent
 
 class DNSerror(Exception):
     pass
@@ -49,10 +51,23 @@ def sendemail(subject, content):
            (maintainer_address, maintainer_address, ("[%s] " % email_prefix) + subject,
             version))
     msg = msg + content + "\r\n"
-    server = smtplib.SMTP(mail_server)
-    server.set_debuglevel(0)
-    server.sendmail(maintainer_address, maintainer_address, msg)
-    server.quit()
+
+    if file_only:
+        timestr = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z")
+        msg = ("%s -- %s\n" % (timestr, subject))
+        msg = msg + content + "\n"
+        try:
+            f = open(file_only, 'a')
+            f.write(msg)
+            f.close()
+        except Exception, e:
+            print "Cannot open output file {0}: {1}".format(file_only, str(e))
+            sys.exit(2)
+    else:
+        server = smtplib.SMTP(mail_server)
+        server.set_debuglevel(0)
+        server.sendmail(maintainer_address, maintainer_address, msg)
+        server.quit()
 
 def get_rr(zone, rrtype, ns_address, handler=None):
     """ rrtype must be a character _string_. handler is a function
@@ -135,8 +150,12 @@ def update_zones(set):
 if len(sys.argv) != 3:
     raise Exception("Usage: dnssec.py zonename nameserver-address")
 
-config = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser()
-config.readfp(open(os.path.expanduser("~/.key-report.ini")))
+try:
+    config = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser()
+    config.readfp(open(os.path.expanduser("~/.key-report.ini")))
+except:
+    print "Cannot open config file {0}".format(os.path.expanduser("~/.key-report.ini"))
+    sys.exit(2)
 
 if config.has_option(SECTION, 'mailserver'):
     mail_server = config.get(SECTION, 'mailserver')
@@ -152,6 +171,8 @@ def update_zones(set):
     output = config.getboolean(SECTION, 'output')
 if config.has_option(SECTION, 'syslog'):
     syslog = config.getboolean(SECTION, 'syslog')
+if config.has_option(SECTION, 'fileonly'):
+    file_only = config.get(SECTION, 'fileonly')
 
 generator = random.Random()
 formatter_long = logging.Formatter('%(name)s: %(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s', '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')