diff --git a/libtransmission/blocklist.c b/libtransmission/blocklist.c
index 3f0db0a48..9892be322 100644
--- a/libtransmission/blocklist.c
+++ b/libtransmission/blocklist.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ static struct tr_ip_range * blocklist = NULL;
 static size_t blocklistItemCount = 0;
 static size_t blocklistByteCount = 0;
 static int blocklistFd = -1;
+static int isEnabled = FALSE;
 
 void
 tr_getBlocklistFilename( char * buf, size_t buflen )
@@ -103,12 +104,27 @@ compareAddressToRange( const void * va, const void * vb )
     return 0;
 }
 
+int
+tr_blocklistIsEnabled( const tr_handle * handle UNUSED )
+{
+    return isEnabled;
+}
+
+void
+tr_blocklistSetEnabled( tr_handle * handle UNUSED, int flag )
+{
+    isEnabled = flag ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
 int
 tr_peerIsBlocked( tr_handle * handle UNUSED, const struct in_addr * addr )
 {
     uint32_t needle;
     const struct tr_ip_range * range;
 
+    if( !isEnabled )
+        return FALSE;
+
     if( !blocklist ) {
         loadBlocklist( );
         if( !blocklist )
diff --git a/libtransmission/transmission.c b/libtransmission/transmission.c
index c4db0c9b5..767ef0dea 100644
--- a/libtransmission/transmission.c
+++ b/libtransmission/transmission.c
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ tr_initFull( const char * tag,
              int          downloadLimit,
              int          globalPeerLimit,
              int          messageLevel,
-             int          isMessageQueueingEnabled )
+             int          isMessageQueueingEnabled,
+             int          isBlocklistEnabled )
 {
     tr_handle * h;
     char buf[128];
@@ -177,6 +178,8 @@ tr_initFull( const char * tag,
               TR_NAME, LONG_VERSION_STRING );
     tr_inf( "%s", buf );
 
+    tr_blocklistSetEnabled( h, isBlocklistEnabled );
+
     tr_statsInit( h );
 
     return h;
@@ -195,7 +198,8 @@ tr_handle * tr_init( const char * tag )
                         -1, /* download speed limit */
                         200, /* globalPeerLimit */
                         TR_MSG_INF, /* message level */
-                        FALSE ); /* is message queueing enabled? */
+                        FALSE, /* is message queueing enabled? */
+                        FALSE ); /* is the blocklist enabled? */
 }
 
 /***
diff --git a/libtransmission/transmission.h b/libtransmission/transmission.h
index 4de64edc7..881c63508 100644
--- a/libtransmission/transmission.h
+++ b/libtransmission/transmission.h
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ tr_handle * tr_initFull( const char * tag,
                          int          downloadLimit,
                          int          globalPeerLimit,
                          int          messageLevel,
-                         int          isMessageQueueingEnabled );
+                         int          isMessageQueueingEnabled,
+                         int          isBlocklistEnabled );
 
 /**
  * Like tr_initFull() but with default values supplied.
@@ -311,6 +312,11 @@ void tr_blocklistSet( tr_handle  * handle,
 
 int tr_blocklistExists( const tr_handle * handle );
 
+int tr_blocklistIsEnabled( const tr_handle * handle );
+
+void tr_blocklistSetEnabled( tr_handle * handle,
+                             int         isEnabled );
+
 
 
 /***********************************************************************