diff --git a/lib/attachmentlistitem.php b/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
index 6b8df0dd39..8c637d28df 100644
--- a/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
+++ b/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class AttachmentListItem extends Widget
                     break;
 
                 case 'text/html':
-                    if ($this->attachment->filename) {
+                    if (!empty($this->attachment->filename) && common_config('attachments', 'show_html')) {
                         // Locally-uploaded HTML. Scrub and display inline.
                         $this->showHtmlFile($this->attachment);
                         break;
diff --git a/lib/default.php b/lib/default.php
index f725d7719b..dc7a005339 100644
--- a/lib/default.php
+++ b/lib/default.php
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ $default =
               'user_quota' => 50000000,
               'monthly_quota' => 15000000,
               'uploads' => true,
+              'show_html' => false,  // HTML representation for locally uploaded HTML attachments (oEmbed links etc.)
               'show_thumbs' => true, // show thumbnails in notice lists for uploaded images, and photos and videos linked remotely that provide oEmbed info
               'process_links' => true, // check linked resources for embeddable photos and videos; this will hit referenced external web sites when processing new messages.
               ),
diff --git a/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php b/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
index 27f299b5eb..5413ae94cd 100644
--- a/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
+++ b/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class OembedPlugin extends Plugin
         case 'rich':
         case 'video':
         case 'link':
-            if (!empty($oembed->html)) {
+            if (!empty($oembed->html) && common_config('attachments', 'show_html')) {
                 require_once INSTALLDIR.'/extlib/htmLawed/htmLawed.php';
                 $config = array(
                     'safe'=>1,