diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f0b1ce4..739849f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import vcr
 my_vcr = vcr.VCR(
     serializer = 'json',
     cassette_library_dir = 'fixtures/cassettes',
+    record_mode = 'once',
 )
 
 with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.json'):
@@ -61,12 +62,53 @@ with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.json'):
 Otherwise, you can override options each time you use a cassette.  
 
 ```python
-with vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', serializer='json'):
+with vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', serializer='json', record_mode='once'):
     # your http code here
 ```
 
 Note: Per-cassette overrides take precedence over the global config.
 
+## Record Modes
+VCR supports 4 record modes (with the same behavior as Ruby's VCR):
+
+### once
+
+ * Replay previously recorded interactions.
+ * Record new interactions if there is no cassette file.
+ * Cause an error to be raised for new requests if there is a cassette file.
+ 
+It is similar to the :new_episodes record mode, but will prevent new,
+unexpected requests from being made (i.e. because the request URI
+changed).
+
+once is the default record mode, used when you do not set one.
+
+### new_episodes
+
+* Record new interactions.
+* Replay previously recorded interactions.
+It is similar to the once record mode, but will always record new
+interactions, even if you have an existing recorded one that is similar,
+but not identical.
+
+This was the default behavior in versions < 0.3.0
+
+### none
+
+* Replay previously recorded interactions.
+* Cause an error to be raised for any new requests.
+This is useful when your code makes potentially dangerous
+HTTP requests. The none record mode guarantees that no
+new HTTP requests will be made.
+
+### all
+
+* Record new interactions.
+* Never replay previously recorded interactions.
+This can be temporarily used to force VCR to re-record
+a cassette (i.e. to ensure the responses are not out of date)
+or can be used when you simply want to log all HTTP requests.
+
 ## Advanced Features
 
 If you want, VCR.py can return information about the cassette it is
@@ -159,6 +201,16 @@ This library is a work in progress, so the API might change on you.
 There are probably some [bugs](https://github.com/kevin1024/vcrpy/issues?labels=bug&page=1&state=open) floating around too.
 
 ##Changelog
+* 0.3.0: *Backwards incompatible release* - Added support for record
+  modes, and changed the default recording behavior to the "once" record
+  mode.  Please see the documentation on record modes for more.  Also,
+  improved the httplib mocking to add support for the `HTTPConnection.send()`
+  method.  This means that requests won't actually be sent until the
+  response is read, since I need to record the entire request in order
+  to match up the appropriate response.  I don't think this should cause
+  any issues unless you are sending requests without ever loading the
+  response (which none of the standard httplib wrappers do, as far as I
+  know.
 * 0.2.1: Fixed missing modules in setup.py
 * 0.2.0: Added configuration API, which lets you configure some settings
   on VCR (see the README). Also, VCR no longer saves cassettes if they
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9f3a584..d626dec 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class PyTest(TestCommand):
         sys.exit(errno)
 
 setup(name='vcrpy',
-      version='0.2.1',
+      version='0.3.0',
       description="A Python port of Ruby's VCR to make mocking HTTP easier",
       author='Kevin McCarthy',
       author_email='me@kevinmccarthy.org',
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_disksaver.py b/tests/integration/test_disksaver.py
index bb13457..c0a4c3a 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_disksaver.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_disksaver.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def test_disk_saver_write(tmpdir):
     # the mtime doesn't change
     time.sleep(1)
 
