diff --git a/app/views/shared/_invitations.haml b/app/views/shared/_invitations.haml
index cd737eb29..5f08b4559 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_invitations.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/_invitations.haml
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
--if invites > 0
-  = link_to t('.invite_someone'), "#invite_user_pane", :class => "invite_user_button", :title => t('.invite_someone')
-  = t('.invitations_left', :count => invites) 
-  %br
-  .yo{ :style => "display:none;"}
-    #invite_user_pane
-      = render "invitations/new"
-- else
-  = t('.dont_have_now')
+- if APP_CONFIG[:invites_off]
+  = t('.invites_closed')
+-else
+  -if invites > 0
+    = link_to t('.invite_someone'), "#invite_user_pane", :class => "invite_user_button", :title => t('.invite_someone')
+    = t('.invitations_left', :count => invites) 
+    %br
+    .yo{ :style => "display:none;"}
+      #invite_user_pane
+        = render "invitations/new"
+  - else
+    = t('.dont_have_now')
 
diff --git a/config/app_config.yml.example b/config/app_config.yml.example
index ebc90d56e..21d7b6e61 100644
--- a/config/app_config.yml.example
+++ b/config/app_config.yml.example
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ default:
   #cloudfiles username and api-key, used for backups
   cloudfiles_username: 'example'
   cloudfiles_api_key:  'abc123'
-
+  invites_off: true
 
 development:
 
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index 5ab9a9400..3c676fe99 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ en:
           invite_someone: "Invite someone"
           invitations_left: "(%{count} left)"
           dont_have_now: "You don't have any right now, but more invites are coming soon!"
+          invites_closed: "Invites are currently closed on this Diaspora seed"
       reshare:
           reshare: "Reshare"
       public_explain: