diff --git a/admin_autoupdate.php b/admin_autoupdate.php
index ddcea413..1632b1e3 100644
--- a/admin_autoupdate.php
+++ b/admin_autoupdate.php
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ if (version_compare("7.4.0", PHP_VERSION, ">=")) {
 	));
 }
 
+// check for webupdate to be enabled
+if (\Froxlor\Settings::Config('enable_webupdate') != true) {
+        \Froxlor\UI\Response::redirectTo($filename, array(
+                'page' => 'error',
+                'errno' => 11
+        ));
+}
+
 // display initial version check
 if ($page == 'overview') {
 
@@ -281,5 +289,6 @@ elseif ($page == 'error') {
 	// 8 = could not extract archive
 	// 9 = checksum mismatch
 	// 10 = <php-7.4
+	// 11 = enable_webupdate = false
 	\Froxlor\UI\Response::standard_error('autoupdate_' . $errno);
 }
diff --git a/lib/Froxlor/Settings.php b/lib/Froxlor/Settings.php
index 2d9b80c3..025a061f 100644
--- a/lib/Froxlor/Settings.php
+++ b/lib/Froxlor/Settings.php
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <?php
+
 namespace Froxlor;
 
 use Froxlor\Database\Database;
@@ -43,6 +44,13 @@ class Settings
 	 */
 	private static $data = null;
 
+	/**
+	 * local config overrides
+	 *
+	 * @var array
+	 */
+	private static $conf = null;
+
 	/**
 	 * changed and unsaved settings data
 	 *
@@ -65,6 +73,7 @@ class Settings
 	{
 		if (empty(self::$data)) {
 			self::readSettings();
+			self::readConfig();
 			self::$updatedata = array();
 
 			// prepare statement
@@ -92,6 +101,24 @@ class Settings
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Read in all config overrides from
+	 * config/config.inc.php
+	 */
+	private static function readConfig()
+	{
+		// set defaults
+		self::$conf = [
+			'enable_webupdate' => false
+		];
+
+		$configfile = Froxlor::getInstallDir() . '/lib/config.inc.php';
+		if (@file_exists($configfile) && is_readable($configfile)) {
+			self::$conf = include $configfile;
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * update a value in the database
 	 *
@@ -122,7 +149,7 @@ class Settings
 		self::init();
 		$sstr = explode(".", $setting);
 		// no separator - do'h
-		if (! isset($sstr[1])) {
+		if (!isset($sstr[1])) {
 			return null;
 		}
 		$result = null;
@@ -170,7 +197,7 @@ class Settings
 		if (self::Get($setting) !== null) {
 			// set new value in array
 			$sstr = explode(".", $setting);
-			if (! isset($sstr[1])) {
+			if (!isset($sstr[1])) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			self::$data[$sstr[0]][$sstr[1]] = $value;
@@ -179,12 +206,12 @@ class Settings
 				self::storeSetting($sstr[0], $sstr[1], $value);
 			} else {
 				// set temporary data for usage
-				if (! isset(self::$data[$sstr[0]]) || ! is_array(self::$data[$sstr[0]])) {
+				if (!isset(self::$data[$sstr[0]]) || !is_array(self::$data[$sstr[0]])) {
 					self::$data[$sstr[0]] = array();
 				}
 				self::$data[$sstr[0]][$sstr[1]] = $value;
 				// set update-data when invoking Flush()
-				if (! isset(self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]]) || ! is_array(self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]])) {
+				if (!isset(self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]]) || !is_array(self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]])) {
 					self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]] = array();
 				}
 				self::$updatedata[$sstr[0]][$sstr[1]] = $value;
@@ -210,7 +237,7 @@ class Settings
 		if (self::Get($setting) === null) {
 			// validate parameter
 			$sstr = explode(".", $setting);
-			if (! isset($sstr[1])) {
+			if (!isset($sstr[1])) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			// prepare statement
@@ -291,7 +318,7 @@ class Settings
 								'varname' => $field_details['varname']
 							));
 
-							if (! empty($row)) {
+							if (!empty($row)) {
 								$varvalue = $row['value'];
 							} else {
 								$varvalue = $field_details['default'];
@@ -306,4 +333,19 @@ class Settings
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * get value from config by identifier
+	 */
+	public static function Config(string $config)
+	{
+		self::init();
+		$sstr = explode(".", $config);
+		$result = self::$conf;
+		foreach ($sstr as $key) {
+			$result = $result[$key] ?? null;
+			if (empty($result)) break;
+		}
+		return $result;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/config.inc.php b/lib/config.inc.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26d1be34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/config.inc.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * change the options below to either true or false
+ */
+return [
+	'enable_webupdate' => false
+];
diff --git a/lib/navigation/00.froxlor.main.php b/lib/navigation/00.froxlor.main.php
index 7260665e..0ee610e5 100644
--- a/lib/navigation/00.froxlor.main.php
+++ b/lib/navigation/00.froxlor.main.php
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ return array(
 					'url' => 'admin_autoupdate.php?page=overview',
 					'label' => $lng['admin']['autoupdate'],
 					'required_resources' => 'change_serversettings',
-					'show_element' => extension_loaded('zip')
+					'show_element' => extension_loaded('zip') && \Froxlor\Settings::Config('enable_webupdate')
 				),
 				array(
 					'url' => 'admin_settings.php?page=wipecleartextmailpws',
diff --git a/lng/english.lng.php b/lng/english.lng.php
index 6e36e933..cfaa8781 100644
--- a/lng/english.lng.php
+++ b/lng/english.lng.php
@@ -1878,6 +1878,7 @@ $lng['error']['autoupdate_7'] = 'The downloaded archive could not be found :(';
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_8'] = 'The archive could not be extracted :(';
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_9'] = 'The downloaded file did not pass the integrity check. Please try to update again.';
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_10'] = 'Minimum supported version of PHP is 7.4.0';
+$lng['error']['autoupdate_11'] = 'Webupdate is disabled';
 
 $lng['admin']['server_php'] = 'PHP';
 $lng['domains']['termination_date'] = 'Date of termination';
diff --git a/lng/german.lng.php b/lng/german.lng.php
index bed2dfeb..8002cc72 100644
--- a/lng/german.lng.php
+++ b/lng/german.lng.php
@@ -1525,6 +1525,7 @@ $lng['error']['autoupdate_7'] = 'Das heruntergeladene Archiv konnte nicht gefund
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_8'] = 'Das Archiv konnte nicht entpackt werden :(';
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_9'] = 'Die heruntergeladene Datei konnte nicht verifiziert werden. Bitte erneut versuchen zu aktualisieren.';
 $lng['error']['autoupdate_10'] = 'Minimum unterstützte Version von PHP ist 7.4.0';
+$lng['error']['autoupdate_11'] = 'Webupdate ist deaktiviert';
 
 $lng['domains']['termination_date'] = 'Kündigungsdatum';
 $lng['domains']['termination_date_overview'] = 'gekündigt zum ';