diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
index f4b2aba47..452787130 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ struct CKTcircuit {
                                    contains only linear elements */
     unsigned int CKTnoopac:1; /* flag to indicate that OP will not be evaluated
                                  during AC simulation */
+
+#ifdef KLU
+    unsigned int CKTkluMODE:1 ;
+#endif
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/optdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/optdefs.h
index 3c968e455..52aef8a1f 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/optdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/optdefs.h
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ typedef struct {
 
 #define OPT_NOOPAC       68
 
+#ifdef KLU
+#define OPT_SPARSE       69
+#endif
+
 #ifdef XSPICE
 /* gtri - begin - wbk - add new options */
 #define OPT_ENH_NOOPALTER           100
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
index 6c5d52eba..cde5d0610 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ typedef struct sSMPmatrix {
     double **CKTdiag_CSC ;                /* KLU pointer to diagonal element to perform Gmin */
     int CKTkluN ;                         /* KLU N, copied */
     int CKTklunz ;                        /* KLU nz, copied for AC Analysis */
-    int CKTkluMODE ;                      /* KLU MODE parameter to enable KLU or not from the heuristic */
+    unsigned int CKTkluMODE:1 ;           /* KLU MODE parameter to enable KLU or not from the heuristic */
     #define CKTkluON 1                    /* KLU MODE ON definition */
     #define CKTkluOFF 0                   /* KLU MODE OFF definition */
 #elif defined(SuperLU)
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ typedef struct sSMPmatrix {
     double **CKTdiag_CSC ;
     int CKTsuperluN ;
     int CKTsuperlunz ;
-    int CKTsuperluMODE ;
+    unsigned int CKTsuperluMODE:1 ;
     #define CKTsuperluON 1		  /* SuperLU MODE ON definition */
     #define CKTsuperluOFF 0		  /* SuperLU MODE OFF definition */
 #elif defined(UMFPACK)
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ typedef struct sSMPmatrix {
     double **CKTdiag_CSC ;
     int CKTumfpackN ;
     int CKTumfpacknz ;
-    int CKTumfpackMODE ;
+    unsigned int CKTumfpackMODE:1 ;
     #define CKTumfpackON 1		  /* UMFPACK MODE ON definition */
     #define CKTumfpackOFF 0		  /* UMFPACK MODE OFF definition */
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/tskdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/tskdefs.h
index 2c39c02ec..c489fb080 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/tskdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/tskdefs.h
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ struct TSKtask {
     double TSKabsDv;                 /* abs limit for iter-iter voltage change */
     double TSKrelDv;                 /* rel limit for iter-iter voltage change */
     unsigned int TSKnoopac:1; /* flag for no OP calculation before AC */
+
+#ifdef KLU
+    unsigned int TSKkluMODE:1 ;
+#endif
+
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/maths/ni/niinit.c b/src/maths/ni/niinit.c
index 8169de1e8..a30060392 100644
--- a/src/maths/ni/niinit.c
+++ b/src/maths/ni/niinit.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ NIinit(CKTcircuit *ckt)
     ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTdiag_CSC = NULL ;
     ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluN = 0 ;
     ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTklunz = 0 ;
-    ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluMODE = CKTkluON ; /* TO BE SUBSTITUTED WITH THE HEURISTICS */
+    ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluMODE = ckt->CKTkluMODE ; /* TO BE SUBSTITUTED WITH THE HEURISTICS */
 
     klu_defaults (ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluCommon) ;
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdojob.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdojob.c
index 8b995bb40..ffbfb37fb 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdojob.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdojob.c
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ CKTdoJob(CKTcircuit *ckt, int reset, TSKtask *task)
     ckt->CKTtroubleNode  = 0;
     ckt->CKTtroubleElt  = NULL;
     ckt->CKTnoopac = task->TSKnoopac && ckt->CKTisLinear;
+
+#ifdef KLU
+    ckt->CKTkluMODE = task->TSKkluMODE ;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NEWTRUNC
     ckt->CKTlteReltol = task->TSKlteReltol;
     ckt->CKTlteAbstol = task->TSKlteAbstol;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktntask.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktntask.c
index 7a0d5dcb5..50d8ea14c 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktntask.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktntask.c
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ CKTnewTask(CKTcircuit *ckt, TSKtask **taskPtr, IFuid taskName, TSKtask **defPtr)
         tsk->TSKabsDv           = def->TSKabsDv;
         tsk->TSKrelDv           = def->TSKrelDv;
         tsk->TSKnoopac          = def->TSKnoopac;
+
+#ifdef KLU
+        tsk->TSKkluMODE         = def->TSKkluMODE ;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NEWTRUNC
         tsk->TSKlteReltol       = def->TSKlteReltol;
         tsk->TSKlteAbstol       = def->TSKlteAbstol;
@@ -119,6 +124,10 @@ CKTnewTask(CKTcircuit *ckt, TSKtask **taskPtr, IFuid taskName, TSKtask **defPtr)
         tsk->TSKabsDv           = 0.5;
         tsk->TSKrelDv           = 2.0;
 
+#ifdef KLU
+        tsk->TSKkluMODE         = CKTkluON ;
+#endif
+
 #if (1) /*CDHW*/
     }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsetup.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsetup.c
index 4f214f5ea..6e2512004 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsetup.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsetup.c
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ CKTsetup(CKTcircuit *ckt)
 #if defined(KLU)
     if (ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluMODE)
     {
+        printf ("Using KLU as Direct Linear Solver\n") ;
+
         int i ;
         int n = SMPmatSize (ckt->CKTmatrix) ;
         ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluN = n ;
@@ -141,6 +143,8 @@ CKTsetup(CKTcircuit *ckt)
                 DEVices [i]->DEVbindCSC (ckt->CKThead [i], ckt) ;
 
         ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTkluMatrixIsComplex = CKTkluMatrixReal ;
+    } else {
+        printf ("Using SPARSE 1.3 as Direct Linear Solver\n") ;
     }
 #elif defined(SuperLU)
     if (ckt->CKTmatrix->CKTsuperluMODE)
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsopt.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsopt.c
index 22249abcd..9f8f377df 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsopt.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktsopt.c
@@ -161,6 +161,13 @@ CKTsetOpt(CKTcircuit *ckt, JOB *anal, int opt, IFvalue *val)
     case OPT_NOOPAC:
         task->TSKnoopac = (val->iValue != 0);
         break;
+
+#ifdef KLU
+    case OPT_SPARSE:
+        task->TSKkluMODE = (val->iValue == 0) ;
+        break ;
+#endif
+
 /* gtri - begin - wbk - add new options */
 #ifdef XSPICE
     case OPT_EVT_MAX_OP_ALTER:
@@ -313,7 +320,13 @@ static IFparm OPTtbl[] = {
  { "reldv", OPT_RELDV, IF_SET|IF_REAL,
         "Maximum relative iter-iter node voltage change" },
  { "noopac", OPT_NOOPAC, IF_SET|IF_FLAG,
-        "No op calculation in ac if circuit is linear" }
+        "No op calculation in ac if circuit is linear" },
+
+#ifdef KLU
+ { "sparse", OPT_SPARSE, IF_SET|IF_FLAG,
+        "Set SPARSE 1.3 as Direct Linear Solver" }
+#endif
+
 };
 
 int OPTcount = NUMELEMS(OPTtbl);