diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c19894e8..ffe3c737 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   * [Changed] Documented `iconClass` callback and changed signature from 
     `iconClass(node)` to `iconClass(event, data)`
   * [Improved] Add `highlight` and `fuzzy` options to ext-filter
+  * [Improved] Add `fireActivate` option to ext-persist (default: true)
   * [Fixed] #475 Font color while editing node title with bootstrap skin
 
 # 2.11.0 / 2015-07-26
diff --git a/demo/sample-ext-persist.html b/demo/sample-ext-persist.html
index 4644c08c..c0d8dacc 100644
--- a/demo/sample-ext-persist.html
+++ b/demo/sample-ext-persist.html
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
 			},
 			persist: {
 				expandLazy: true,
-				// overrideSource: false, // true: cookie takes precedence over `source` data attributes.
+				// fireActivate: false,    // false: suppress `activate` event after active node was restored
+				// overrideSource: false,  // true: cookie takes precedence over `source` data attributes.
 				store: "auto" // 'cookie', 'local': use localStore, 'session': sessionStore
 			},
 			// don't use this in production code:
@@ -47,17 +48,17 @@
 				debugDelay: [200, 1000]
 			},
 			init: function(event, data) {
-				data.tree.debug("init", data);
+				data.tree.debug(event.type, data);
 			},
 			restore: function(event, data) {
-				data.tree.debug("restore", data);
+				data.tree.debug(event.type, data);
 			},
 			activate: function(event, data) {
-//				alert("activate " + data.node);
+				data.node.debug(event.type, data);
+			},
+			loadChildren: function(event, data) {
+				data.node.debug(event.type, data);
 			},
-			// loadChildren: function(event, data) {
-			// 	data.node.debug("loadChildren", data);
-			// },
 			postProcess: function(event, data) {
 				// Create predictable, **unique** keys, which we need for our lazy
 				// persistence example. This is only required for this demo,
diff --git a/src/jquery.fancytree.persist.js b/src/jquery.fancytree.persist.js
index 6bbfc96d..be91ea20 100644
--- a/src/jquery.fancytree.persist.js
+++ b/src/jquery.fancytree.persist.js
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ $.ui.fancytree.registerExtension({
 			secure: false
 		},
 		expandLazy: false,     // true: recursively expand and load lazy nodes
+		fireActivate: true,    // false: suppress `activate` event after active node was restored
 		overrideSource: true,  // true: cookie takes precedence over `source` data attributes.
 		store: "auto",         // 'cookie': force cookie, 'local': force localStore, 'session': force sessionStore
 		types: "active expanded focus selected"
@@ -234,7 +235,8 @@ $.ui.fancytree.registerExtension({
 		// Bind init-handler to apply cookie state
 		tree.$div.bind("fancytreeinit", function(event){
 			var cookie, dfd, i, keyList, node,
-				prevFocus = local._data(local.cookiePrefix + FOCUS); // record this before node.setActive() overrides it;
+				prevFocus = local._data(local.cookiePrefix + FOCUS), // record this before node.setActive() overrides it;
+				noEvents = instOpts.fireActivate === false;
 
 			// tree.debug("document.cookie:", document.cookie);
 
@@ -288,7 +290,10 @@ $.ui.fancytree.registerExtension({
 							node.debug("persist: set active", cookie);
 							// We only want to set the focus if the container
 							// had the keyboard focus before
-							node.setActive(true, {noFocus: true});
+							node.setActive(true, {
+								noFocus: true,
+								noEvents: noEvents
+							});
 						}
 					}
 				}