diff --git a/src/_locales/en_US/messages.json b/src/_locales/en_US/messages.json
index 00c5ad6962..53402748b8 100644
--- a/src/_locales/en_US/messages.json
+++ b/src/_locales/en_US/messages.json
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@
     "options_title": {
         "message": "Privacy Badger Options"
     },
+    "options_dnt_policy_setting": {
+        "message": "Check if sites comply with EFF's Do Not Track policy"
+    },
+    "options_dnt_policy_learn_more": {
+        "message": "Learn more"
+    },
     "options_webrtc_setting": {
         "message": "Prevent WebRTC from leaking local IP address *"
     },
diff --git a/src/js/background.js b/src/js/background.js
index a8f1da0c66..86fabb5579 100644
--- a/src/js/background.js
+++ b/src/js/background.js
@@ -298,6 +298,11 @@ Badger.prototype = {
   * Fetch acceptable DNT policy hashes from the EFF server
   */
   updateDNTPolicyHashes: function(){
+    if (! badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled()) {
+      // user has disabled this, we can check when they re-enable
+      return ;
+    }
+
     var self = this;
     utils.xhrRequest(constants.DNT_POLICIES_URL, function(err,response){
       if(err){
@@ -322,10 +327,15 @@ Badger.prototype = {
       return;
     }
 
-    log('Checking', domain, 'for DNT policy.');
-
     var badger = this;
 
+    if (! badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled()) {
+      // user has disabled this check
+      return ;
+    }
+
+    log('Checking', domain, 'for DNT policy.');
+
     // update timestamp first;
     // avoids queuing the same domain multiple times
     var recheckTime = utils.getRandom(
@@ -382,6 +392,7 @@ Badger.prototype = {
    */
   defaultSettings: {
     socialWidgetReplacementEnabled: true,
+    checkForDNTPolicy: true,
     showCounter: true,
     disabledSites: [],
     isFirstRun: true,
@@ -565,6 +576,10 @@ Badger.prototype = {
     return this.getSettings().getItem("socialWidgetReplacementEnabled");
   },
 
+  isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled: function() {
+    return this.getSettings().getItem("checkForDNTPolicy");
+  },
+
   /**
    * Check if WebRTC IP leak protection is enabled; query Chrome's internal
    * value, update our local setting if it has gone out of sync, then return our
diff --git a/src/js/options.js b/src/js/options.js
index fdabd5dc5e..7cf0dc759b 100644
--- a/src/js/options.js
+++ b/src/js/options.js
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ function loadOptions() {
   $("#show_counter_checkbox").prop("checked", badger.showCounter());
   $("#replace_social_widgets_checkbox").click(updateSocialWidgetReplacement);
   $("#replace_social_widgets_checkbox").prop("checked", badger.isSocialWidgetReplacementEnabled());
+  $("#check_dnt_policy_checkbox").click(updateCheckingDNTPolicy);
+  $("#check_dnt_policy_checkbox").prop("checked", badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled());
   if(chrome.privacy && badger.webRTCAvailable){
     $("#toggle_webrtc_mode").click(toggleWebRTCIPProtection);
     $("#toggle_webrtc_mode").prop("checked", badger.isWebRTCIPProtectionEnabled());
@@ -210,6 +212,12 @@ function updateSocialWidgetReplacement() {
   settings.setItem("socialWidgetReplacementEnabled", replaceSocialWidgets);
 }
 
