diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 6cc1aa70..0a6a2c74 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ SnapRAID HISTORY
  * Added support also for hardlinks and empty directories.
  * Added support to save symlinks to files in Windows. Note that only the
    symlink is saved and not the linked file.
-   Symlinks to dirs and junctions are still not supported.
+   Symlinks to dirs and junctions are still not supported in Windows.
  * Files without read permission generates now an error instead of a warning.
    You now must explicitely exclude them in the configuration file with
    exclusion rules.
diff --git a/check.c b/check.c
index 9811773b..3a820085 100644
--- a/check.c
+++ b/check.c
@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ void state_check(struct snapraid_state* state, int check, int fix, block_off_t b
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
 
-		ret = parity_chsize(parity_ptr, size, &out_size);
+		ret = parity_chsize(parity_ptr, size, &out_size, state->skip_fallocate);
 		if (ret == -1) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without an accessible Parity file, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -1419,7 +1419,7 @@ void state_check(struct snapraid_state* state, int check, int fix, block_off_t b
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
 
-			ret = parity_chsize(qarity_ptr, size, &out_size);
+			ret = parity_chsize(qarity_ptr, size, &out_size, state->skip_fallocate);
 			if (ret == -1) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without an accessible Q-Parity file, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/parity.c b/parity.c
index a1f448c2..a5b0ca6a 100644
--- a/parity.c
+++ b/parity.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ bail:
 	return -1;
 }
 
-int parity_chsize(struct snapraid_parity* parity, data_off_t size, data_off_t* out_size)
+int parity_chsize(struct snapraid_parity* parity, data_off_t size, data_off_t* out_size, int skip_fallocate)
 {
 	int ret;
 
@@ -143,18 +143,23 @@ int parity_chsize(struct snapraid_parity* parity, data_off_t size, data_off_t* o
 		const char* call;
 
 #if HAVE_FALLOCATE
-		/* allocate real space using the specific Linux fallocate() operation. */
-		/* If the underline filesystem doesn't support it, this operation fails, */
-		/* instead posix_fallocate() fallbacks to write the whole file. */
-		call = "fallocate";
-		ret = fallocate(parity->f, 0, 0, size);
+		if (!skip_fallocate) {
+			/* allocate real space using the specific Linux fallocate() operation. */
+			/* If the underline filesystem doesn't support it, this operation fails, */
+			/* instead posix_fallocate() fallbacks to write the whole file. */
+			call = "fallocate";
+			ret = fallocate(parity->f, 0, 0, size);
 
-		/* fallocate() returns the error number as positive integer, */
-		/* and in this case it doesn't set errno, just like posix_fallocate() */
-		/* Checking the glibc code (2.11.1 and 2.14.1) it seems that ENOSYS */
-		/* may be returned in errno, so we support both the return way */
-		if (ret > 0) { /* if a positive error is returned, convert it to errno */
-			errno = ret;
+			/* fallocate() returns the error number as positive integer, */
+			/* and in this case it doesn't set errno, just like posix_fallocate() */
+			/* Checking the glibc code (2.11.1 and 2.14.1) it seems that ENOSYS */
+			/* may be returned in errno, so we support both the return way */
+			if (ret > 0) { /* if a positive error is returned, convert it to errno */
+				errno = ret;
+				ret = -1;
+			}
+		} else {
+			errno = EOPNOTSUPP;
 			ret = -1;
 		}
 
diff --git a/parity.h b/parity.h
index a1c498bd..789881c3 100644
--- a/parity.h
+++ b/parity.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ int parity_create(struct snapraid_parity* parity, const char* path, data_off_t*
  * Changes the parity size.
  * \param out_size Return the size of the parity file. The out_size is set also on error to reflect a partial resize.
  */
-int parity_chsize(struct snapraid_parity* parity, data_off_t size, data_off_t* out_size);
+int parity_chsize(struct snapraid_parity* parity, data_off_t size, data_off_t* out_size, int skip_fallocate);
 
