diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/user.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/user.js.es6
index 757779abe..83c7c4ec9 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/user.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/user.js.es6
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ export default Ember.Controller.extend(CanCheckEmails, {
     return this.get('model.trust_level') > 2 && !this.siteSettings.tl3_links_no_follow;
   }.property('model.trust_level'),
 
-  canSeePrivateMessages: Ember.computed.or('viewingSelf', 'currentUser.admin'),
+  @computed('viewSelf', 'currentUser.admin')
+  canSeePrivateMessages(viewingSelf, isAdmin) {
+    return this.siteSettings.enable_private_messages && (viewingSelf || isAdmin);
+  },
+
   canSeeNotificationHistory: Em.computed.alias('canSeePrivateMessages'),
 
   showBadges: function() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-menu.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-menu.hbs
index fa0b578e6..bba85df8d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-menu.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-menu.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@
       {{/if}}
       <li class='glyphs'>
         {{d-link path=bookmarksPath title="user.bookmarks" icon="bookmark"}}
-        {{d-link path=messagesPath title="user.private_messages" icon="envelope"}}
+        {{log siteSettings}}
+        {{#if siteSettings.enable_private_messages}}
+          {{d-link path=messagesPath title="user.private_messages" icon="envelope"}}
+        {{/if}}
         {{#if showEnableAnon}}
           {{d-link action="toggleAnon" title="switch_to_anon" icon="user-secret"}}
         {{/if}}
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 78f4b7b14..754e067b8 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -374,7 +374,9 @@ posting:
   min_body_similar_length:
     client: true
     default: 15
-  enable_private_messages: true
+  enable_private_messages:
+    default: true
+    client: true
   ninja_edit_window: 300
   post_edit_time_limit: 86400
   edit_history_visible_to_public: