diff --git a/crates/argmin/src/core/executor.rs b/crates/argmin/src/core/executor.rs
index a4c546504..545849b38 100644
--- a/crates/argmin/src/core/executor.rs
+++ b/crates/argmin/src/core/executor.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ where
             checkpoint: None,
             timeout: None,
             ctrlc: true,
-            timer: true,
+            timer: false,
         }
     }
 
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ where
         self
     }
 
-    /// Enables or disables timing of individual iterations (default: enabled).
+    /// Enables or disables timing of individual iterations (default: false).
     ///
-    /// Setting this to false will silently be ignored in case a timeout is set.
+    /// In case a timeout is set, this will automatically be set to true.
     ///
     /// # Example
     ///
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ mod tests {
         let problem = TestProblem::new();
         let timeout = std::time::Duration::from_secs(2);
 
-        let executor = Executor::new(problem, solver);
+        let executor = Executor::new(problem, solver).timer(true);
         assert!(executor.timer);
         assert!(executor.timeout.is_none());
 
diff --git a/crates/argmin/src/core/state/iterstate.rs b/crates/argmin/src/core/state/iterstate.rs
index d766b49e9..cc7899625 100644
--- a/crates/argmin/src/core/state/iterstate.rs
+++ b/crates/argmin/src/core/state/iterstate.rs
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ pub struct IterState<P, G, J, H, R, F> {
     pub max_iters: u64,
     /// Evaluation counts
     pub counts: HashMap<String, u64>,
+    /// Update evaluation counts?
+    pub counting_enabled: bool,
     /// Time required so far
     pub time: Option<instant::Duration>,
     /// Status of optimization execution
@@ -1040,6 +1042,7 @@ where
             last_best_iter: 0,
             max_iters: std::u64::MAX,
             counts: HashMap::new(),
+            counting_enabled: false,
             time: Some(instant::Duration::new(0, 0)),
             termination_status: TerminationStatus::NotTerminated,
         }
@@ -1339,7 +1342,7 @@ where
     /// ```
     /// # use std::collections::HashMap;
     /// # use argmin::core::{Problem, IterState, State, ArgminFloat};
-    /// # let mut state: IterState<Vec<f64>, (), (), (), (), f64> = IterState::new();
+    /// # let mut state: IterState<Vec<f64>, (), (), (), (), f64> = IterState::new().counting(true);
     /// # assert_eq!(state.counts, HashMap::new());
     /// # state.counts.insert("test2".to_string(), 10u64);
     /// #
@@ -1356,9 +1359,11 @@ where
     /// # assert_eq!(state.counts, hm);
     /// ```
     fn func_counts<O>(&mut self, problem: &Problem<O>) {
-        for (k, &v) in problem.counts.iter() {
-            let count = self.counts.entry(k.to_string()).or_insert(0);
-            *count = v
+        if self.counting_enabled {
+            for (k, &v) in problem.counts.iter() {
+                let count = self.counts.entry(k.to_string()).or_insert(0);
+                *count = v
+            }
         }
     }