diff --git a/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTProtocolConverter.java b/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTProtocolConverter.java
index 769656f107..3e645561e6 100644
--- a/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTProtocolConverter.java
+++ b/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTProtocolConverter.java
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ public class MQTTProtocolConverter {
     private int activeMQSubscriptionPrefetch=1;
     protected static final String QOS_PROPERTY_NAME = "ActiveMQ.MQTT.QoS";
     private final MQTTPacketIdGenerator packetIdGenerator;
+    private boolean publishDollarTopics;
 
     public MQTTProtocolConverter(MQTTTransport mqttTransport, BrokerService brokerService) {
         this.mqttTransport = mqttTransport;
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ public class MQTTProtocolConverter {
         // Lets intercept message send requests..
         if( command instanceof ActiveMQMessage) {
             ActiveMQMessage msg = (ActiveMQMessage) command;
-            if( msg.getDestination().getPhysicalName().startsWith("$") ) {
+            if( !getPublishDollarTopics() && msg.getDestination().getPhysicalName().startsWith("$") ) {
                 // We don't allow users to send to $ prefixed topics to avoid failing MQTT 3.1.1 spec requirements
                 if( handler!=null ) {
                     try {
@@ -971,4 +972,12 @@ public class MQTTProtocolConverter {
     public MQTTPacketIdGenerator getPacketIdGenerator() {
         return packetIdGenerator;
     }
+
+    public void setPublishDollarTopics(boolean publishDollarTopics) {
+        this.publishDollarTopics = publishDollarTopics;
+    }
+
+    public boolean getPublishDollarTopics() {
+        return publishDollarTopics;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTransportFilter.java b/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTransportFilter.java
index 181d2357db..8612c2517f 100644
--- a/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTransportFilter.java
+++ b/activemq-mqtt/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTransportFilter.java
@@ -189,6 +189,14 @@ public class MQTTTransportFilter extends TransportFilter implements MQTTTranspor
         protocolConverter.setDefaultKeepAlive(defaultHeartBeat);
     }
 
+    public boolean getPublishDollarTopics() {
+        return protocolConverter != null && protocolConverter.getPublishDollarTopics();
+    }
+
+    public void setPublishDollarTopics(boolean publishDollarTopics) {
+        protocolConverter.setPublishDollarTopics(publishDollarTopics);
+    }
+
     public int getActiveMQSubscriptionPrefetch() {
         return protocolConverter.getActiveMQSubscriptionPrefetch();
     }
diff --git a/activemq-mqtt/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTest.java b/activemq-mqtt/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTest.java
index ec7f1ccde8..fc91f273d5 100644
--- a/activemq-mqtt/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTest.java
+++ b/activemq-mqtt/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/mqtt/MQTTTest.java
@@ -16,14 +16,6 @@
  */
 package org.apache.activemq.transport.mqtt;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertArrayEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
-
 import java.net.ProtocolException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -35,7 +27,6 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
-
 import javax.jms.BytesMessage;
 import javax.jms.Connection;
 import javax.jms.Destination;
@@ -44,6 +35,13 @@ import javax.jms.MessageProducer;
 import javax.jms.Session;
 import javax.jms.TextMessage;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertArrayEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import org.apache.activemq.ActiveMQConnection;
 import org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.LastImageSubscriptionRecoveryPolicy;
 import org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.PolicyEntry;
@@ -1045,6 +1043,47 @@ public class MQTTTest extends MQTTTestSupport {
         connection.disconnect();
     }
 
+    @Test(timeout = 60 * 1000)
+    public void testPublishDollarTopics() throws Exception {
+        stopBroker();
+        startBroker();
+
+        MQTT mqtt = createMQTTConnection();
+        final String clientId = "publishDollar";
+        mqtt.setClientId(clientId);
+        mqtt.setKeepAlive((short) 2);
+        BlockingConnection connection = mqtt.blockingConnection();
+        connection.connect();
+
+        final String DOLLAR_TOPIC = "$TopicA";
+        connection.subscribe(new Topic[] { new Topic(DOLLAR_TOPIC, QoS.EXACTLY_ONCE)});
+        connection.publish(DOLLAR_TOPIC, DOLLAR_TOPIC.getBytes(), QoS.EXACTLY_ONCE, true);
+
+        Message message = connection.receive(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertNull("Publish enabled for $ Topics by default", message);
+        connection.disconnect();
+
+        stopBroker();
+        protocolConfig = "transport.publishDollarTopics=true";
+        startBroker();
+
+        mqtt = createMQTTConnection();
+        mqtt.setClientId(clientId);
+        mqtt.setKeepAlive((short) 2);
+        connection = mqtt.blockingConnection();
+        connection.connect();
+
+        connection.subscribe(new Topic[] { new Topic(DOLLAR_TOPIC, QoS.EXACTLY_ONCE)});
+        connection.publish(DOLLAR_TOPIC, DOLLAR_TOPIC.getBytes(), QoS.EXACTLY_ONCE, true);
+
+        message = connection.receive(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertNotNull(message);
+        message.ack();
+        assertEquals("Message body", DOLLAR_TOPIC, new String(message.getPayload()));
+
+        connection.disconnect();
+    }
+
     @Test(timeout = 30 * 10000)
     public void testJmsMapping() throws Exception {
         // start up jms consumer