+function updateCheckingDNTPolicy() {
+  var newDNTSetting = $("#check_dnt_policy_checkbox").prop("checked");
+  settings.setItem("checkForDNTPolicy", newDNTSetting);
+  refreshFilterPage(); // This setting means sites need to be re-evaluated
+}
+
 function reloadWhitelist() {
   var sites = settings.getItem("disabledSites");
   var sitesList = $('#excludedDomainsBox');
diff --git a/src/js/storage.js b/src/js/storage.js
index 25462cf242..3a06594709 100644
--- a/src/js/storage.js
+++ b/src/js/storage.js
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ BadgerPen.prototype = {
    * @returns {String} the presumed action for this FQDN
    **/
   getAction: function (domain, ignoreDNT) {
+    if(! badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled()){
+      ignoreDNT = true;
+    }
+
     if (_.isString(domain)) {
       domain = this.getBadgerStorageObject('action_map').getItem(domain) || {};
     }
diff --git a/src/skin/options.html b/src/skin/options.html
index 44f7f5c838..b8a1f119d9 100644
--- a/src/skin/options.html
+++ b/src/skin/options.html
@@ -207,6 +207,13 @@ <h1><span class="i18n_options_title"></span></h1>
           <span class="i18n_options_social_widgets_checkbox"></span>
         </label>
       </div>
+      <div class="checkbox">
+        <label>
+          <input type="checkbox" id="check_dnt_policy_checkbox">
+          <span class="i18n_options_dnt_policy_setting"></span>
+        </label>
+        <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eff.org/dnt-policy"><span class="i18n_options_dnt_policy_learn_more"></span></a>
+      </div>
       <div class="checkbox" id="webRTCToggle">
         <label>
           <input type="checkbox" id="toggle_webrtc_mode">
diff --git a/src/tests/tests/background.js b/src/tests/tests/background.js
index 3962547315..2274f4b82f 100644
--- a/src/tests/tests/background.js
+++ b/src/tests/tests/background.js
@@ -119,4 +119,25 @@
     }
   });
 
+  QUnit.test("DNT checking obeys user setting", (assert) => {
+    const NUM_TESTS = 5;
+
+    let done = assert.async(NUM_TESTS);
+    // TODO: unit tests may be effected by user settings, and should be isolated somehow
+    let old_dnt_check_func = badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled;
+
+    assert.expect(NUM_TESTS);
+    badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled = () => false;
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < NUM_TESTS; i++) {
+      badger.checkForDNTPolicy(
+        DNT_COMPLIANT_DOMAIN,
+        0);
+      clock.tick(constants.DNT_POLICY_CHECK_INTERVAL);
+      assert.equal(xhrSpy.callCount, 0);
+      done();
+    }
+
+    badger.isCheckingDNTPolicyEnabled = old_dnt_check_func;
+  });
 }());
diff --git a/src/tests/tests/storage.js b/src/tests/tests/storage.js
index c14de621b2..9e2b1d5d95 100644
--- a/src/tests/tests/storage.js
+++ b/src/tests/tests/storage.js
@@ -191,6 +191,23 @@
     );
   });
 
+  QUnit.test("DNT does not return as an action if user has chosen not to", (assert) => {
+    let settings_map = storage.getBadgerStorageObject('settings_map');
+    settings_map.setItem("checkForDNTPolicy", false);
+    storage.setupDNT(DOMAIN);
+
+    assert.equal(
+      storage.getAction(DOMAIN),
+      constants.NO_TRACKING,
+      "domain is marked as DNT directly, but returns as NO_TRACKING because user has disabled DNT"
+    );
+    assert.equal(
+      storage.getBestAction(DOMAIN),
+      constants.NO_TRACKING,
+      "domain is marked as DNT directly, but returns as NO_TRACKING because user has disabled DNT"
+    );
+  });
+
   QUnit.test("blocking still cascades after domain declares DNT", (assert) => {
     storage.setupHeuristicAction(DOMAIN, constants.BLOCK);
     storage.setupDNT(DOMAIN);
diff --git a/tests/selenium/localstorage_test.py b/tests/selenium/localstorage_test.py
index 0c8e0a8c58..693561c76b 100644
--- a/tests/selenium/localstorage_test.py
+++ b/tests/selenium/localstorage_test.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ def test_should_init_local_storage_entries(self):
 
         self.assertFalse(len(disabled_sites),
                          "Shouldn't have any disabledSites after installation")
+        
+        self.assertTrue(js("return (badger.storage.getBadgerStorageObject("\
+            "'settings_map').getItem('checkForDNTPolicy'))"),
+            "Should start with DNT policy enabled")
         # TODO: do we expect currentVersion to be present after the first run?