 /**
  * Opens an already existing parity file.
diff --git a/snapraid.c b/snapraid.c
index 221bc841..4dfd2933 100644
--- a/snapraid.c
+++ b/snapraid.c
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ void usage(void)
 #define OPT_TEST_KILL_AFTER_SYNC 257
 #define OPT_TEST_EXPECT_UNRECOVERABLE 258
 #define OPT_TEST_EXPECT_RECOVERABLE 259
-#define OPT_TEST_SKIP_DEVICE 260
+#define OPT_TEST_SKIP_SIGN 260
+#define OPT_TEST_SKIP_FALLOCATE 261
+#define OPT_TEST_SKIP_DEVICE 262
+
 
 #if HAVE_GETOPT_LONG
 struct option long_options[] = {
@@ -98,11 +101,28 @@ struct option long_options[] = {
 	{ "gui", 0, 0, 'G' }, /* undocumented GUI interface command */
 	{ "help", 0, 0, 'h' },
 	{ "version", 0, 0, 'V' },
-	/* test specific options, DO NOT USE! */
+	
+	/* The following are test specific options, DO NOT USE! */
+
+	/* After syncing, do not write the new content file */
 	{ "test-kill-after-sync", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_KILL_AFTER_SYNC },
+
+	/* Exit with failure if after check/fix there ARE NOT unrecoverable errors. */
 	{ "test-expect-unrecoverable", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_EXPECT_UNRECOVERABLE },
+
+	/* Exit with failure if after check/fix there ARE NOT recoverable errors. */
 	{ "test-expect-recoverable", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_EXPECT_RECOVERABLE },
+
+	/* Skip the initial self test */
 	{ "test-skip-self", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_SKIP_SELF },
+
+	/* Skip the initial sign check when reading the content file */
+	{ "test-skip-sign", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_SKIP_SIGN },
+
+	/* Skip the fallocate() when growing the parity files */
+	{ "test-skip-fallocate", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_SKIP_FALLOCATE },
+
+	/* Skip the device check */
 	{ "test-skip-device", 0, 0, OPT_TEST_SKIP_DEVICE },
 	{ 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 };
@@ -138,10 +158,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	int force_empty;
 	int find_by_name;
 	int audit_only;
+	int test_kill_after_sync;
 	int test_expect_unrecoverable;
 	int test_expect_recoverable;
-	int test_kill_after_sync;
 	int test_skip_self;
+	int test_skip_sign;
+	int test_skip_fallocate;
 	int test_skip_device;
 	const char* conf;
 	struct snapraid_state state;
@@ -166,10 +188,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	force_empty = 0;
 	find_by_name = 0;
 	audit_only = 0;
+	test_kill_after_sync = 0;
 	test_expect_unrecoverable = 0;
 	test_expect_recoverable = 0;
-	test_kill_after_sync = 0;
 	test_skip_self = 0;
+	test_skip_sign = 0;
+	test_skip_fallocate = 0;
 	test_skip_device = 0;
 	blockstart = 0;
 	blockcount = 0;
@@ -269,6 +293,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		case OPT_TEST_SKIP_SELF :
 			test_skip_self = 1;
 			break;
+		case OPT_TEST_SKIP_SIGN :
+			test_skip_sign = 1;
+			break;
+		case OPT_TEST_SKIP_FALLOCATE :
+			test_skip_fallocate = 1;
+			break;
 		case OPT_TEST_SKIP_DEVICE :
 			test_skip_device = 1;
 			break;
@@ -348,7 +378,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	state_init(&state);
 
-	state_config(&state, conf, verbose, gui, force_zero, force_empty, find_by_name, test_expect_unrecoverable, test_expect_recoverable, test_skip_device);
+	state_config(&state, conf, verbose, gui, force_zero, force_empty, find_by_name, test_expect_unrecoverable, test_expect_recoverable, test_skip_sign, test_skip_fallocate, test_skip_device);
 
 	if (import != 0) {
 		printf("%s\n", import);
diff --git a/state.c b/state.c
index 2354b581..bd5d8bce 100644
--- a/state.c
+++ b/state.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ void state_init(struct snapraid_state* state)
 	state->autosave = 0;
 	state->expect_unrecoverable = 0;
 	state->expect_recoverable = 0;
+	state->skip_sign = 0;
+	state->skip_fallocate = 0;
 	state->need_write = 0;
 	state->block_size = 256 * 1024; /* default 256 KiB */
 	state->parity[0] = 0;
@@ -218,7 +220,7 @@ static void state_config_check(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, i
 	
