diff --git a/Config/BuildSettings.swift b/Config/BuildSettings.swift
index 90d9b4ac4..9164309b7 100644
--- a/Config/BuildSettings.swift
+++ b/Config/BuildSettings.swift
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ final class BuildSettings: NSObject {
         "matrix.org"
     ]
     
+    // MARK: -  Rooms Screen
+    static let roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms: Bool = true
     
     // MARK: - Analytics
     static let analyticsServerUrl = URL(string: "https://piwik.riot.im/piwik.php")
diff --git a/Riot/Managers/Settings/RiotSettings.swift b/Riot/Managers/Settings/RiotSettings.swift
index 64c53025e..fa025f380 100644
--- a/Riot/Managers/Settings/RiotSettings.swift
+++ b/Riot/Managers/Settings/RiotSettings.swift
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ final class RiotSettings: NSObject {
         static let roomCreationScreenAllowRoomTypeConfiguration = "roomCreationScreenAllowRoomTypeConfiguration"
         static let roomCreationScreenRoomIsPublic = "roomCreationScreenRoomIsPublic"
         static let allowInviteExernalUsers = "allowInviteExernalUsers"
+        static let roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms = "roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms"
     }
     
     static let shared = RiotSettings()
@@ -242,6 +243,18 @@ final class RiotSettings: NSObject {
         }
     }
     
+    // MARK: -  Rooms Screen
+    var roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms: Bool {
+        get {
+            guard defaults.object(forKey: UserDefaultsKeys.roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms) != nil else {
+                return BuildSettings.roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms
+            }
+            return defaults.bool(forKey: UserDefaultsKeys.roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms)
+        } set {
+            defaults.set(newValue, forKey: UserDefaultsKeys.roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms)
+        }
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Room Creation Screen
 
     var roomCreationScreenAllowEncryptionConfiguration: Bool {
diff --git a/Riot/Modules/Common/Recents/RecentsViewController.m b/Riot/Modules/Common/Recents/RecentsViewController.m
index 464bdfd84..c396da4ff 100644
--- a/Riot/Modules/Common/Recents/RecentsViewController.m
+++ b/Riot/Modules/Common/Recents/RecentsViewController.m
@@ -1808,9 +1808,16 @@
         return;
     }
     
-    self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter = [[RoomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter alloc] initWithSession:self.mainSession dataSource:[self.recentsDataSource.publicRoomsDirectoryDataSource copy]];
-    self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter.delegate = self;
-    [self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter presentFrom:self animated:YES];
+    if (RiotSettings.shared.roomsAllowToJoinPublicRooms)
+    {
+        self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter = [[RoomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter alloc] initWithSession:self.mainSession dataSource:[self.recentsDataSource.publicRoomsDirectoryDataSource copy]];
+        self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter.delegate = self;
+        [self.roomsDirectoryCoordinatorBridgePresenter presentFrom:self animated:YES];
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        [self createNewRoom];
+    }
 }
 
 - (void)openPublicRoom:(MXPublicRoom *)publicRoom