diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/interface.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/interface.js.es6
index d49a6ffd6c0..6a7094886bf 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/interface.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/interface.js.es6
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ export default Ember.Controller.extend(PreferencesTabController, {
       'dynamic_favicon',
       'enable_quoting',
       'disable_jump_reply',
-      'automatically_unpin_topics'
+      'automatically_unpin_topics',
+      'allow_private_messages',
     ];
 
     if (makeDefault) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
index b8adf073d89..3296c5fbe7c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
@@ -247,7 +247,8 @@ const User = RestModel.extend({
       'notification_level_when_replying',
       'like_notification_frequency',
       'include_tl0_in_digests',
-      'theme_key'
+      'theme_key',
+      'allow_private_messages',
     ];
 
     if (fields) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/interface.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/interface.hbs
index 99ad7891fee..4096ef0ad6a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/interface.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/interface.hbs
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@
 </div>
 {{/if}}
 
+<div class="control-group private-messages">
+  <label class="control-label">{{i18n 'user.private_messages'}}</label>
+
+  <div class="controls">
+    {{preference-checkbox
+        labelKey="user.allow_private_messages"
+        checked=model.user_option.allow_private_messages}}
+  </div>
+</div>
+
 {{#if siteSettings.allow_user_locale}}
   <div class="control-group pref-locale">
     <label class="control-label">{{i18n 'user.locale.title'}}</label>
diff --git a/app/models/user_option.rb b/app/models/user_option.rb
index 6ce2f12ef5e..17eed6baa7f 100644
--- a/app/models/user_option.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_option.rb
@@ -59,11 +59,6 @@ class UserOption < ActiveRecord::Base
     super
   end
 
-  def update_tracked_topics
-    return unless saved_change_to_auto_track_topics_after_msecs?
-    TrackedTopicsUpdater.new(id, auto_track_topics_after_msecs).call
-  end
-
   def redirected_to_top_yet?
     last_redirected_to_top_at.present?
   end
@@ -133,6 +128,13 @@ class UserOption < ActiveRecord::Base
     times.max
   end
 
+  private
+
+    def update_tracked_topics
+      return unless saved_change_to_auto_track_topics_after_msecs?
+      TrackedTopicsUpdater.new(id, auto_track_topics_after_msecs).call
+    end
+
 end
 
 # == Schema Information
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ end
 #  notification_level_when_replying :integer
 #  theme_key                        :string
 #  theme_key_seq                    :integer          default(0), not null
+#  allow_private_messages           :boolean          default(TRUE), not null
 #
 # Indexes
 #
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_option_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_option_serializer.rb
index b8253b40d78..844f6c06b5c 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_option_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_option_serializer.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ class UserOptionSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
              :like_notification_frequency,
              :include_tl0_in_digests,
              :theme_key,
-             :theme_key_seq
+             :theme_key_seq,
+             :allow_private_messages,
 
   def auto_track_topics_after_msecs
     object.auto_track_topics_after_msecs || SiteSetting.default_other_auto_track_topics_after_msecs
diff --git a/app/services/user_updater.rb b/app/services/user_updater.rb
index 8b36ce94252..d7f764e7b04 100644
--- a/app/services/user_updater.rb
+++ b/app/services/user_updater.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ class UserUpdater
     :email_in_reply_to,
     :like_notification_frequency,
     :include_tl0_in_digests,
-    :theme_key
+    :theme_key,
+    :allow_private_messages,
   ]
 
   def initialize(actor, user)
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index db8bf8bd1b0..5c78efd4f02 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -595,6 +595,7 @@ en:
       disable_jump_reply: "Don't jump to my post after I reply"
       dynamic_favicon: "Show new / updated topic count on browser icon"
       theme_default_on_all_devices: "Make this my default theme on all my devices"
+      allow_private_messages: "Allow other users to send me private messages"
       external_links_in_new_tab: "Open all external links in a new tab"
       enable_quoting: "Enable quote reply for highlighted text"
       change: "change"
diff --git a/db/migrate/20171006030028_add_allow_private_messages_to_user_options.rb b/db/migrate/20171006030028_add_allow_private_messages_to_user_options.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c74f68fff84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20171006030028_add_allow_private_messages_to_user_options.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddAllowPrivateMessagesToUserOptions < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.1]
+  def change
+    add_column :user_options, :allow_private_messages, :boolean, default: true, null: false
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/guardian.rb b/lib/guardian.rb
index 2bc13f9e683..00bad7075cb 100644
--- a/lib/guardian.rb
+++ b/lib/guardian.rb
@@ -286,17 +286,22 @@ class Guardian
   end
 
