diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index 0d7dfb072..748e7f3b3 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -2006,13 +2006,17 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
         c.user._commit()
         jquery.refresh()
 
-    @validatedForm(VFlairManager(),
-                   VModhash(),
-                   flair_enabled = VBoolean("flair_enabled"),
-                   flair_position = VOneOf("flair_position", ("left", "right")))
-    def POST_flairconfig(self, form, jquery, flair_enabled, flair_position):
+    @validatedForm(
+        VFlairManager(),
+        VModhash(),
+        flair_enabled = VBoolean("flair_enabled"),
+        flair_position = VOneOf("flair_position", ("left", "right")),
+        flair_self_assign_enabled = VBoolean("flair_self_assign_enabled"))
+    def POST_flairconfig(self, form, jquery, flair_enabled, flair_position,
+                         flair_self_assign_enabled):
         c.site.flair_enabled = flair_enabled
         c.site.flair_position = flair_position
+        c.site.flair_self_assign_enabled = flair_self_assign_enabled
         c.site._commit()
         jquery.refresh()
 
@@ -2083,6 +2087,11 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                         flair_template_id, c.site._id)
             return
 
+        if not c.site.flair_self_assign_enabled:
+            # TODO: serve error to client
+            g.log.debug('flair self-assignment not permitted')
+            return
+
         text = flair_template.text
         css_class = flair_template.css_class
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
index 0099b3e60..8e3da9964 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
@@ -2421,7 +2421,8 @@ class FlairPane(Templated):
             self,
             tabs=TabbedPane(tabs),
             flair_enabled=c.site.flair_enabled,
-            flair_position=c.site.flair_position)
+            flair_position=c.site.flair_position,
+            flair_self_assign_enabled=c.site.flair_self_assign_enabled)
 
 class FlairList(Templated):
     """List of users who are tagged with flair within a subreddit."""
@@ -2541,11 +2542,16 @@ class FlairPrefs(CachedTemplate):
         sr_flair_enabled = getattr(c.site, 'flair_enabled', True)
         user_flair_enabled = getattr(c.user, 'flair_%s_enabled' % c.site._id,
                                      True)
+        sr_flair_self_assign_enabled = getattr(
+            c.site, 'flair_self_assign_enabled', True)
         wrapped_user = WrappedUser(c.user, subreddit=c.site,
                                    force_show_flair=True)
-        CachedTemplate.__init__(self, sr_flair_enabled=sr_flair_enabled,
-                                user_flair_enabled=user_flair_enabled,
-                                wrapped_user=wrapped_user)
+        CachedTemplate.__init__(
+            self,
+            sr_flair_enabled=sr_flair_enabled,
+            sr_flair_self_assign_enabled=sr_flair_self_assign_enabled,
+            user_flair_enabled=user_flair_enabled,
+            wrapped_user=wrapped_user)
 
 class FlairSelector(CachedTemplate):
     """Provide user with flair options according to subreddit settings."""
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/subreddit.py b/r2/r2/models/subreddit.py
index 4643a071a..6ed5ca791 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/subreddit.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/subreddit.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class Subreddit(Thing, Printable):
                      link_type = 'any', # one of ('link', 'self', 'any')
                      flair_enabled = True,
                      flair_position = 'right', # one of ('left', 'right')
+                     flair_self_assign_enabled = False,
                      )
     _essentials = ('type', 'name', 'lang')
     _data_int_props = Thing._data_int_props + ('mod_actions', 'reported')
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css b/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
index 1a2d727dc..62056441c 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/css/reddit.css
@@ -688,6 +688,13 @@ ul.flat-vert {text-align: left;}
 
 .flairselector { font-size: x-small; position: absolute; width: 400px; }
 
+.flairselector h2 {
+    background: #cee3f8;
+    padding-bottom: 2px;
+    margin-bottom: 3px;
+    text-align: center;
+}
+
 .flairselector.drop-choices.active {
     border: 1px solid gray;
     display: block;
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/flair.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/flair.js
index a002e3ed0..7302f1aef 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/flair.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/flair.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ $(function() {
                 .css("left",
                      ($(button).position().left + $(button).width() - width)
                      + "px");
-            $(".flairselector li").click(postFlairSelection);
+            $(".flairselector li:not(.error)").click(postFlairSelection);
         }
 
         $(".flairselector").html('<img src="/static/throbber.gif" />');
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/flairpane.html b/r2/r2/templates/flairpane.html
index ba37b52c8..27a164134 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/flairpane.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/flairpane.html
@@ -35,7 +35,20 @@
               checked="checked"
             %endif
             />
-        <label for="sr_flair_enabled">${_("enable user flair in this subreddit")}</label>
+        <label for="sr_flair_enabled">
+            ${_("enable user flair in this subreddit")}
+        </label>
+        <br>
+        <input type="checkbox"
+            id="sr_flair_self_assign_enabled"
+            name="flair_self_assign_enabled"
+            %if thing.flair_self_assign_enabled:
+              checked="checked"
+            %endif
+            />
+        <label for="sr_flair_self_assign_enabled">
+            ${_("allow users to assign their own flair")}
+        </label>
       </%utils:line_field>
       <%utils:line_field title="${_('flair position')}">
         <table class="small-field">
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/flairprefs.html b/r2/r2/templates/flairprefs.html
index 71df07072..18ed1bb0a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/flairprefs.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/flairprefs.html
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@
         >
     ${_("Show my flair on this reddit. It looks like:")}
     <div>${thing.wrapped_user}</div>
-    <a class="flairselectbtn" href="javascript://">select</a>
-    <div class="flairselector drop-choices"></div>
+    %if thing.sr_flair_self_assign_enabled:
+      <a class="flairselectbtn" href="javascript://">select</a>
+      <div class="flairselector drop-choices"></div>
+    %endif
   </form>
 %endif
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/flairselector.html b/r2/r2/templates/flairselector.html
index 4764e7c33..8721d2e73 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/flairselector.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/flairselector.html
@@ -20,15 +20,22 @@
 ## CondeNet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 ################################################################################
 
+<h2>${_("select flair")}</h2>
 <ul>
-  %for choice in thing.choices:
-    <%
-      c = 'flairsample-%s' % thing.position
-      if choice.flair_template_id == thing.matching_template:
-          c += ' selected'
-    %>
-    <li class="${c}" id="${choice.flair_template_id}">
-      ${choice}
+  %if c.site.flair_self_assign_enabled:
+    %for choice in thing.choices:
+      <%
+        li_class = 'flairsample-%s' % thing.position
+        if choice.flair_template_id == thing.matching_template:
+            li_class += ' selected'
+      %>
+      <li class="${li_class}" id="${choice.flair_template_id}">
+        ${choice}
+      </li>
+    %endfor
+  %else:
+    <li class="error">
+      ${_("flair selection unavailable")}
     </li>
-  %endfor
+  %endif
 </ul>