diff --git a/lib/persona.js b/lib/persona.js
index aa4a5bb..1f3ff90 100644
--- a/lib/persona.js
+++ b/lib/persona.js
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 		require(['pulling', 'storage'], function (Pulling, Storage) {
 			// initialization
 
-			var guest = !app.user || !parseInt(app.user.uid, 10);
+			var chatMenuVisible = !config.disableChat && app.user && parseInt(app.user.uid, 10);
 			var swapped = !!Storage.getItem('persona:menus:legacy-layout');
 			var margin = window.innerWidth;
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 			$('#menu').removeClass('hidden');
 
 			var chatsSlideout;
-			if (!guest) {
+			if (chatMenuVisible) {
 				chatsSlideout = Pulling.create({
 					panel: document.getElementById('panel'),
 					menu: document.getElementById('chats-menu'),
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 					$('#panel').one('click', closeOnClick);
 				});
 
-			if (!guest) {
+			if (chatMenuVisible) {
 				chatsSlideout
 					.ignore('code, code *, .preventSlideout, .preventSlideout *')
 					.on('closed', onClose)
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 
 			navSlideout.on('opened', loadNotifications);
 
-			if (!guest) {
+			if (chatMenuVisible) {
 				navSlideout.on('beforeopen', function () {
 					chatsSlideout.close();
 					chatsSlideout.disable();
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 				});
 			}
 
-			if (!guest) {
+			if (chatMenuVisible) {
 				$('#mobile-chats').removeClass('hidden').on('click', function() {
 					navSlideout.close();
 					chatsSlideout.enable().toggle();