diff --git a/extensions/markdown/extend.php b/extensions/markdown/extend.php
index 33baf0a84..77ba694a1 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown/extend.php
+++ b/extensions/markdown/extend.php
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ use Flarum\Extend;
 use s9e\TextFormatter\Configurator;
 
 return [
+    (new Extend\Frontend('admin'))
+        ->js(__DIR__.'/js/dist/admin.js'),
+
     (new Extend\Frontend('forum'))
         ->js(__DIR__.'/js/dist/forum.js')
         ->css(__DIR__.'/less/forum.less'),
@@ -24,5 +27,7 @@ return [
             $config->tags['ispoiler']->template = '<span class="spoiler" data-s9e-livepreview-ignore-attrs="class" onclick="removeAttribute(\'class\')"><xsl:apply-templates/></span>';
         }),
 
-    new Extend\Locales(__DIR__.'/locale')
+    new Extend\Locales(__DIR__.'/locale'),
+
+    (new Extend\Settings)->serializeToForum('flarum-markdown.mdarea', 'flarum-markdown.mdarea', 'boolval', true)
 ];
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/admin.js b/extensions/markdown/js/admin.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3e69ff3b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/markdown/js/admin.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export * from './src/admin';
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/forum.js b/extensions/markdown/js/forum.js
index cc78f6edc..facb26fab 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown/js/forum.js
+++ b/extensions/markdown/js/forum.js
@@ -1,10 +1 @@
-/*
- * This file is part of Flarum.
- *
- * (c) Toby Zerner <toby.zerner@gmail.com>
- *
- * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
- * file that was distributed with this source code.
- */
-
 export * from './src/forum';
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/src/admin/index.js b/extensions/markdown/js/src/admin/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c312dfc22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/markdown/js/src/admin/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import app from 'flarum/app';
+
+app.initializers.add('flarum-markdown', () => {
+    app.extensionData
+        .for('flarum-markdown')
+        .registerSetting({
+            setting: 'flarum-markdown.mdarea',
+            type: 'boolean',
+            help: app.translator.trans('flarum-markdown.admin.settings.mdarea_help'),
+            label: app.translator.trans('flarum-markdown.admin.settings.mdarea_label')
+        });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/index.js b/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/index.js
index 95057ff08..2a11b82d3 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/index.js
+++ b/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/index.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import TextEditor from 'flarum/components/TextEditor';
 
 import MarkdownToolbar from './components/MarkdownToolbar';
 import MarkdownButton from './components/MarkdownButton';
-import MarkdownAreaEditorDriver from './util/MarkdownAreaEditorDriver';
+import MarkdownEditorDriver from './util/MarkdownEditorDriver';
 
 let shortcutHandler = () => { };
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ app.initializers.add('flarum-markdown', function (app) {
   });
 
   override(TextEditor.prototype, 'buildEditor', function (_, dom) {
-    return new MarkdownAreaEditorDriver(dom, this.buildEditorParams());
+    return new MarkdownEditorDriver(dom, this.buildEditorParams());
   });
 
