diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
index 8ff1e023d..65fe4dbb8 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
@@ -242,12 +242,19 @@ class Reddit(Templated):
             no_ads_yet = False
 
         if self.submit_box and (c.user_is_loggedin or not g.read_only_mode):
-            ps.append(SideBox(_('Submit a link'),
-                              '/submit', 'submit',
-                              sr_path = (isinstance(c.site,DefaultSR)
-                                         or not isinstance(c.site, FakeSubreddit)),
-                              subtitles = [strings.submit_box_text],
-                              show_cover = True))
+            kwargs = {
+                "title": _("Submit a link"),
+                "css_class": "submit",
+                "show_cover": True
+            }
+            if not c.user_is_loggedin or c.site.can_submit(c.user) or isinstance(c.site, FakeSubreddit):
+                kwargs["link"] = "/submit"
+                kwargs["sr_path"] = isinstance(c.site, DefaultSR) or not isinstance(c.site, FakeSubreddit),
+                kwargs["subtitles"] = [strings.submit_box_text]
+            else:
+                kwargs["disabled"] = True
+                kwargs["subtitles"] = [strings.submit_box_restricted_text]
+            ps.append(SideBox(**kwargs))
 
         if self.create_reddit_box and c.user_is_loggedin:
             delta = datetime.datetime.now(g.tz) - c.user._date
@@ -523,12 +530,13 @@ class SideBox(CachedTemplate):
     """
     Generic sidebox used to generate the 'submit' and 'create a reddit' boxes.
     """
-    def __init__(self, title, link, css_class='', subtitles = [],
-                 show_cover = False, nocname=False, sr_path = False):
+    def __init__(self, title, link=None, css_class='', subtitles = [],
+                 show_cover = False, nocname=False, sr_path = False, disabled=False):
         CachedTemplate.__init__(self, link = link, target = '_top',
                            title = title, css_class = css_class,
                            sr_path = sr_path, subtitles = subtitles,
-                           show_cover = show_cover, nocname=nocname)
+                           show_cover = show_cover, nocname=nocname,
+                           disabled=disabled)
 
 
 class PrefsPage(Reddit):
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/strings.py b/r2/r2/lib/strings.py
index 98c178228..736223133 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/strings.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/strings.py
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ string_dict = dict(
         unknown_rule_type = _('unknown CSS rule type "%(ruletype)s"')
     ),
     submit_box_text = _('to anything interesting: news article, blog entry, video, picture...'),
+    submit_box_restricted_text = _('submission in this subreddit is restricted to approved submitters.'),
     permalink_title = _("%(author)s comments on %(title)s"),
     link_info_title = _("%(title)s : %(site)s"),
     banned_subreddit = _("""**this reddit has been banned**\n\nmost likely this was done automatically by our spam filtering program. the program is still learning, and may even have some bugs, so if you feel the ban was a mistake, please submit a link to our [request a reddit listing](%(link)s) and be sure to include the **exact name of the reddit**."""),
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css b/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
index 35b2077d5..5418f3601 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
@@ -448,6 +448,24 @@ ul.flat-vert {text-align: left;}
     background-image: url(../gradient-nub-hover.png);  /* SPRITE */
 }
 
+.disabled .morelink, .disabled .morelink:hover {
+    background-image: url(../gradient-button-gray.png);  /* SPRITE stretch-x */
+    border-color: #dadada;
+}
+
+.disabled .morelink a {
+    cursor: default;
+    color: #aaa;
+}
+
+.disabled .morelink .nub, .disabled .morelink:hover .nub {
+    background-image: url(../gradient-nub-gray.png);  /* SPRITE */
+}
+
+.sidebox.submit.disabled .spacer a {
+    opacity: .5;
+}
+
 /* raised box */
 
 .raisedbox {
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-button-gray.png b/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-button-gray.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9390fd730
Binary files /dev/null and b/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-button-gray.png differ
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-nub-gray.png b/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-nub-gray.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..26a594a21
Binary files /dev/null and b/r2/r2/public/static/gradient-nub-gray.png differ
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/sidebox.html b/r2/r2/templates/sidebox.html
index 7ed26da48..edde9c5d9 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/sidebox.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/sidebox.html
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 <%namespace file="utils.html" import="plain_link"/>
 
-<div class="sidebox ${thing.css_class}">
+<div class="sidebox ${thing.css_class}${' disabled' if thing.disabled else ''}">
   <div class="morelink">
     ${plain_link(thing.title, thing.link, _sr_path=thing.sr_path,
                  _class='login-required' if thing.show_cover else None, nocname=thing.nocname)}
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/utils.html b/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
index 8fb8f3ad9..a831f3903 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ ${first_defined(kw[1:])}
          kw['target'] = target
 
      link = _a_buffered(link_text, 
-                        href=add_sr(path, sr_path=_sr_path, nocname=nocname), 
+                        href=path and add_sr(path, sr_path=_sr_path, nocname=nocname),
                         **kw) 
   %>