diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
index db400991025f64d0e7eb8294d372b3cf74a03e67..51f2be859630e658b4d63bdbd90a2594a5eb3583 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public final class Config {
 
 	public static final boolean ALWAYS_NOTIFY_BY_DEFAULT = false;
 
+	public static final boolean DISABLE_BAN = false; // disables the ability to ban users from rooms
+
 	public static final int PING_MAX_INTERVAL = 300;
 	public static final int IDLE_PING_INTERVAL = 600; //540 is minimum according to docs;
 	public static final int PING_MIN_INTERVAL = 30;
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConferenceDetailsActivity.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConferenceDetailsActivity.java
index 222c4f57e880b3f1bf89181a9a2e5bc2b6e2c987..784147edfd8b1116f3fcec5ab0ef936f3d6b04bd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConferenceDetailsActivity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConferenceDetailsActivity.java
@@ -378,9 +378,13 @@ public class ConferenceDetailsActivity extends XmppActivity implements OnConvers
 						} else {
 							removeMembership.setVisible(true);
 						}
-						banFromConference.setVisible(true);
+						if (!Config.DISABLE_BAN) {
+							banFromConference.setVisible(true);
+						}
 					} else {
-						removeFromRoom.setVisible(true);
+						if (!Config.DISABLE_BAN || mConversation.getMucOptions().membersOnly()) {
+							removeFromRoom.setVisible(true);
+						}
 					}
 					if (user.getAffiliation() != MucOptions.Affiliation.ADMIN) {
 						giveAdminPrivileges.setVisible(true);