diff --git a/r2/example.ini b/r2/example.ini
index 623dc6655..170f42cf9 100644
--- a/r2/example.ini
+++ b/r2/example.ini
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ INDEXTANK_API_URL =
 
 # -- feature toggles --
 disable_ads = false
+disable_captcha = false
 
 # -- important settings -- 
 # the domain that this app serves itself up as
diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index 0d02a8cee..605065aa6 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 form.has_errors("passwd", errors.BAD_PASSWORD) or
                 form.has_errors("passwd2", errors.BAD_PASSWORD_MATCH) or
                 form.has_errors('ratelimit', errors.RATELIMIT) or
-                form.has_errors('captcha', errors.BAD_CAPTCHA)):
+                (not g.disable_captcha and form.has_errors('captcha', errors.BAD_CAPTCHA))):
 
             user = register(name, password)
             VRatelimit.ratelimit(rate_ip = True, prefix = "rate_register_")
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
index d42fc9c03..cf96ee826 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ class Globals(object):
                   'read_only_mode',
                   'frontpage_dart',
                   'allow_wiki_editing',
+                  'disable_captcha',
                   ]
 
     tuple_props = ['stalecaches',
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/account.py b/r2/r2/models/account.py
index e4fd44f76..c01af4ca5 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/account.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/account.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class Account(Thing):
         return id_time + ',' + sha.new(to_hash).hexdigest()
 
     def needs_captcha(self):
-        return self.link_karma < 1
+        return self.link_karma < 1 and not g.disable_captcha
 
     def modhash(self, rand=None, test=False):
         return modhash(self, rand = rand, test = test)
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/login.html b/r2/r2/templates/login.html
index 2cd0b3c91..339d530a3 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/login.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/login.html
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@
   ${login_panel(login_form, 
                 user_reg = thing.user_reg, user_login = thing.user_login, 
                 dest=thing.dest)}
+  %if not g.disable_captcha:
   <script type="text/javascript">
     $.request("new_captcha");
   </script>
+  %endif
 %endif
 
 <%def name="login_form(register=False, user='', dest='', include_tos=True)">
@@ -101,8 +103,10 @@
           ${error_field("BAD_PASSWORD_MATCH", "passwd2", kind="span")}
         </li>
         <li>
+          %if not g.disable_captcha:
           <% iden = hasattr(thing, "captcha") and thing.captcha.iden or '' %>
           ${captchagen(iden, tabulate=True, label=False, size=30)}
+          %endif
           ${error_field("RATELIMIT", "ratelimit")}
           ${error_field("RATELIMIT", "vdelay")}
         </li>