diff --git a/src/DebugSession.cpp b/src/DebugSession.cpp
index dea642a..744ff1e 100644
--- a/src/DebugSession.cpp
+++ b/src/DebugSession.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void DebugSession::clear()
 	modified = false;
 }
 
-void DebugSession::open(const QString& file)
+void DebugSession::open(const QString& file, unsigned symConf)
 {
 	QFile f(file);
 	if (!f.open(QFile::ReadOnly | QFile::Text)) {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void DebugSession::open(const QString& file)
 				// begin tag
 				if (ses.isStartElement()) {
 					if (ses.name() == "Symbols") {
-						symTable.loadSymbols(ses);
+						symTable.loadSymbols(ses, symConf);
 					} else if (ses.name() == "Breakpoints") {
 						breaks.loadBreakpoints(ses);
 					} else {
diff --git a/src/DebugSession.h b/src/DebugSession.h
index 6bc6d5e..a0180e7 100644
--- a/src/DebugSession.h
+++ b/src/DebugSession.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class DebugSession : public QObject
 
 	// session
 	void clear();
-	void open(const QString& file);
+	void open(const QString& file, unsigned symConf);
 	bool save();
 	bool saveAs(const QString& file);
 	bool existsAsFile() const;
diff --git a/src/DebuggerForm.cpp b/src/DebuggerForm.cpp
index 8535986..75c8bc1 100644
--- a/src/DebuggerForm.cpp
+++ b/src/DebuggerForm.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ int DebuggerForm::counter = 0;
 DebuggerForm::DebuggerForm(QWidget* parent)
 	: QMainWindow(parent)
 	, comm(CommClient::instance())
+	, isReloadSymbolFilesPerSession(false) // false: past version behavior
+	, isIgnoreSymbolsOfPrevSession(false) // false: past version behavior
 {
 	VDPRegView = nullptr;
 	VDPStatusRegView = nullptr;
@@ -163,6 +165,23 @@ DebuggerForm::DebuggerForm(QWidget* parent)
 
 	recentFiles = Settings::get().value("MainWindow/RecentFiles").toStringList();
 	updateRecentFiles();
+	// configure symbols reloading
+	struct {
+		bool *val;
+		const char *key;
+	} mapping[] = {
+		{ &isReloadSymbolFilesPerSession, "Session/ReloadSymbolFilesPerSession" },
+		{ &isIgnoreSymbolsOfPrevSession, "Session/IgnoreSymbolsOfPrevSession" },
+		{ NULL, NULL }
+	}, *p = mapping;
+	QSettings &cfg = Settings::get();
+	for (; p->val; ++p) {
+		if (cfg.contains(p->key)) {
+			*p->val = cfg.value(p->key).toBool();
+		} else if (cfg.isWritable()) {
+			cfg.setValue(p->key, *p->val);
+		}
+	}
 
 	connect(&session.symbolTable(), &SymbolTable::symbolFileChanged, this, &DebuggerForm::symbolFileChanged);
 }
@@ -1044,10 +1063,14 @@ void DebuggerForm::fileOpenSession()
 void DebuggerForm::openSession(const QString& file)
 {
 	fileNewSession();
-	session.open(file);
+	unsigned symConf = 0;
+	symConf |= (isReloadSymbolFilesPerSession) ? SymbolTable::LoadSymbolFiles : 0;
+	symConf |= ( isIgnoreSymbolsOfPrevSession) ? SymbolTable::IgnoreSymbolTag : 0;
+	session.open(file, symConf);
 	if (systemDisconnectAction->isEnabled()) {
 		// active connection, merge loaded breakpoints
 		reloadBreakpoints(true);
+		emit symbolsChanged();
 	}
 	// update recent
 	if (session.existsAsFile()) {
diff --git a/src/DebuggerForm.h b/src/DebuggerForm.h
index 8bc9546..d215886 100644
--- a/src/DebuggerForm.h
+++ b/src/DebuggerForm.h
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ class DebuggerForm : public QMainWindow
 	static int counter;
 	enum {RESET = 0, SLOTS_CHECKED, PC_CHANGED, SLOTS_CHANGED} disasmStatus = RESET;
 	uint16_t disasmAddress;
+	bool isReloadSymbolFilesPerSession;
+	bool isIgnoreSymbolsOfPrevSession;
 
 	QList<CommandRef> commands;
 	void updateCustomActions();
diff --git a/src/SymbolTable.cpp b/src/SymbolTable.cpp
index a629a50..a8a01f1 100644
--- a/src/SymbolTable.cpp
+++ b/src/SymbolTable.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,8 @@ bool SymbolTable::readOMDSFile(const QString& filename)
 
 	QXmlStreamReader ses;
 	ses.setDevice(&file);
-	loadSymbols(ses);
+	unsigned flags = 0; // same as past behavior
+	loadSymbols(ses, flags);
 	return true;
 }
 bool SymbolTable::readTNIASM0File(const QString& filename)
@@ -704,9 +705,10 @@ void SymbolTable::saveSymbols(QXmlStreamWriter& xml)
 	}
 }
 
-void SymbolTable::loadSymbols(QXmlStreamReader& xml)
+void SymbolTable::loadSymbols(QXmlStreamReader& xml, unsigned flags)
 {
-	Symbol* sym = nullptr;
+	Symbol dummy("", 0); // for ignoring
+	Symbol* sym = (LoadSymbolFiles & flags) ? &dummy : nullptr;
 	while (!xml.atEnd()) {
 		xml.readNext();
 		// exit if closing of main tag
@@ -728,12 +730,18 @@ void SymbolTable::loadSymbols(QXmlStreamReader& xml)
 				} else if (ftype == "linkmap") {
 					type = LINKMAP_FILE;
 				}
-				// append file
-				appendFile(fname, type);
+				if (LoadSymbolFiles & flags) {
+					// (append file +) read file
+					bool ok = readFile(fname, type);
+					if (!ok) continue; // file cannot open, invalid format, ...
+				} else {
+					// append file
+					appendFile(fname, type);
+				}
 				// change time
 				symbolFiles.back().refreshTime.setTime_t(rtime.toUInt());
 
-			} else if (xml.name() == "Symbol") {
+			} else if (xml.name() == "Symbol" && !(IgnoreSymbolTag & flags)) {
 				// add empty symbol
 				sym = add(std::make_unique<Symbol>("", 0));
 				// get status attribute
diff --git a/src/SymbolTable.h b/src/SymbolTable.h
index c7fa220..7c38694 100644
--- a/src/SymbolTable.h
+++ b/src/SymbolTable.h
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ class SymbolTable : public QObject
 		PASMO_FILE,
 		VASM_FILE
 	};
+	enum {
+		LoadSymbolFiles = 1,
+		IgnoreSymbolTag = 2,
+	};
 
 	SymbolTable();
 
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ class SymbolTable : public QObject
 
 	// xml session file functions
 	void saveSymbols(QXmlStreamWriter& xml);
-	void loadSymbols(QXmlStreamReader& xml);
+	void loadSymbols(QXmlStreamReader& xml, unsigned flags);
 
 	// Symbol access functions
 	[[nodiscard]] Symbol* findFirstAddressSymbol(int addr, MemoryLayout* ml = nullptr);