diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/sampling/sample/sampleDict b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/sampling/sample/sampleDict
index cd0ae63fe4..c34ce71daf 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/sampling/sample/sampleDict
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/sampling/sample/sampleDict
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@ setFormat raw;
 // but without any values!
 surfaceFormat vtk;
 
+// optionally define extra controls for the output formats
+formatOptions
+{
+    ensight
+    {
+        format  ascii;
+    }
+}
+
+
 // interpolationScheme. choice of
 //      cell          : use cell-centre value only; constant over cells (default)
 //      cellPoint     : use cell-centre and vertex values
diff --git a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/sampledSurfaces/sampledSurfaces.C b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/sampledSurfaces/sampledSurfaces.C
index a4c3413214..581b7e206b 100644
--- a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/sampledSurfaces/sampledSurfaces.C
+++ b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/sampledSurfaces/sampledSurfaces.C
@@ -220,11 +220,15 @@ void Foam::sampledSurfaces::read(const dictionary& dict)
     clearFieldGroups();
 
     dict.lookup("interpolationScheme") >> interpolationScheme_;
-
-    word writeType(dict.lookup("surfaceFormat"));
+    const word writeType(dict.lookup("surfaceFormat"));
 
     // define the surface formatter
-    formatter_ = surfaceWriter::New(writeType);
+    // optionally defined extra controls for the output formats
+    formatter_ = surfaceWriter::New
+    (
+        writeType,
+        dict.subOrEmptyDict("formatOptions").subOrEmptyDict(writeType)
+    );
 
     PtrList<sampledSurface> newList
     (
diff --git a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.C b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.C
index 135d566db0..d83ec611a1 100644
--- a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.C
+++ b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.C
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ License
 namespace Foam
 {
     makeSurfaceWriterType(ensightSurfaceWriter);
+    addToRunTimeSelectionTable(surfaceWriter, ensightSurfaceWriter, wordDict);
 }
 
 
@@ -120,6 +121,19 @@ Foam::ensightSurfaceWriter::ensightSurfaceWriter()
 {}
 
 
+Foam::ensightSurfaceWriter::ensightSurfaceWriter(const dictionary& options)
+:
+    surfaceWriter(),
+    writeFormat_(IOstream::ASCII)
+{
+    // choose ascii or binary format
+    if (options.found("format"))
+    {
+        writeFormat_ = IOstream::formatEnum(options.lookup("format"));
+    }
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Destructor  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 Foam::ensightSurfaceWriter::~ensightSurfaceWriter()
diff --git a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.H b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.H
index 891947ffb4..628c178d4e 100644
--- a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.H
+++ b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/ensight/ensightSurfaceWriter.H
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ public:
         //- Construct null
         ensightSurfaceWriter();
 
+        //- Construct with some output options
+        ensightSurfaceWriter(const dictionary& options);
+
 
     //- Destructor
     virtual ~ensightSurfaceWriter();
diff --git a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.C b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.C
index 0f52c6f4aa..f297e0934f 100644
--- a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.C
+++ b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.C
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace Foam
 {
     defineTypeNameAndDebug(surfaceWriter, 0);
     defineRunTimeSelectionTable(surfaceWriter, word);
+    defineRunTimeSelectionTable(surfaceWriter, wordDict);
     addNamedToRunTimeSelectionTable
     (
         surfaceWriter,
@@ -83,6 +84,23 @@ Foam::surfaceWriter::New(const word& writeType)
 }
 
 
+Foam::autoPtr<Foam::surfaceWriter>
+Foam::surfaceWriter::New(const word& writeType, const dictionary& optDict)
+{
+    // find constructors with dictionary options
+    wordDictConstructorTable::iterator cstrIter =
+        wordDictConstructorTablePtr_->find(writeType);
+
+    if (cstrIter == wordDictConstructorTablePtr_->end())
+    {
+        // revert to versions without options
+        return Foam::surfaceWriter::New(writeType);
+    }
+
+    return autoPtr<surfaceWriter>(cstrIter()(optDict));
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 Foam::surfaceWriter::surfaceWriter()
diff --git a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.H b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.H
index 8e24418d39..be26517849 100644
--- a/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.H
+++ b/src/sampling/sampledSurface/writers/surfaceWriter.H
@@ -70,12 +70,31 @@ public:
             ()
         );
 
+        declareRunTimeSelectionTable
+        (
+            autoPtr,
+            surfaceWriter,
+            wordDict,
+            (
+                const dictionary& optDict
+            ),
+            (optDict)
+        );
+
 
     // Selectors
 
         //- Return a reference to the selected surfaceWriter
         static autoPtr<surfaceWriter> New(const word& writeType);
 
+        //- Return a reference to the selected surfaceWriter
+        //  Select with extra write option
+        static autoPtr<surfaceWriter> New
+        (
+            const word& writeType,
+            const dictionary& writeOptions
+        );
+
 
     // Constructors