diff --git a/extract-partitions.py b/extract-partitions.py
index 853878c..f7e4d14 100755
--- a/extract-partitions.py
+++ b/extract-partitions.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ parser.add_argument("-d", "--outdir", default=".",
 parser.add_argument("--max-size", metavar="kbytes", type=int, default=65535,
         help="Maximum partition size to dump (in KiB) or 0 to dump all (default %(default)d)")
 parser.add_argument("--debug", action='store_true', help="Enable debug messages")
+parser.add_argument("--skip-hello", action="store_true",
+        help="Immediately send commands, skip HELO message")
 
 def dump_partitions(comm, disk_fd, outdir, max_size):
     parts = partitions.get_partitions(comm)
@@ -54,7 +56,9 @@ def main():
 
     comm = lglaf.autodetect_device()
     with closing(comm):
-        lglaf.try_hello(comm)
+        if not args.skip_hello:
+            lglaf.try_hello(comm)
+
         with partitions.laf_open_disk(comm) as disk_fd:
             _logger.debug("Opened fd %d for disk", disk_fd)
             dump_partitions(comm, disk_fd, args.outdir, args.max_size * 1024)
diff --git a/partitions.py b/partitions.py
index aa96c8b..c38fa6b 100755
--- a/partitions.py
+++ b/partitions.py
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ parser.add_argument("--wipe", action='store_true',
 parser.add_argument("partition", nargs='?',
         help="Partition number (e.g. 1 for block device mmcblk0p1)"
         " or partition name (e.g. 'recovery')")
+parser.add_argument("--skip-hello", action="store_true",
+        help="Immediately send commands, skip HELO message")
 
 def main():
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -247,7 +249,9 @@ def main():
 
     comm = lglaf.autodetect_device()
     with closing(comm):
-        lglaf.try_hello(comm)
+        
+        if not args.skip_hello:
+            lglaf.try_hello(comm)
 
         if args.list:
             list_partitions(comm, args.partition)