diff --git a/.env.localhost b/.env.localhost
index ed0eeafcc3f..4b8da96deee 100644
--- a/.env.localhost
+++ b/.env.localhost
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ ENABLE_DEV_BACKEND_API="true"
 #FEATURE_DEFAULT_LOGIN_TEMPORARY_CLIENT="false"
 #FEATURE_APPLOCK_UNFOCUS_TIMEOUT="30"
 #FEATURE_APPLOCK_SCHEDULED_TIMEOUT="30"
+#FEATURE_ENABLE_MLS="true"
 #FEATURE_USE_CORE_CRYPTO="true"
 
 # staging
diff --git a/server/config/client.config.ts b/server/config/client.config.ts
index 45e42389a69..8230538a83c 100644
--- a/server/config/client.config.ts
+++ b/server/config/client.config.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export function generateConfig(params: ConfigGeneratorParams, env: Env) {
       ENABLE_ENFORCE_DESKTOP_APPLICATION_ONLY: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_ENFORCE_DESKTOP_APPLICATION_ONLY == 'true',
       ENABLE_EXTRA_CLIENT_ENTROPY: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_EXTRA_CLIENT_ENTROPY == 'true',
       ENABLE_MEDIA_EMBEDS: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_MEDIA_EMBEDS != 'false',
+      ENABLE_MLS: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_MLS == 'true',
       ENABLE_PROTEUS_CORE_CRYPTO: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_PROTEUS_CORE_CRYPTO == 'true',
       ENABLE_SSO: env.FEATURE_ENABLE_SSO == 'true',
       ENFORCE_CONSTANT_BITRATE: env.FEATURE_ENFORCE_CONSTANT_BITRATE == 'true',
diff --git a/server/config/env.ts b/server/config/env.ts
index e135893e441..7103c1d4011 100644
--- a/server/config/env.ts
+++ b/server/config/env.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ export type Env = {
   FEATURE_ALLOWED_FILE_UPLOAD_EXTENSIONS: string;
 
   /** will enable the MLS protocol */
+  FEATURE_ENABLE_MLS?: string;
+
   FEATURE_USE_CORE_CRYPTO?: string;
 
   FEATURE_MLS_CONFIG_KEYING_MATERIAL_UPDATE_THRESHOLD?: string;
diff --git a/src/script/components/Modals/GroupCreation/GroupCreationModal.tsx b/src/script/components/Modals/GroupCreation/GroupCreationModal.tsx
index c734c341488..f39792e4aca 100644
--- a/src/script/components/Modals/GroupCreation/GroupCreationModal.tsx
+++ b/src/script/components/Modals/GroupCreation/GroupCreationModal.tsx
@@ -81,12 +81,15 @@ const GroupCreationModal: React.FC<GroupCreationModalProps> = ({
   } = useKoSubscribableChildren(teamState, ['isTeam', 'isMLSEnabled', 'isProtocolToggleEnabledForUser']);
   const {self: selfUser} = useKoSubscribableChildren(userState, ['self']);
 
-  const enableMLSToggle = isMLSEnabledForTeam && isProtocolToggleEnabledForUser;
+  const isMLSFeatureEnabled = Config.getConfig().FEATURE.ENABLE_MLS;
+
+  const enableMLSToggle = isMLSFeatureEnabled && isMLSEnabledForTeam && isProtocolToggleEnabledForUser;
 
   //if feature flag is set to false or mls is disabled for current team use proteus as default
-  const defaultProtocol = isMLSEnabledForTeam
-    ? teamState.teamFeatures()?.mls?.config.defaultProtocol
-    : ConversationProtocol.PROTEUS;
+  const defaultProtocol =
+    isMLSFeatureEnabled && isMLSEnabledForTeam
+      ? teamState.teamFeatures()?.mls?.config.defaultProtocol
+      : ConversationProtocol.PROTEUS;
 
   const protocolOptions: ProtocolOption[] = ([ConversationProtocol.PROTEUS, ConversationProtocol.MLS] as const).map(
     protocol => ({
diff --git a/src/script/util/util.ts b/src/script/util/util.ts
index 3b8251868ac..df66753fc91 100644
--- a/src/script/util/util.ts
+++ b/src/script/util/util.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {Runtime} from '@wireapp/commons';
 import {isTabKey} from './KeyboardUtil';
 import {getLogger} from './Logger';
 
+import {Config} from '../Config';
 import type {Conversation} from '../entity/Conversation';
 import {AuthError} from '../error/AuthError';
 
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ export const setContextMenuPosition = (event: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
 const supportsSecretStorage = () => !Runtime.isDesktopApp() || !!window.systemCrypto;
 
 // disables mls for old 'broken' desktop clients, see https://github.com/wireapp/wire-desktop/pull/6094
-export const supportsMLS = () => supportsSecretStorage();
+export const supportsMLS = () => Config.getConfig().FEATURE.ENABLE_MLS && supportsSecretStorage();
 
 export const incomingCssClass = 'content-animation-incoming-horizontal-left';