diff --git a/population-density/population_file_extraction.py b/population-density/population_file_extraction.py
index 5053da75934e816f2712c3be86cfc18e7b6f483e..5682b47a53ed789094df97e44f383f70a73e4088 100644
--- a/population-density/population_file_extraction.py
+++ b/population-density/population_file_extraction.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Author: Martin Schultz, FZ Juelich (04 May 2016)
 """
 import numpy as np
 import os
-from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_POPULATION_DATA
+from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_POPULATION_DATA, PLOT_DATA
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def read_proxydata(filename, dummy=DEBUG and USE_DUMMY_POPULATION_DATA):
     logdata = data.copy()
     logdata[logdata <= 1.e-4] = 1.e-4
 
-    if DEBUG:
+    if DEBUG and PLOT_DATA:
         plt.contourf(lonvec, latvec, np.log10(logdata))
         plt.savefig('../plots/global_population_density.png')
         plt.close()
diff --git a/stable_night_lights/nightlights_file_extraction.py b/stable_night_lights/nightlights_file_extraction.py
index 65490e9e6dc0437f62efebac36d85cba72242002..6f65af80d207f12494d31da27cc4870d85ba6e0a 100644
--- a/stable_night_lights/nightlights_file_extraction.py
+++ b/stable_night_lights/nightlights_file_extraction.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Author: Lukas Leufen, FZ Juelich (21th May 2019)
 """
 import numpy as np
 import os
-from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_STABLE_NIGHT_LIGHTS_DATA
+from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_STABLE_NIGHT_LIGHTS_DATA, PLOT_DATA
 from django.contrib.gis.gdal import GDALRaster
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 # import gdal
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def read_proxydata(filename, dummy=DEBUG and USE_DUMMY_STABLE_NIGHT_LIGHTS_DATA)
     boundingbox = [lon0, latvec.min(), lonvec.max(), lat0]
 
     # plot data
-    if DEBUG:
+    if DEBUG and PLOT_DATA:
         plt.contourf(lonvec, latvec, data)
         plt.savefig('../plots/global_nighttime_lights.png')
         plt.close()
diff --git a/topography-tandem-x/topography_file_extraction.py b/topography-tandem-x/topography_file_extraction.py
index 9454e127d6aa4d15db27f95ea8d13d6b447ed2a0..38afb60bdcc71ab22ef1631138788716204ee884 100644
--- a/topography-tandem-x/topography_file_extraction.py
+++ b/topography-tandem-x/topography_file_extraction.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Author: Lukas Leufen, FZ Juelich (04 December 2018)
 """
 import numpy as np
 import os
-from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_TOPOGRAPHY_TANDEM_DATA
+from toar_location_services.settings import DATA_DIR, DEBUG, USE_DUMMY_TOPOGRAPHY_TANDEM_DATA, PLOT_DATA
 from django.contrib.gis.gdal import GDALRaster
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def read_proxydata(filename, dummy=DEBUG and USE_DUMMY_TOPOGRAPHY_TANDEM_DATA):
     # set metadata
     boundingbox = [lon0, latvec.min(), lonvec.max(), lat0]
 
-    if DEBUG:
+    if DEBUG and PLOT_DATA:
         plt.contourf(lonvec, latvec, data)
         plt.savefig('../plots/topography.png')
         plt.close()