diff --git a/clientapi/routing/routing.go b/clientapi/routing/routing.go
index 47d561a75..a9babc8aa 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/routing.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/routing.go
@@ -1102,6 +1102,12 @@ func Setup(
 			if r := rateLimits.rateLimit(req); r != nil {
 				return *r
 			}
+			if !cfg.Matrix.PresenceEnabled {
+				return util.JSONResponse{
+					Code: http.StatusOK,
+					JSON: struct{}{},
+				}
+			}
 			vars, err := httputil.URLDecodeMapValues(mux.Vars(req))
 			if err != nil {
 				return util.ErrorResponse(err)
@@ -1115,7 +1121,12 @@ func Setup(
 			if err != nil {
 				return util.ErrorResponse(err)
 			}
-
+			if !cfg.Matrix.PresenceEnabled {
+				return util.JSONResponse{
+					Code: http.StatusOK,
+					JSON: struct{}{},
+				}
+			}
 			return GetPresence(req, userAPI, vars["userId"], rsAPI, device)
 		}),
 	).Methods(http.MethodGet, http.MethodOptions)
diff --git a/dendrite-config.yaml b/dendrite-config.yaml
index 7feb908e3..3d882a97f 100644
--- a/dendrite-config.yaml
+++ b/dendrite-config.yaml
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ global:
   # - private_key: old_matrix_key.pem
   #   expired_at: 1601024554498
 
+  # Enable/Disable presence. Enabling presence might cause a high load on your server.
+  presence_enabled: false
+
   # How long a remote server can cache our server signing key before requesting it
   # again. Increasing this number will reduce the number of requests made by other
   # servers for our key but increases the period that a compromised key will be
diff --git a/federationapi/routing/send.go b/federationapi/routing/send.go
index 056ce05c9..fbdc9aae1 100644
--- a/federationapi/routing/send.go
+++ b/federationapi/routing/send.go
@@ -168,16 +168,17 @@ func Send(
 	servers federationAPI.ServersInRoomProvider,
 ) util.JSONResponse {
 	t := txnReq{
-		rsAPI:      rsAPI,
-		eduAPI:     eduAPI,
-		userAPI:    userAPI,
-		keys:       keys,
-		federation: federation,
-		hadEvents:  make(map[string]bool),
-		haveEvents: make(map[string]*gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedEvent),
-		servers:    servers,
-		keyAPI:     keyAPI,
-		roomsMu:    mu,
+		rsAPI:           rsAPI,
+		eduAPI:          eduAPI,
+		userAPI:         userAPI,
+		keys:            keys,
+		federation:      federation,
+		hadEvents:       make(map[string]bool),
+		haveEvents:      make(map[string]*gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedEvent),
+		servers:         servers,
+		keyAPI:          keyAPI,
+		roomsMu:         mu,
+		presenceEnabled: cfg.Matrix.PresenceEnabled,
 	}
 
 	var txnEvents struct {
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ type txnReq struct {
 	haveEvents      map[string]*gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedEvent
 	haveEventsMutex sync.Mutex
 	work            string // metrics
+	presenceEnabled bool
 }
 
 func (t *txnReq) hadEvent(eventID string, had bool) {
@@ -508,7 +510,9 @@ func (t *txnReq) processEDUs(ctx context.Context) {
 				}
 			}
 		case gomatrixserverlib.MPresence:
-			t.handlePresence(ctx, e)
+			if t.presenceEnabled {
+				t.handlePresence(ctx, e)
+			}
 		case eduserverAPI.MSigningKeyUpdate:
 			var updatePayload eduserverAPI.CrossSigningKeyUpdate
 			if err := json.Unmarshal(e.Content, &updatePayload); err != nil {
diff --git a/setup/config/config_global.go b/setup/config/config_global.go
index 90a92f2bc..aefb4fc5e 100644
--- a/setup/config/config_global.go
+++ b/setup/config/config_global.go
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ type Global struct {
 	// to other servers and the federation API will not be exposed.
 	DisableFederation bool `yaml:"disable_federation"`
 
+	// Enable/Disable presence. Defaults to false
+	PresenceEnabled bool `yaml:"presence_enabled"`
+
 	// List of domains that the server will trust as identity servers to
 	// verify third-party identifiers.
 	// Defaults to an empty array.