diff --git a/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.cpp b/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.cpp
index 8ebb6e417..8a73510e1 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.cpp
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ CClientConfig::CClientConfig()
 	ScreenShotWidth		= 0;
 	ScreenShotHeight	= 0;
 	ScreenShotFullDetail = true;
+	ScreenShotZBuffer	= false;
 
 	MaxNumberOfTimedFXInstances = 20;
 	SelectionFX = "sfx_selection_mouseover.ps";
@@ -1028,6 +1029,7 @@ void CClientConfig::setValues()
 	READ_INT_FV(ScreenShotWidth)
 	READ_INT_FV(ScreenShotHeight)
 	READ_BOOL_FV(ScreenShotFullDetail)
+	READ_BOOL_FV(ScreenShotZBuffer)
 
 	/////////////////////////
 	// NEW PATCHING SYSTEM //
diff --git a/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.h b/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.h
index 7728676e5..7b7c3f8ab 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.h
+++ b/code/ryzom/client/src/client_cfg.h
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ struct CClientConfig
 	uint			ScreenShotWidth;	// If 0 : normal screen shot, else custom screen shot without interface
 	uint			ScreenShotHeight;
 	bool			ScreenShotFullDetail; // If set to true, then load balancing will be disabled for the duration of the screenshot
+	bool			ScreenShotZBuffer; // If set to true, save also the ZBuffer in a file
 
 	/////////////////////////
 	// NEW PATCHING SYSTEM //
diff --git a/code/ryzom/client/src/interface_v3/action_handler_misc.cpp b/code/ryzom/client/src/interface_v3/action_handler_misc.cpp
index 4c7f2ee28..b8af699dd 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/client/src/interface_v3/action_handler_misc.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/client/src/interface_v3/action_handler_misc.cpp
@@ -600,6 +600,67 @@ void initScreenshot()
 	if (!CFile::isExists(ScreenshotsDirectory)) CFile::createDirectory(ScreenshotsDirectory);
 }
 
+bool screenshotZBuffer(const std::string &filename)
+{
+	std::string::size_type pos = filename.find(".");
+
+	if (pos == std::string::npos)
+		return false;
+
+	std::string filename_z = filename.substr(0, pos) + "_z" + filename.substr(pos);
+	std::string ext = filename.substr(pos+1);
+
+	std::vector<float> z;
+	Driver->getZBuffer(z);
+
+	float min = std::numeric_limits<float>::max();
+	float max = std::numeric_limits<float>::min();
+
+	// get min and max values
+	for(uint i = 0; i < z.size(); ++i)
+	{
+		float value = z[i];
+		if (value > max)
+		{
+			max = value;
+		}
+		else if (value < min)
+		{
+			min = value;
+		}
+	}
+
+	max = max - min;
+
+	CBitmap zi;
+	zi.resize(Driver->getWindowWidth(), Driver->getWindowHeight());
+	CRGBA *dest = (CRGBA *) &zi.getPixels()[0];
+
+	for(uint k = 0; k < z.size(); ++k)
+	{
+		// normalize values
+		uint8 i = (uint8) ((z[k] - min) * 255.f / max);
+		dest->set(i, i, i, i);
+		++ dest;
+	}
+
+	try
+	{
+		COFile f;
+		f.open(filename_z);
+		if (ext == "png")
+			zi.writePNG(f, 32);
+		else
+			zi.writeTGA(f, 32);
+	}
+	catch(...)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 void screenShotTGA()
 {
 	CBitmap btm;
@@ -607,10 +668,20 @@ void screenShotTGA()
 
 	string filename = CFile::findNewFile (ScreenshotsDirectory+"screenshot.tga");
 	COFile fs(filename);
-	btm.writeTGA(fs, 24, false);
-	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in tga format (%dx%d)", filename.c_str(), (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
+
+	if (!btm.writeTGA(fs, 24, false))
+	{
+		fs.close();
+		CFile::deleteFile(filename);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (ClientCfg.ScreenShotZBuffer)
+		screenshotZBuffer(filename);
+
+	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in tga format (%ux%u)", filename.c_str(), ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
 	displayScreenShotSavedInfo(filename);
-};
+}
 
 void screenShotPNG()
 {
@@ -619,6 +690,7 @@ void screenShotPNG()
 
 	string filename = CFile::findNewFile (ScreenshotsDirectory+"screenshot.png");
 	COFile fs(filename);
+
 	if (!btm.writePNG(fs, 24))
 	{
 		fs.close();
@@ -626,9 +698,12 @@ void screenShotPNG()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in png format (%dx%d)", filename.c_str(), (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
+	if (ClientCfg.ScreenShotZBuffer)
+		screenshotZBuffer(filename);
+
+	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in png format (%ux%u)", filename.c_str(), ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
 	displayScreenShotSavedInfo(filename);
-};
+}
 
 void screenShotJPG()
 {
@@ -637,10 +712,20 @@ void screenShotJPG()
 
 	string filename = CFile::findNewFile (ScreenshotsDirectory+"screenshot.jpg");
 	COFile fs(filename);
-	btm.writeJPG(fs);
-	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in jpg format (%dx%d)", filename.c_str(), (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, (int) ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
+
+	if (!btm.writeJPG(fs))
+	{
+		fs.close();
+		CFile::deleteFile(filename);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (ClientCfg.ScreenShotZBuffer)
+		screenshotZBuffer(filename);
+
+	nlinfo("Screenshot '%s' saved in jpg format (%ux%u)", filename.c_str(), ClientCfg.ScreenShotWidth, ClientCfg.ScreenShotHeight);
 	displayScreenShotSavedInfo(filename);
-};
+}
 
 // ***************************************************************************
 
diff --git a/code/ryzom/client/src/main_loop.cpp b/code/ryzom/client/src/main_loop.cpp
index 3e7fefdd3..2a513244a 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/client/src/main_loop.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/client/src/main_loop.cpp
@@ -2739,44 +2739,6 @@ bool mainLoop()
 				R2::getEditor().updateBeforeSwapBuffer();
 			}
 
-			static volatile bool captureBuffers = false;
-			if (captureBuffers)
-			{
-				CBitmap color;
-				Driver->getBuffer(color);
-				try
-				{
-					COFile f;
-					f.open("color.tga");
-					color.writeTGA(f);
-				}
-				catch(...)
-				{
-				}
-				std::vector<float> z;
-				Driver->getZBuffer(z);
-				CBitmap zi;
-				zi.resize(color.getWidth(), color.getHeight());
-				CRGBA *dest = (CRGBA *) &zi.getPixels()[0];
-				for(uint k = 0; k < z.size(); ++k)
-				{
-					uint8 i = (uint8) (z[k] * 255.f);
-					dest->set(i, i, i, i);
-					++ dest;
-				}
-				try
-				{
-					COFile f;
-					f.open("z.tga");
-					zi.writeTGA(f);
-				}
-				catch(...)
-				{
-				}
-			}
-
-
-
 			Driver->swapBuffers();
 
 			if(Profiling)