diff --git a/web/app/components/document/sidebar.hbs b/web/app/components/document/sidebar.hbs
index 21569e3a2..d7ec892f2 100644
--- a/web/app/components/document/sidebar.hbs
+++ b/web/app/components/document/sidebar.hbs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
               @onSave={{perform this.saveApprovers}}
               @isSaving={{this.saveIsRunning}}
               @isReadOnly={{this.editingIsDisabled}}
-              @includeGroupsInPeopleSelect={{true}}
+              @includeGroupsInPeopleSelect={{this.configSvc.config.group_approvals}}
               {{! Provide the document to the `has-approved-doc` helper }}
               @document={{@document}}
             />
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@
           <Hds::Form::Field @layout="vertical" as |F|>
             <F.Control>
               <Inputs::PeopleSelect
-                @includeGroups={{true}}
+                @includeGroups={{this.configSvc.config.group_approvals}}
                 @renderInPlace={{true}}
                 @selected={{this.allApprovers}}
                 @onChange={{this.updateApprovers}}
diff --git a/web/app/routes/authenticated/document.ts b/web/app/routes/authenticated/document.ts
index 1c81ecde9..3ed89d192 100644
--- a/web/app/routes/authenticated/document.ts
+++ b/web/app/routes/authenticated/document.ts
@@ -157,17 +157,19 @@ export default class AuthenticatedDocumentRoute extends Route {
 
     // Check if the user is a group approver.
 
-    const resp = await this.fetchSvc
-      .fetch(
-        `/api/${this.configSvc.config.api_version}/approvals/${params.document_id}`,
-        { method: "OPTIONS" },
-      )
-      .then((r) => r);
-
-    const allowed = resp?.headers.get("allowed");
-
-    if (allowed?.includes("POST")) {
-      viewerIsGroupApprover = true;
+    if (this.configSvc.config.group_approvals) {
+      const resp = await this.fetchSvc
+        .fetch(
+          `/api/${this.configSvc.config.api_version}/approvals/${params.document_id}`,
+          { method: "OPTIONS" },
+        )
+        .then((r) => r);
+
+      const allowed = resp?.headers.get("allowed");
+
+      if (allowed?.includes("POST")) {
+        viewerIsGroupApprover = true;
+      }
     }
 
     const typedDoc = doc as HermesDocument;
diff --git a/web/mirage/utils.ts b/web/mirage/utils.ts
index 5bd4ed332..128e3a3c6 100644
--- a/web/mirage/utils.ts
+++ b/web/mirage/utils.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export const TEST_WEB_CONFIG = {
   google_doc_folders: "",
   short_link_base_url: TEST_SHORT_LINK_BASE_URL,
   skip_google_auth: false,
+  group_approvals: true,
   google_analytics_tag_id: undefined,
   support_link_url: TEST_SUPPORT_URL,
   version: "1.2.3",