   def can_send_private_message?(target)
-    (target.is_a?(Group) || target.is_a?(User)) &&
+    is_user = target.is_a?(User)
+    is_group = target.is_a?(Group)
+
+    (is_group || is_user) &&
     # User is authenticated
     authenticated? &&
     # Have to be a basic level at least, or are contacting moderators
     (@user.has_trust_level?(SiteSetting.min_trust_to_send_messages) ||
       (target.is_a?(User) && target.moderator?) ||
       (target.name == Group[:moderators].name)) &&
+    # User disabled private message
+    (is_staff? || is_group || target.user_option.allow_private_messages) &&
     # PMs are enabled
     (is_staff? || SiteSetting.enable_private_messages) &&
     # Can't send PMs to suspended users
-    (is_staff? || target.is_a?(Group) || !target.suspended?) &&
+    (is_staff? || is_group || !target.suspended?) &&
     # Blocked users can only send PM to staff
     (!is_blocked? || target.staff?)
   end
diff --git a/lib/post_creator.rb b/lib/post_creator.rb
index dc28b66bce0..be0e6a80260 100644
--- a/lib/post_creator.rb
+++ b/lib/post_creator.rb
@@ -109,10 +109,20 @@ class PostCreator
       # Make sure none of the users have muted the creator
       users = User.where(username: names).pluck(:id, :username).to_h
 
-      MutedUser.where(user_id: users.keys, muted_user_id: @user.id).pluck(:user_id).each do |m|
+      User
+        .joins("LEFT JOIN user_options ON user_options.user_id = users.id")
+        .joins("LEFT JOIN muted_users ON muted_users.muted_user_id = #{@user.id.to_i}")
+        .where("user_options.user_id IS NOT NULL")
+        .where("
+          (user_options.user_id IN (:user_ids) AND NOT user_options.allow_private_messages) OR
+          muted_users.user_id IN (:user_ids)
+        ", user_ids: users.keys)
+        .pluck(:id).each do |m|
+
         errors[:base] << I18n.t(:not_accepting_pms, username: users[m])
-        return false
       end
+
+      return false if errors[:base].present?
     end
 
     if new_topic?
diff --git a/lib/topic_creator.rb b/lib/topic_creator.rb
index 36c20247c02..69ca76d73cd 100644
--- a/lib/topic_creator.rb
+++ b/lib/topic_creator.rb
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ class TopicCreator
     names = usernames.split(',').flatten
     len = 0
 
-    User.where(username: names).each do |user|
+    User.includes(:user_option).where(username: names).find_each do |user|
       check_can_send_permission!(topic, user)
       @added_users << user
       topic.topic_allowed_users.build(user_id: user.id)
diff --git a/spec/components/guardian_spec.rb b/spec/components/guardian_spec.rb
index c2674e38ea7..04496841318 100644
--- a/spec/components/guardian_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/guardian_spec.rb
@@ -233,6 +233,27 @@ describe Guardian do
         end
       end
     end
+
+    context 'target user has private message disabled' do
+      before do
+        another_user.user_option.update!(allow_private_messages: false)
+      end
+
+      context 'for a normal user' do
+        it 'should return false' do
+          expect(Guardian.new(user).can_send_private_message?(another_user)).to eq(false)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'for a staff user' do
+        it 'should return true' do
+          [admin, moderator].each do |staff_user|
+            expect(Guardian.new(staff_user).can_send_private_message?(another_user))
+              .to eq(true)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'can_reply_as_new_topic' do
diff --git a/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb b/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
index a2e4908dbd8..f3d2e8350ae 100644
--- a/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
@@ -954,6 +954,30 @@ describe PostCreator do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'private message to a user that has disabled private messages' do
+    let(:another_user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+
+    before do
+      another_user.user_option.update!(allow_private_messages: false)
+    end
+
+    it 'should not be valid' do
+      post_creator = PostCreator.new(
+        user,
+        title: 'this message is to someone who muted me!',
+        raw: "you will have to see this even if you muted me!",
+        archetype: Archetype.private_message,
+        target_usernames: "#{another_user.username}"
+      )
+
+      expect(post_creator).to_not be_valid
+
+      expect(post_creator.errors.full_messages).to include(I18n.t(
+        "not_accepting_pms", username: another_user.username
+      ))
+    end
+  end
+
   context "private message to a muted user" do
     let(:muted_me) { Fabricate(:evil_trout) }
 
diff --git a/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb b/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
index 91fde1605a6..b7c595c7bee 100644
--- a/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
@@ -76,8 +76,9 @@ describe UserUpdater do
                            notification_level_when_replying: 3,
                            email_in_reply_to: false,
                            date_of_birth: date_of_birth,
-                           theme_key: theme.key
-                    )
+                           theme_key: theme.key,
+                           allow_private_messages: false)
+
       expect(val).to be_truthy
 
       user.reload
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ describe UserUpdater do
       expect(user.user_option.email_in_reply_to).to eq false
       expect(user.user_option.theme_key).to eq theme.key
       expect(user.user_option.theme_key_seq).to eq(seq + 1)
+      expect(user.user_option.allow_private_messages).to eq(false)
       expect(user.date_of_birth).to eq(date_of_birth.to_date)
     end