   extend(TextEditor.prototype, 'buildEditorParams', function (params) {
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownAreaEditorDriver.js b/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownAreaEditorDriver.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e3fc288f4..000000000
--- a/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownAreaEditorDriver.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,88 +0,0 @@
-import MarkdownArea from 'mdarea';
-import BasicEditorDriver from 'flarum/utils/BasicEditorDriver';
-
-export class MarkdownEditorFlarumExtension {
-  constructor(oninput, callInputListeners, onsubmit) {
-    this.oninput = oninput;
-    this.callInputListeners = callInputListeners;
-    this.onsubmit = onsubmit;
-  }
-
-  handleKey(
-    prefix,
-    selection,
-    postfix,
-    evt
-  ) {
-    // setTimeout executes after the call stack has cleared,
-    // so any DOM changes originating from mdarea (e.g. executing an undo)
-    // will be finished by then. At that time, `e.target.value` will represent
-    // the updated value of the textarea in response to the keypress.
-    // Unfortunately, this doesn't work without a value for mobile safari,
-    // so we need to set 25ms as an arbitrary timeout.
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      this.oninput(evt.target.value);
-
-      if ((evt.metaKey || evt.ctrlKey) && evt.key === 'Enter') {
-        return this.onsubmit();
-      }
-
-      this.callInputListeners(evt);
-    }, 25);
-  }
-}
-
-export default class MarkdownAreaEditorDriver extends BasicEditorDriver {
-  build(dom, params) {
-    this.el.className = params.classNames.join(' ');
-    this.el.disabled = params.disabled;
-    this.el.placeholder = params.placeholder;
-    this.el.value = params.value;
-    this.el.id = params.textareaId;
-
-    dom.append(this.el);
-
-    const callInputListeners = (e) => {
-      params.inputListeners.forEach((listener) => {
-        listener();
-      });
-
-      e.redraw = false;
-    };
-
-    // We can't bind shortcutHandler directly in case `build`
-    // runs before MarkdownToolbar's `oninit`.
-    this.el.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
-      return params.shortcutHandler(...arguments);
-    });
-
-    // Our mdarea extension won't detect programmatic changes via
-    // the `app.composer.editor api.
-    this.el.addEventListener('input', function (e) {
-      if (e instanceof CustomEvent) {
-        params.oninput(e.target.value);
-        callInputListeners(e);
-      }
-    });
-
-    // This one can't be run through mdarea, but that doesn't matter
-    // because mdarea doesn't change value in response to clicks.
-    this.el.addEventListener('click', callInputListeners);
-
-    this.mdarea = new MarkdownArea(this.el, {
-      keyMap: {
-        indent: ['Ctrl+m'],
-        outdent: ['Ctrl+M'],
-        inline: []
-      },
-      extensions: [
-        new MarkdownEditorFlarumExtension(params.oninput, callInputListeners, params.onsubmit)
-      ]
-    });
-  }
-
-  destroy() {
-    this.mdarea.destroy();
-    super.destroy();
-  }
-}
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownEditorDriver.js b/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownEditorDriver.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a13621ccd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/markdown/js/src/forum/util/MarkdownEditorDriver.js
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import MarkdownArea from 'mdarea';
+import BasicEditorDriver from 'flarum/utils/BasicEditorDriver';
+
+export class MarkdownEditorFlarumExtension {
+  constructor(oninput, callInputListeners, onsubmit) {
+    this.oninput = oninput;
+    this.callInputListeners = callInputListeners;
+    this.onsubmit = onsubmit;
+  }
+
+  handleKey(
+    prefix,
+    selection,
+    postfix,
+    evt
+  ) {
+    // setTimeout executes after the call stack has cleared,
+    // so any DOM changes originating from mdarea (e.g. executing an undo)
+    // will be finished by then. At that time, `e.target.value` will represent
+    // the updated value of the textarea in response to the keypress.
+    // Unfortunately, this doesn't work without a value for mobile safari,
+    // so we need to set 25ms as an arbitrary timeout.
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      this.oninput(evt.target.value);
+
+      if ((evt.metaKey || evt.ctrlKey) && evt.key === 'Enter') {
+        return this.onsubmit();
+      }
+
+      this.callInputListeners(evt);
+    }, 25);
+  }
+}
+
+export default class MarkdownEditorDriver extends BasicEditorDriver {
+  build(dom, params) {
+    if (app.forum.attribute('flarum-markdown.mdarea')) {
+      this.el.className = params.classNames.join(' ');
+      this.el.disabled = params.disabled;
+      this.el.placeholder = params.placeholder;
+      this.el.value = params.value;
+
+      dom.append(this.el);
+
+      const callInputListeners = (e) => {
+        params.inputListeners.forEach((listener) => {
+          listener();
+        });
+
+        e.redraw = false;
+      };
+
+      // Our mdarea extension won't detect programmatic changes via
+      // the `app.composer.editor api.
+      this.el.addEventListener('input', function (e) {
+        if (e instanceof CustomEvent) {
+          params.oninput(e.target.value);
+          callInputListeners(e);
+        }
+      });
+
+      // This one can't be run through mdarea, but that doesn't matter
+      // because mdarea doesn't change value in response to clicks.
+      this.el.addEventListener('click', callInputListeners);
+
+      this.mdarea = new MarkdownArea(this.el, {
+        keyMap: {
+          indent: ['Ctrl+m'],
+          outdent: ['Ctrl+M'],
+          inline: []
+        },
+        extensions: [
+          new MarkdownEditorFlarumExtension(params.oninput, callInputListeners, params.onsubmit)
+        ]
+      });
+    } else {
+      super.build(dom, params);
+    }
+    this.el.id = params.textareaId;
+
+    // We can't bind shortcutHandler directly in case `build`
+    // runs before MarkdownToolbar's `oninit`.
+    this.el.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
+      return params.shortcutHandler(...arguments);
+    });
+  }
+
+  destroy() {
+    if (app.forum.attribute('flarum-markdown.mdarea')) {
+      this.mdarea.destroy();
+    }
+    super.destroy();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/locale/en.yml b/extensions/markdown/locale/en.yml
index dd4ad1666..802de9e1f 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown/locale/en.yml
+++ b/extensions/markdown/locale/en.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 flarum-markdown:
+  admin:
+    settings:
+      mdarea_help: mdarea is a textarea util that auto-continues lists, helps with code formatting, and assists with indentation.
+      mdarea_label: Enable mdarea?
 
-  ##
-  # UNIQUE KEYS - The following keys are used in only one location each.
-  ##
-
-  # Translations in this namespace are used by the forum user interface.
   forum:
-
-    # These translations are used by the composer (emoji autocompletion function).
     composer:
       bold_tooltip: Add bold text
       code_tooltip: Insert code
diff --git a/extensions/markdown/migrations/2021_03_25_000000_default_settings.php b/extensions/markdown/migrations/2021_03_25_000000_default_settings.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..261b2faa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/markdown/migrations/2021_03_25_000000_default_settings.php
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Flarum.
+ *
+ * For detailed copyright and license information, please view the
+ * LICENSE file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+use Flarum\Database\Migration;
+
+return Migration::addSettings([
+    'flarum-markdown.mdarea' => true
+]);