diff --git a/public/templates/admin/settings.tpl b/public/templates/admin/settings.tpl
index 5d022cf19c..66343f3acb 100644
--- a/public/templates/admin/settings.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/admin/settings.tpl
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@
 <form>
 	<h3>User Settings</h3>
 	<div class="alert alert-warning">
+		<div class="checkbox">
+			<label>
+				<input type="checkbox" data-field="allowRegistration" checked> <strong>Allow registration</strong>
+			</label>
+		</div>
 		<strong>Minimum Username Length</strong><br />
 		<input type="text" class="form-control" value="2" data-field="minimumUsernameLength"><br />
 		<strong>Maximum Username Length</strong><br />
diff --git a/public/templates/header.tpl b/public/templates/header.tpl
index 6a3418a63b..dc9d851adb 100644
--- a/public/templates/header.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/header.tpl
@@ -112,9 +112,11 @@
 				</ul>
 
 				<ul id="logged-out-menu" class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right">
+					<!-- IF allowRegistration -->
 					<li class="visible-lg visible-md visible-sm">
 						<a href="/register">[[global:register]]</a>
 					</li>
+					<!-- ENDIF allowRegistration -->
 					<li class="visible-lg visible-md visible-sm">
 						<a href="/login">[[global:login]]</a>
 					</li>
diff --git a/src/routes/api.js b/src/routes/api.js
index fe6589140e..c8a36b16af 100644
--- a/src/routes/api.js
+++ b/src/routes/api.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ var path = require('path'),
 				config.maximumSignatureLength = meta.config.maximumSignatureLength;
 				config.useOutgoingLinksPage = meta.config.useOutgoingLinksPage;
 				config.allowGuestPosting = meta.config.allowGuestPosting;
+				config.allowRegistration = meta.config.allowRegistration || '1';
 				config.emailSetup = !!meta.config['email:from'];
 
 				res.json(200, config);
diff --git a/src/routes/authentication.js b/src/routes/authentication.js
index 759f8f20de..c731c9952f 100644
--- a/src/routes/authentication.js
+++ b/src/routes/authentication.js
@@ -193,6 +193,10 @@
 		});
 
 		app.post('/register', function(req, res) {
+			if(parseInt(meta.config.allowRegistration, 10) === 0) {
+				return res.send(403);
+			}
+
 			user.create(req.body.username, req.body.password, req.body.email, function(err, uid) {
 				if (err === null && uid) {
 					req.login({
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index 86559848a9..f3ecce7ac4 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ var path = require('path'),
 					link_tags: linkTags,
 					clientScripts: clientScripts,
 					navigation: custom_header.navigation,
-					'cache-buster': meta.config['cache-buster'] ? '?v=' + meta.config['cache-buster'] : ''
+					'cache-buster': meta.config['cache-buster'] ? '?v=' + meta.config['cache-buster'] : '',
+					allowRegistration: parseInt(meta.config.allowRegistration, 10) === 1
 				};
 
 			var uid = '0';
@@ -389,6 +390,8 @@ var path = require('path'),
 							res.redirect('/user/' + userslug);
 						});
 						return;
+					} else if(route === 'register' && parseInt(meta.config.allowRegistration, 10) === 0) {
+						return res.redirect('/403');
 					} else if (loginRequired.indexOf(route) !== -1 && !req.user) {
 						return res.redirect('/403');
 					}