diff --git a/beetsplug/acousticbrainz.py b/beetsplug/acousticbrainz.py
index 138fd88099..725c55089d 100644
--- a/beetsplug/acousticbrainz.py
+++ b/beetsplug/acousticbrainz.py
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ class AcousticPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
     def __init__(self):
         super(AcousticPlugin, self).__init__()
 
-        self.config.add({'auto': True})
+        self.config.add({'auto': True, 'force': False})
+
         if self.config['auto']:
             self.register_listener('import_task_files',
                                    self.import_task_files)
@@ -118,7 +119,13 @@ def commands(self):
 
         def func(lib, opts, args):
             items = lib.items(ui.decargs(args))
-            self._fetch_info(items, ui.should_write())
+            self._fetch_info(items, ui.should_write(),
+                             opts.force_refetch or self.config['force'])
+        cmd.parser.add_option(
+            u'-f', u'--force', dest='force_refetch',
+            action='store_true', default=False,
+            help=u're-download data when already present'
+        )
 
         cmd.func = func
         return [cmd]
@@ -151,10 +158,17 @@ def _get_data(self, mbid):
 
         return data
 
-    def _fetch_info(self, items, write):
+    def _fetch_info(self, items, write, force):
         """Fetch additional information from AcousticBrainz for the `item`s.
         """
         for item in items:
+            if not force:
+                mood_str = item.get('mood_acoustic', u'')
+                if mood_str:
+                    self._log.info(u'Already set acoustic\
+                        brainz tags for {} ', item)
+                    continue
+
             if not item.mb_trackid:
                 continue
 
diff --git a/docs/plugins/acousticbrainz.rst b/docs/plugins/acousticbrainz.rst
index b66bf17def..5d72b8517a 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/acousticbrainz.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins/acousticbrainz.rst
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ The ``acousticbrainz`` plugin gets acoustic-analysis information from the
 
 Enable the ``acousticbrainz`` plugin in your configuration (see :ref:`using-plugins`) and run it by typing::
 
-    $ beet acousticbrainz [QUERY]
+    $ beet acousticbrainz [-f] [QUERY]
+
+By default, the command will only look for acousticbrainz data when the tracks doesn't
+already have it; the ``-f`` or ``--force`` switch makes it fetch acousticbrainz 
+for the item. If you specify a query, only matching tracks will be processed; 
+otherwise, the command processes every track in your library.
 
 For all tracks with a MusicBrainz recording ID, the plugin currently sets
 these fields:
@@ -52,3 +57,6 @@ configuration file. There is one option:
 
 - **auto**: Enable AcousticBrainz during ``beet import``.
   Default: ``yes``.
+- **force**: By default, beets will not override already fetched acousticbrainz data. To instead fetch acousticbrainz and override data, 
+  set the ``force`` option to ``yes``.
+  Default: ``no``.
\ No newline at end of file