diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_board.php b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_board.php
index 322e1c55d8..aed27d7122 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_board.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_board.php
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ class acp_board
 						'load_online_time'	=> array('lang' => 'ONLINE_LENGTH',		'validate' => 'int:0',	'type' => 'text:4:3', 'explain' => true, 'append' => ' ' . $user->lang['MINUTES']),
 
 						'legend2'				=> 'GENERAL_OPTIONS',
+						'load_notifications'	=> array('lang' => 'LOAD_NOTIFICATIONS',	'validate' => 'bool',	'type' => 'radio:yes_no', 'explain' => true),
 						'load_db_track'			=> array('lang' => 'YES_POST_MARKING',		'validate' => 'bool',	'type' => 'radio:yes_no', 'explain' => true),
 						'load_db_lastread'		=> array('lang' => 'YES_READ_MARKING',		'validate' => 'bool',	'type' => 'radio:yes_no', 'explain' => true),
 						'load_anon_lastread'	=> array('lang' => 'YES_ANON_READ_MARKING',	'validate' => 'bool',	'type' => 'radio:yes_no', 'explain' => true),
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions.php b/phpBB/includes/functions.php
index 9513c6919f..795bfb77bf 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions.php
@@ -4993,13 +4993,17 @@ function page_header($page_title = '', $display_online_list = true, $item_id = 0
 	}
 
 	// Output the notifications
-	$notifications = $phpbb_notifications->load_notifications(array(
-		'all_unread'	=> true,
-		'limit'			=> 5,
-	));
-	foreach ($notifications['notifications'] as $notification)
+	if ($config['load_notifications'])
 	{
-		$template->assign_block_vars('notifications', $notification->prepare_for_display());
+		$notifications = $phpbb_notifications->load_notifications(array(
+			'all_unread'	=> true,
+			'limit'			=> 5,
+		));
+
+		foreach ($notifications['notifications'] as $notification)
+		{
+			$template->assign_block_vars('notifications', $notification->prepare_for_display());
+		}
 	}
 
 	// The following assigns all _common_ variables that may be used at any point in a template.
@@ -5016,8 +5020,9 @@ function page_header($page_title = '', $display_online_list = true, $item_id = 0
 		'RECORD_USERS'					=> $l_online_record,
 		'PRIVATE_MESSAGE_INFO'			=> $l_privmsgs_text,
 		'PRIVATE_MESSAGE_INFO_UNREAD'	=> $l_privmsgs_text_unread,
-		'UNREAD_NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT'	=> $notifications['unread_count'],
-		'NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT'			=> $user->lang('NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT', $notifications['unread_count']),
+		'UNREAD_NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT'	=> ($config['load_notifications']) ? $notifications['unread_count'] : '',
+		'NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT'			=> ($config['load_notifications']) ? $user->lang('NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT', $notifications['unread_count']) : '',
+		'S_NOTIFICATIONS_DISPLAY'		=> $config['load_notifications'],
 
 		'S_USER_NEW_PRIVMSG'			=> $user->data['user_new_privmsg'],
 		'S_USER_UNREAD_PRIVMSG'			=> $user->data['user_unread_privmsg'],
diff --git a/phpBB/install/database_update.php b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
index b3a1213bb1..9cb0785c89 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/database_update.php
+++ b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
@@ -2746,6 +2746,11 @@ function change_database_data(&$no_updates, $version)
 				$config->set('site_home_text', '');
 			}
 
+			if (!isset($config['load_notifications']))
+			{
+				$config->set('load_notifications', 1);
+			}
+
 		break;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/schema_data.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/schema_data.sql
index dbb5fd7481..0d47f4995e 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/schema_data.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/schema_data.sql
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_jquery_cdn',
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_jquery_url', '//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.2/jquery.min.js');
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_jumpbox', '1');
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_moderators', '1');
+INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_notifications', '1');
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_online', '1');
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_online_guests', '1');
 INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('load_online_time', '5');
diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php b/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
index 5eb10d50b3..0096a84878 100644
--- a/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
+++ b/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
@@ -250,6 +250,8 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	'IP'					=> 'User IP',
 	'IP_HOSTNAME'			=> 'IP addresses or hostnames',
 
+	'LOAD_NOTIFICATIONS'			=> 'Display Notifications',
+	'LOAD_NOTIFICATIONS_EXPLAIN'	=> 'Display the notifications list on every page (typically in the header).',
 	'LOGGED_IN_AS'			=> 'You are logged in as:',
 	'LOGIN_ADMIN'			=> 'To administer the board you must be an authenticated user.',
 	'LOGIN_ADMIN_CONFIRM'	=> 'To administer the board you must re-authenticate yourself.',
diff --git a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html
index 690caea36b..2f789f3f2c 100644
--- a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html
+++ b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
 
 			<!-- IF not S_IS_BOT and S_USER_LOGGED_IN -->
 			<ul class="linklist leftside">
+				<!-- IF S_NOTIFICATIONS_DISPLAY -->
 				<li>
 					[ <a href="#" id="notification_list_button" title="{NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT}">{NOTIFICATIONS_COUNT}</a> ] &bull;
 					<div id="notification_list">
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@
 						</ul>
 					</div>
 				</li>
+				<!-- ENDIF -->
 				<li class="icon-ucp">
 					<a href="{U_PROFILE}" title="{L_PROFILE}" accesskey="e">{L_PROFILE}</a>
 					<!-- IF S_DISPLAY_SEARCH --> &bull;