diff --git a/application/application.go b/application/application.go
index 59550a4..53d631f 100644
--- a/application/application.go
+++ b/application/application.go
@@ -50,8 +50,10 @@ func (a *Application) Start(ctx context.Context, wg *sync.WaitGroup) error {
 		org = org.WithOverwrite()
 	}
 
-	if err := org.FullSync(ctx); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("full sync: %w", err)
+	if !a.config.SkipFullSync {
+		if err := org.FullSync(ctx); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("full sync: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if a.config.Watch {
diff --git a/application/config.go b/application/config.go
index cd629c0..6a66c25 100644
--- a/application/config.go
+++ b/application/config.go
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Config struct {
-	SourceDir string
-	TargetDir string
-	Mode      Mode
-	Overwrite bool
-	DirMode   uint64
-	FileMode  uint64
-	Watch     bool
+	SourceDir    string
+	TargetDir    string
+	Mode         Mode
+	Overwrite    bool
+	DirMode      uint64
+	FileMode     uint64
+	Watch        bool
+	SkipFullSync bool
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Validate() error {
@@ -37,5 +38,9 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid mode %s", c.Mode)
 	}
 
+	if c.SkipFullSync && !c.Watch {
+		return fmt.Errorf("skip full sync and watch disabled — nothing to do")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/organizer/organizer.go b/internal/organizer/organizer.go
index 88ab545..3c8971e 100644
--- a/internal/organizer/organizer.go
+++ b/internal/organizer/organizer.go
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/derfenix/photocatalog/v2/internal/metadata"
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultDirMode  = 0o777
+	defaultFileMode = 0o644
+)
+
 type MetaExtractor interface {
 	Extract(_ string, data io.Reader) (metadata.Metadata, error)
 }
@@ -31,8 +36,8 @@ func NewOrganizer(mode Mode, source, target string) *Organizer {
 		sourceDir: source,
 		targetDir: target,
 
-		dirMode:  0777,
-		fileMode: 0644,
+		dirMode:  defaultDirMode,
+		fileMode: defaultFileMode,
 
 		metaExtractors: map[string]MetaExtractor{
 			"":     &metadata.Default{},
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 8fa6593..61be7ae 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -33,25 +33,18 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func loadCfg() application.Config {
-	cfg := application.Config{
-		SourceDir: "",
-		TargetDir: "",
-		Mode:      "",
-		Overwrite: false,
-		DirMode:   0,
-		FileMode:  0,
-		Watch:     false,
-	}
+	cfg := application.Config{}
 
 	flag.StringVar(&cfg.SourceDir, "source", "", "Source directory")
 	flag.StringVar(&cfg.TargetDir, "target", "", "Target directory")
 	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.Overwrite, "overwrite", false, "Overwrite existing files")
-	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.Watch, "watch", false, "Watch for changes in the source directory")
+	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.Watch, "watch", true, "Watch for changes in the source directory")
+	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.SkipFullSync, "skip-full-sync", false, "Skip full sync at startup")
 
 	var dirMode string
 	var fileMode string
-	flag.StringVar(&dirMode, "dirmode", "0777", "Mode bits for directories can be created while syncing")
-	flag.StringVar(&fileMode, "filemode", "0644", "Mode bits for files created while syncing (not applicable for hardlink mode)")
+	flag.StringVar(&dirMode, "dir-mode", "0777", "Mode bits for directories can be created while syncing")
+	flag.StringVar(&fileMode, "file-mode", "0644", "Mode bits for files created while syncing (not applicable for hardlink mode)")
 
 	var mode string
 	flag.StringVar(&mode, "mode", "hardlink", "Mode")