-    with vcr.use_cassette(fname) as cass:
+    with vcr.use_cassette(fname, record_mode='any') as cass:
         urllib2.urlopen('http://www.iana.org/domains/reserved').read()
         urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
         assert cass.play_count == 1
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_record_mode.py b/tests/integration/test_record_mode.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7217908
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/test_record_mode.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import os
+import urllib2
+import pytest
+import vcr
+
+
+def test_once_record_mode(tmpdir):
+    testfile = str(tmpdir.join('recordmode.yml'))
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="once"):
+        # cassette file doesn't exist, so create.
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="once") as cass:
+        # make the same request again
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+        # the first time, it's played from the cassette.
+        # but, try to access something else from the same cassette, and an
+        # exception is raised.
+        with pytest.raises(Exception):
+            response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/get').read()
+
+
+def test_new_episodes_record_mode(tmpdir):
+    testfile = str(tmpdir.join('recordmode.yml'))
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="new_episodes"):
+        # cassette file doesn't exist, so create.
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="new_episodes") as cass:
+        # make the same request again
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+        # in the "new_episodes" record mode, we can add more requests to
+        # a cassette without repurcussions.
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/get').read()
+
+        # the first interaction was not re-recorded, but the second was added
+        assert cass.play_count == 1
+
+
+def test_all_record_mode(tmpdir):
+    testfile = str(tmpdir.join('recordmode.yml'))
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="all"):
+        # cassette file doesn't exist, so create.
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="all") as cass:
+        # make the same request again
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+        # in the "all" record mode, we can add more requests to
+        # a cassette without repurcussions.
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/get').read()
+
+        # The cassette was never actually played, even though it existed.
+        # that's because, in "all" mode, the requests all go directly to
+        # the source and bypass the cassette.
+        assert cass.play_count == 0
+
+
+def test_none_record_mode(tmpdir):
+    # Cassette file doesn't exist, yet we are trying to make a request.
+    # raise hell.
+    testfile = str(tmpdir.join('recordmode.yml'))
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="none"):
+        with pytest.raises(Exception):
+            response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+
+def test_none_record_mode_with_existing_cassette(tmpdir):
+    # create a cassette file
+    testfile = str(tmpdir.join('recordmode.yml'))
+
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="all"):
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+
+    # play from cassette file
+    with vcr.use_cassette(testfile, record_mode="none") as cass:
+        response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/').read()
+        assert cass.play_count == 1
+        # but if I try to hit the net, raise an exception.
+        with pytest.raises(Exception):
+            response = urllib2.urlopen('http://httpbin.org/get').read()
diff --git a/vcr/cassette.py b/vcr/cassette.py
index 271f7be..ded9936 100644
--- a/vcr/cassette.py
+++ b/vcr/cassette.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from .serializers import yamlserializer
 
 class Cassette(object):
     '''A container for recorded requests and responses'''
+
     @classmethod
     def load(cls, path, **kwargs):
         '''Load in the cassette stored at the provided path'''
@@ -21,12 +22,13 @@ class Cassette(object):
         new_cassette._load()
         return new_cassette
 
-    def __init__(self, path, serializer=yamlserializer):
+    def __init__(self, path, serializer=yamlserializer, record_mode='once'):
         self._path = path
         self._serializer = serializer
         self.data = OrderedDict()
         self.play_counts = Counter()
         self.dirty = False
+        self.record_mode = record_mode
 
     @property
     def play_count(self):
@@ -40,6 +42,20 @@ class Cassette(object):
     def responses(self):
         return self.data.values()
 
+    @property
+    def rewound(self):
+        """
+        If the cassette has already been recorded in another session, and has
+        been loaded again fresh from disk, it has been "rewound".  This means
+        that it should be write-only, depending on the record mode specified
+        """
+        return not self.dirty and self.play_count
+
+    @property
+    def write_protected(self):
+        return self.rewound and self.record_mode == 'once' or \
+            self.record_mode == 'none'
+
     def mark_played(self, request):
         '''
         Alert the cassette of a request that's been played
diff --git a/vcr/config.py b/vcr/config.py
index ee97c47..2c47eea 100644
--- a/vcr/config.py
+++ b/vcr/config.py
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ from .serializers import yamlserializer, jsonserializer
 
 
 class VCR(object):
-    def __init__(self, serializer='yaml', cassette_library_dir=None):
+    def __init__(self,
+                 serializer='yaml',
+                 cassette_library_dir=None,
+                 record_mode="once"):
         self.serializer = serializer
         self.cassette_library_dir = cassette_library_dir
         self.serializers = {
             'yaml': yamlserializer,
             'json': jsonserializer,
         }
+        self.record_mode = record_mode
 
     def _get_serializer(self, serializer_name):
         try:
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ class VCR(object):
 
         merged_config = {
             "serializer": self._get_serializer(serializer_name),
+            "record_mode": kwargs.get('record_mode', self.record_mode),
         }
 
         return Cassette.load(path, **merged_config)
diff --git a/vcr/stubs/__init__.py b/vcr/stubs/__init__.py
index b6f7f7d..6510ce9 100644
--- a/vcr/stubs/__init__.py
+++ b/vcr/stubs/__init__.py
@@ -142,13 +142,17 @@ class VCRConnectionMixin:
         '''Retrieve a the response'''
         # Check to see if the cassette has a response for this request. If so,
         # then return it
-        if self._vcr_request in self.cassette:
+        if self._vcr_request in self.cassette and \
+                self.cassette.record_mode != "all":
             response = self.cassette.response_of(self._vcr_request)
             # Alert the cassette to the fact that we've served another
             # response for the provided requests
             self.cassette.mark_played(self._vcr_request)
             return VCRHTTPResponse(response)
         else:
+            if self.cassette.write_protected:
+                raise Exception("cassette is write protected")
+
             # Otherwise, we should send the request, then get the response
             # and return it.