diff --git a/opendm/config.py b/opendm/config.py
index 739a8fae..8a4f981c 100755
--- a/opendm/config.py
+++ b/opendm/config.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     'auto_boundary_distance': 'odm_filterpoints',
     'bg_removal': 'dataset',
     'boundary': 'odm_filterpoints',
-    'build_overviews': 'odm_orthophoto',
     'camera_lens': 'dataset',
     'cameras': 'dataset',
     'cog': 'odm_dem',
@@ -753,12 +752,6 @@ def config(argv=None, parser=None):
                     'Note that not all cameras are present in the database. Set to 0 to use the database value. '
                     'Default: %(default)s')
 
-    parser.add_argument('--build-overviews',
-                        action=StoreTrue,
-                        nargs=0,
-                        default=False,
-                        help='Build orthophoto overviews for faster display in programs such as QGIS. Default: %(default)s')
-
     parser.add_argument('--cog',
                         action=StoreTrue,
                         nargs=0,
@@ -903,7 +896,7 @@ def config(argv=None, parser=None):
                           'Default: %(default)s'))
 
     args, unknown = parser.parse_known_args(argv)
-    DEPRECATED = ["--verbose", "--debug", "--time", "--resize-to", "--depthmap-resolution", "--pc-geometric", "--texturing-data-term", "--texturing-outlier-removal-type", "--texturing-tone-mapping", "--texturing-skip-local-seam-leveling"]
+    DEPRECATED = ["--verbose", "--debug", "--time", "--resize-to", "--depthmap-resolution", "--pc-geometric", "--texturing-data-term", "--texturing-outlier-removal-type", "--texturing-tone-mapping", "--texturing-skip-local-seam-leveling", "--build-overviews"]
     unknown_e = [p for p in unknown if p not in DEPRECATED]
     if len(unknown_e) > 0:
         raise parser.error("unrecognized arguments: %s" % " ".join(unknown_e))
@@ -911,6 +904,10 @@ def config(argv=None, parser=None):
     for p in unknown:
         if p in DEPRECATED:
             log.WARNING("%s is no longer a valid argument and will be ignored!" % p)
+            if p == "--build-overviews" and not args.cog:
+                log.WARNING("Turning on --cog to build overviews")
+                args.cog = True
+
 
     # check that the project path setting has been set properly
     if not args.project_path:
diff --git a/opendm/orthophoto.py b/opendm/orthophoto.py
index f5025996..d5b14a37 100644
--- a/opendm/orthophoto.py
+++ b/opendm/orthophoto.py
@@ -30,18 +30,6 @@ def get_orthophoto_vars(args):
         'NUM_THREADS': args.max_concurrency
     }
 
-def build_overviews(orthophoto_file):
-    log.INFO("Building Overviews")
-    kwargs = {'orthophoto': orthophoto_file}
-    
-    # Run gdaladdo
-    system.run('gdaladdo -r average '
-                '--config BIGTIFF_OVERVIEW IF_SAFER '
-                '--config COMPRESS_OVERVIEW JPEG '
-                '--config INTERLEAVE_OVERVIEW PIXEL '
-                '--config PHOTOMETRIC_OVERVIEW YCBCR'
-                '{orthophoto} 2 4 8 16'.format(**kwargs))
-
 def generate_png(orthophoto_file, output_file=None, outsize=None):
     if output_file is None:
         base, ext = os.path.splitext(orthophoto_file)
@@ -174,9 +162,6 @@ def post_orthophoto_steps(args, bounds_file_path, orthophoto_file, orthophoto_ti
     if args.crop > 0 or args.boundary:
         Cropper.crop(bounds_file_path, orthophoto_file, get_orthophoto_vars(args), keep_original=not args.optimize_disk_space, warp_options=['-dstalpha'])
 
-    if args.build_overviews and not args.cog:
-        build_overviews(orthophoto_file)
-
     if args.orthophoto_png:
         generate_png(orthophoto_file)