The control of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operating under variable power conditions is important in the development of a commercially applicable device. Fuel cells are conventionally designed for a maximum power output. However variable load cycles can result in fuel cell operation under sub-optimal conditions. In this paper, a simple method of power management using a physical guard is presented. The guard can be used on the anode or cathode electrode, in the membraneless gap or in any combination. This design selectively deactivates specific active regions of the electrode assembly and enables the DMFC to operate at a constant voltage and current density at different absolute power conditions. The guard also serves to control excessive crossover during shutdown and low power operation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.