diff --git a/src/seis/psmeca.c b/src/seis/psmeca.c
index fb5f949..a34da01 100644
--- a/src/seis/psmeca.c
+++ b/src/seis/psmeca.c
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ struct PSMECA_CTRL {
 		double offset[2];
 		struct GMT_FONT font;
 	} S;
+	struct PSMECA_Q {	/* -Q use linear scale */
+		bool active;
+	} Q;
 	struct PSMECA_T {	/* -Tnplane[/<pen>] */
 		bool active;
 		unsigned int n_plane;
@@ -164,6 +167,7 @@ static void *New_Ctrl (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT) {	/* Allocate and initialize a new
 	C->D.depmin = -FLT_MAX;
 	C->D.depmax = FLT_MAX;
 	C->L.active = false;
+	C->Q.active = false;
 	gmt_init_fill (GMT, &C->E.fill, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
 	gmt_init_fill (GMT, &C->G.fill, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
 	gmt_init_fill (GMT, &C->R2.fill, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
@@ -191,7 +195,7 @@ static int usage (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, int level) {
 		"-S<format>[<scale>][+a<angle>][+f<font>][+j<justify>][+o<dx>[/<dy>]] [-A[+p<pen>][+s<size>]] [%s] "
 		"[-C<cpt>] [-D<depmin>/<depmax>] [-E<fill>] [-Fa[<size>[/<Psymbol>[<Tsymbol>]]]] [-Fe<fill>] [-Fg<fill>] "
 		"[-Fr<fill>] [-Fp[<pen>]] [-Ft[<pen>]] [-Fz[<pen>]] [-G<fill>] [-H[<scale>]] [-I[<intens>]] %s[-L<pen>] [-M] "
-		"[-N] %s%s[-T<nplane>[/<pen>]] [%s] [%s] [-W<pen>] [%s] [%s] %s[%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s]\n",
+		"[-N] %s%s[-Q] [-T<nplane>[/<pen>]] [%s] [%s] [-W<pen>] [%s] [%s] %s[%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s] [%s]\n",
 		name, GMT_J_OPT, GMT_Rgeo_OPT, GMT_B_OPT, API->K_OPT, API->O_OPT, API->P_OPT, GMT_U_OPT, GMT_V_OPT, GMT_X_OPT,
 		GMT_Y_OPT, API->c_OPT, GMT_di_OPT, GMT_e_OPT, GMT_h_OPT, GMT_i_OPT, GMT_p_OPT, GMT_qi_OPT, GMT_tv_OPT, GMT_colon_OPT, GMT_PAR_OPT);
 
@@ -264,6 +268,7 @@ static int usage (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, int level) {
 	GMT_Usage (API, 1, "\n-M Set same size for any magnitude. Size is given with -S.");
 	GMT_Usage (API, 1, "\n-N Do Not skip/clip symbols that fall outside map border [Default will ignore those outside].");
 	GMT_Option (API, "O,P");
+	GMT_Usage (API, 1, "\n-Q scale beachballs with moment (linear) rather than magnitude (log) [off]");
 	GMT_Usage (API, 1, "\n-T<plane>[/<pen>]");
 	GMT_Usage (API, -2, "Draw specified nodal <plane>(s) and circumference only to provide a transparent beach ball "
 		"using the current pen (see -W; or append alternative pen):");
@@ -493,6 +498,9 @@ static int parse (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, struct PSMECA_CTRL *Ctrl, struct GMT_OPT
 			case 'N':	/* Do not skip points outside border */
 				Ctrl->N.active = true;
 				break;
+			case 'Q':	/* linear size scale */
+				Ctrl->Q.active = true;
+				break;
 			case 'S':	/* Get format and size */
 				Ctrl->S.active = true;
 				switch (opt->arg[0]) {	/* parse format */
@@ -633,8 +641,8 @@ EXTERN_MSC int GMT_psmeca (void *V_API, int mode, void *args) {
 	int n_rec = 0, n_plane_old = 0, error;
 	int n_scanned = 0;
 	unsigned int xcol = 0, scol = 0, icol = 0, tcol_f = 0, tcol_s = 0;
-	bool transparence_old = false, not_defined = false;
-
+	bool transparence_old = false, not_defined = false, q_warned = false;
+	
 	double plot_x, plot_y, plot_xnew, plot_ynew, delaz, *in = NULL;
 	double t11 = 1.0, t12 = 0.0, t21 = 0.0, t22 = 1.0, xynew[2] = {0.0};
 	double scale, fault, depth, size, P_x, P_y, T_x, T_y, nominal_size;
@@ -967,7 +975,15 @@ EXTERN_MSC int GMT_psmeca (void *V_API, int mode, void *args) {
 		if (Ctrl->S.read) nominal_size = scale = in[scol];
 		moment.mant = meca.moment.mant;
 		moment.exponent = meca.moment.exponent;
-		size = (meca_computed_mw(moment, meca.magms) / 5.0) * scale;
+		if (Ctrl->Q.active){ /* linear scaling, with some reference moment */
+		  if(!q_warned){
+		    GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_WARNING, "linear moment scaling selected.\n");
+		    q_warned = true;
+		  }
+		  size = moment.mant * pow(10,moment.exponent-26) * scale;
+		}else{		/* default */
+		  size = (meca_computed_mw(moment, meca.magms) / 5.0) * scale;
+		}
 		if (Ctrl->H.active) {	/* Variable scaling of symbol size and pen width */
 			double scl = (Ctrl->H.mode == PSMECA_READ_SCALE) ? in[xcol] : Ctrl->H.value;
 			size *= scl;