diff --git a/custom/conf/app.ini.sample b/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
index 3bd5a9c27..e2af3c708 100644
--- a/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
+++ b/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ DEFAULT_KEEP_EMAIL_PRIVATE = false
 ; Default value for AllowCreateOrganization
 ; New user will have rights set to create organizations depending on this setting
 DEFAULT_ALLOW_CREATE_ORGANIZATION = true
+; Enable Timetracking
+ENABLE_TIMETRACKING = true
 ; Default value for EnableTimetracking
 ; Repositories will use timetracking by default depending on this setting
 DEFAULT_ENABLE_TIMETRACKING = true
diff --git a/models/repo_issue.go b/models/repo_issue.go
index 10356d2c9..433d0e39b 100644
--- a/models/repo_issue.go
+++ b/models/repo_issue.go
@@ -13,8 +13,18 @@ import "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 // |____|   |__|__|_|  /\___  >____|   |__|  (____  /\___  >__|_ \\___  >__|
 // \/     \/                    \/     \/     \/    \/
 
+// CanEnableTimetracker returns true when the server admin enabled time tracking
+// This overrules IsTimetrackerEnabled
+func (repo *Repository) CanEnableTimetracker() bool {
+	return setting.Service.EnableTimetracking
+}
+
 // IsTimetrackerEnabled returns whether or not the timetracker is enabled. It returns the default value from config if an error occurs.
 func (repo *Repository) IsTimetrackerEnabled() bool {
+	if !setting.Service.EnableTimetracking {
+		return false
+	}
+
 	var u *RepoUnit
 	var err error
 	if u, err = repo.GetUnit(UnitTypeIssues); err != nil {
diff --git a/modules/setting/setting.go b/modules/setting/setting.go
index 9ba3e5a66..af1a28242 100644
--- a/modules/setting/setting.go
+++ b/modules/setting/setting.go
@@ -1151,6 +1151,7 @@ var Service struct {
 	EnableCaptcha                           bool
 	DefaultKeepEmailPrivate                 bool
 	DefaultAllowCreateOrganization          bool
+	EnableTimetracking                      bool
 	DefaultEnableTimetracking               bool
 	DefaultAllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime bool
 	NoReplyAddress                          string
@@ -1174,7 +1175,10 @@ func newService() {
 	Service.EnableCaptcha = sec.Key("ENABLE_CAPTCHA").MustBool()
 	Service.DefaultKeepEmailPrivate = sec.Key("DEFAULT_KEEP_EMAIL_PRIVATE").MustBool()
 	Service.DefaultAllowCreateOrganization = sec.Key("DEFAULT_ALLOW_CREATE_ORGANIZATION").MustBool(true)
-	Service.DefaultEnableTimetracking = sec.Key("DEFAULT_ENABLE_TIMETRACKING").MustBool(true)
+	Service.EnableTimetracking = sec.Key("ENABLE_TIMETRACKING").MustBool(true)
+	if Service.EnableTimetracking {
+		Service.DefaultEnableTimetracking = sec.Key("DEFAULT_ENABLE_TIMETRACKING").MustBool(true)
+	}
 	Service.DefaultAllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime = sec.Key("DEFAULT_ALLOW_ONLY_CONTRIBUTORS_TO_TRACK_TIME").MustBool(true)
 	Service.NoReplyAddress = sec.Key("NO_REPLY_ADDRESS").MustString("noreply.example.org")
 
diff --git a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
index 136b5e522..cdeac644c 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
+++ b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
@@ -1435,6 +1435,7 @@ config.active_code_lives = Active Code Lives
 config.reset_password_code_lives = Reset Password Code Expiry Time
 config.default_keep_email_private = Default Value for Keep Email Private
 config.default_allow_create_organization = Default permission to create organizations
+config.enable_timetracking = Enable time tracking
 config.default_enable_timetracking = Enable time tracking by default
 config.default_allow_only_contributors_to_track_time = Allow only contributors to track time by default
 config.no_reply_address = No-reply Address
diff --git a/templates/admin/config.tmpl b/templates/admin/config.tmpl
index 7c353ad30..370325692 100644
--- a/templates/admin/config.tmpl
+++ b/templates/admin/config.tmpl
@@ -132,10 +132,14 @@
 				<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultKeepEmailPrivate}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
 				<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.default_allow_create_organization"}}</dt>
 				<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultAllowCreateOrganization}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
-				<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.default_enable_timetracking"}}</dt>
-				<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultEnableTimetracking}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
-				<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.default_allow_only_contributors_to_track_time"}}</dt>
-				<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultAllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
+				<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.enable_timetracking"}}</dt>
+				<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.EnableTimetracking}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
+				{{if .Service.EnableTimetracking}}
+					<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.default_enable_timetracking"}}</dt>
+					<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultEnableTimetracking}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
+					<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.default_allow_only_contributors_to_track_time"}}</dt>
+					<dd><i class="fa fa{{if .Service.DefaultAllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime}}-check{{end}}-square-o"></i></dd>
+				{{end}}
 				<dt>{{.i18n.Tr "admin.config.no_reply_address"}}</dt>
 				<dd>{{if .Service.NoReplyAddress}}{{.Service.NoReplyAddress}}{{else}}-{{end}}</dd>
 				<div class="ui divider"></div>
diff --git a/templates/repo/settings/options.tmpl b/templates/repo/settings/options.tmpl
index 8470d6a5e..3e811559e 100644
--- a/templates/repo/settings/options.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/settings/options.tmpl
@@ -139,19 +139,20 @@
 						</div>
 					</div>
 					<div class="field {{if (.Repository.UnitEnabled $.UnitTypeExternalTracker)}}disabled{{end}}" id="internal_issue_box">
-						<div class="field">
-							<div class="ui checkbox">
-								<input name="enable_timetracker" class="enable-system" data-target="#only_contributors" type="checkbox" {{if .Repository.IsTimetrackerEnabled}}checked{{end}}>
-								<label>{{.i18n.Tr "repo.settings.enable_timetracker"}}</label>
+						{{if .Repository.CanEnableTimetracker}}
+							<div class="field">
+								<div class="ui checkbox">
+									<input name="enable_timetracker" class="enable-system" data-target="#only_contributors" type="checkbox" {{if .Repository.IsTimetrackerEnabled}}checked{{end}}>
+									<label>{{.i18n.Tr "repo.settings.enable_timetracker"}}</label>
+								</div>
 							</div>
-						</div>
-						<div class="field {{if not .Repository.IsTimetrackerEnabled}}disabled{{end}}" id="only_contributors">
-							<div class="ui checkbox">
-
-								<input name="allow_only_contributors_to_track_time" type="checkbox" {{if .Repository.AllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime}}checked{{end}}>
-								<label>{{.i18n.Tr "repo.settings.allow_only_contributors_to_track_time"}}</label>
+							<div class="field {{if not .Repository.IsTimetrackerEnabled}}disabled{{end}}" id="only_contributors">
+								<div class="ui checkbox">
+									<input name="allow_only_contributors_to_track_time" type="checkbox" {{if .Repository.AllowOnlyContributorsToTrackTime}}checked{{end}}>
+									<label>{{.i18n.Tr "repo.settings.allow_only_contributors_to_track_time"}}</label>
+								</div>
 							</div>
-						</div>
+						{{end}}
 					</div>
 					<div class="field">
 						<div class="ui radio checkbox">