diff --git a/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py b/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
index 3cf20b6ca..abc896baa 100644
--- a/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
+++ b/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
@@ -167,9 +167,13 @@ class LastGenrePlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
             # The "write to files" option corresponds to the
             # import_write config value.
             write = config['import']['write'].get(bool)
+            source = self.config['source'].get()
             for album in lib.albums(ui.decargs(args)):
                 tags = []    
-                lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_album(album.albumartist, album.album)
+                if source is 'artist':
+                    lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_artist(album.albumartist)
+                else:
+                    lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_album(album.albumartist, album.album)
                 if album.genre:
                     tags.append(album.genre)
 
@@ -191,15 +195,22 @@ class LastGenrePlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
         return [lastgenre_cmd]
 
     def imported(self, session, task):
+        source = self.config['source'].get()
         tags = []
         if task.is_album:
             album = session.lib.get_album(task.album_id)
-            lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_album(album.albumartist, album.album)
+            if source is 'artist':
+                lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_artist(album.albumartist)
+            else:
+                lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_album(album.albumartist, album.album)
             if album.genre:
                 tags.append(album.genre)
         else:
             item = task.item
-            lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_track(item.artist, item.title)
+            if source is 'artist':
+                lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_artist(item.artist)
+            else:
+                lastfm_obj = LASTFM.get_track(item.artist, item.title)
             if item.genre:
                 tags.append(item.genre)
 
diff --git a/docs/plugins/lastgenre.rst b/docs/plugins/lastgenre.rst
index b8df9eed6..4b44bfb41 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/lastgenre.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins/lastgenre.rst
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ to use your own tree.
 .. _YAML: http://www.yaml.org/
 .. _pyyaml: http://pyyaml.org/
 
+Genre Source
+------------
+
+When looking up genres for albums, you may specify whether you want to retrieve
+the genre from the album, or from the artist by setting the ``source``
+configuration value::
+
+    lastgenre:
+        source: artist
+
+Currently the only available option is 'artist', any other value for ``source``
+will default to retrieving genres from the album.
 
 Running Manually
 ----------------