diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
index 18d87d9b3a9..fa800b0a18b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ Discourse.PreferencesController = Discourse.ObjectController.extend({
     return Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uploaded_avatars;
   }.property(),
 
+  allowUserLocale: function() {
+    return Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_user_locale;
+  }.property(),
+
   // By default we haven't saved anything
   saved: false,
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
index 4a0560aa023..a29de784fb4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
@@ -66,15 +66,17 @@
       </div>
     </div>
 
-    <div class="control-group">
-      <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.locale.title}}</label>
-      <div class="controls">
-        {{combobox valueAttribute="value" content=availableLocales value=locale none="user.locale.default"}}
+    {{#if allowUserLocale}}
+      <div class="control-group">
+        <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.locale.title}}</label>
+        <div class="controls">
+          {{combobox valueAttribute="value" content=availableLocales value=locale none="user.locale.default"}}
+        </div>
+        <div class='instructions'>
+          {{i18n user.locale.instructions}}
+        </div>
       </div>
-      <div class='instructions'>
-        {{i18n user.locale.instructions}}
-      </div>
-    </div>
+    {{/if}}
 
     <div class="control-group">
       <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.bio}}</label>
diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 79d3d48aa61..16a7e719628 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   end
 
   def set_locale
-    I18n.locale = if current_user && current_user.locale.present?
+    I18n.locale = if SiteSetting.allow_user_locale && current_user && current_user.locale.present?
                     current_user.locale
                   else
                     SiteSetting.default_locale
diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index 74d7cc3c3fc..326d4aab9cc 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ en:
 
   site_settings:
     default_locale: "The default language of this Discourse instance (ISO 639-1 Code)"
+    allow_user_locale: "Allow users to choose their own language interface preference"
     min_post_length: "Minimum post length in characters"
     min_private_message_post_length: "Minimum post length in characters for private messages"
     max_post_length: "Maximum post length in characters"
diff --git a/config/locales/server.fr.yml b/config/locales/server.fr.yml
index 71be63bd0ae..0826f145698 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.fr.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.fr.yml
@@ -484,6 +484,7 @@ fr:
       description: "HTML qui sera ajouté au pied de toutes les pages"
   site_settings:
     default_locale: "Le langage par défaut de cette instance de Discourse (code ISO 639-1)"
+    allow_user_locale: "Permettre aux utilisateurs de choisir leur propre préférence de langue pour l'interface"
     min_post_length: "Longueur minimale des messages en nombre de caractères"
     min_private_message_post_length: "Longueur minimale des messages privés en nombre de caractères"
     max_post_length: "Longueur maximale des messages en nombres de caractères"
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 5f1579fce50..5c3241c28d1 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ basic:
   default_locale:
     default: 'en'
     enum: 'LocaleSiteSetting'
+  allow_user_locale:
+    client: true
+    default: false
   ga_tracking_code:
     client: true
     default: ''
diff --git a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
index 0cfc4ea80e5..0827176469b 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       I18n.locale.should == :fr
     end
+
+    it 'is sets the default locale when the setting not enabled' do
+      user = Fabricate(:user, locale: :fr)
+      log_in_user(user)
+
+      get :show, {topic_id: topic.id}
+
+      I18n.locale.should == :en
+    end
   end
 
 end