 }
 
-void state_config(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, int verbose, int gui, int force_zero, int force_empty, int find_by_name, int expect_unrecoverable, int expect_recoverable, int skip_device)
+void state_config(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, int verbose, int gui, int force_zero, int force_empty, int find_by_name, int expect_unrecoverable, int expect_recoverable, int skip_sign, int skip_fallocate, int skip_device)
 {
 	STREAM* f;
 	unsigned line;
@@ -231,6 +233,8 @@ void state_config(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, int verbose, i
 	state->find_by_name = find_by_name;
 	state->expect_unrecoverable = expect_unrecoverable;
 	state->expect_recoverable = expect_recoverable;
+	state->skip_sign = skip_sign;
+	state->skip_fallocate = skip_fallocate;
 
 	if (state->gui) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "version:%s\n", PACKAGE_VERSION);
@@ -1390,8 +1394,10 @@ void state_read(struct snapraid_state* state)
 
 			if (sign != hash) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "Mismatching 'sign' in '%s' at line %u\n", path, line);
-				fprintf(stderr, "Likely this content file is damaged. Use an alternate copy\n");
-				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+				if (!state->skip_sign) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "Likely this content file is damaged. Use an alternate copy\n");
+					exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+				}
 			}
 		} else if (tag[0] == 0) {
 			/* allow empty lines */
diff --git a/state.h b/state.h
index 18d5cea8..48b995e9 100644
--- a/state.h
+++ b/state.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ struct snapraid_state {
 	uint64_t autosave; /**< Autosave after the specified amount of data. 0 to disable. */
 	int expect_unrecoverable; /**< Expect presence of unrecoverable error in checking or fixing. */
 	int expect_recoverable; /**< Expect presence of recoverable error in checking. */
+	int skip_sign; /**< Skip the sign check for content files. */
+	int skip_fallocate; /**< Skip the use of fallocate(). */
 	int need_write; /**< If the state is changed. */
 	uint32_t block_size; /**< Block size in bytes. */
 	char parity[PATH_MAX]; /**< Path of the parity file. */
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ void state_done(struct snapraid_state* state);
 /**
  * Reads the configuration file.
  */
-void state_config(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, int verbose, int gui, int force_zero, int force_empty, int find_by_name, int expect_unrecoverable, int expect_recoverable, int skip_device);
+void state_config(struct snapraid_state* state, const char* path, int verbose, int gui, int force_zero, int force_empty, int find_by_name, int expect_unrecoverable, int expect_recoverable, int skip_sign, int skip_fallocate, int skip_device);
 
 /**
  * Reads the state.
diff --git a/sync.c b/sync.c
index 3ad00051..f2f0ba3b 100644
--- a/sync.c
+++ b/sync.c
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ int state_sync(struct snapraid_state* state, block_off_t blockstart, block_off_t
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	ret = parity_chsize(parity_ptr, size, &out_size);
+	ret = parity_chsize(parity_ptr, size, &out_size, state->skip_fallocate);
 	if (ret == -1) {
 		parity_overflow(state, out_size);
 		fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without an accessible Parity file, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ int state_sync(struct snapraid_state* state, block_off_t blockstart, block_off_t
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
 
-		ret = parity_chsize(qarity_ptr, size, &out_size);
+		ret = parity_chsize(qarity_ptr, size, &out_size, state->skip_fallocate);
 		if (ret == -1) {
 			parity_overflow(state, out_size);
 			fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without an accessible Q-Parity file, it isn't possible to sync.\n");