diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 98f45cb9..33176298 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       @page_title = "TRACKS::Sign up as the admin user"
       @heading = "Welcome to TRACKS. To get started, please create an admin account:"
       @user = get_new_user
-    elsif @user && @user.is_admin?
+    elsif (@user && @user.is_admin?) || SITE_CONFIG['open_signups']
       @page_title = "TRACKS::Sign up a new user"
       @heading = "Sign up a new user:"
       @user = get_new_user
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     end
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html do
-        unless User.no_users_yet? || (@user && @user.is_admin?)
+        unless User.no_users_yet? || (@user && @user.is_admin?) || SITE_CONFIG['open_signups']
           @page_title = "No signups"
           @admin_email = User.find_admin.preference.admin_email
           render :action => "nosignup", :layout => "login"
@@ -208,4 +208,4 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/config/site.yml.tmpl b/config/site.yml.tmpl
index 61745f6b..683a2d21 100644
--- a/config/site.yml.tmpl
+++ b/config/site.yml.tmpl
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ secure_cookies: false
 # URL. Mongrel, for example, has a --prefix option.
 # subdir: "/tracks"
 
+# Set to true to allow anyone to sign up for a username.
+open_signups: false
 
 # Only needed if ldap is included in authentication_schemes
 # ldap: