diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.cpp b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
index 0efe582df2..dbae859d24 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ Menu::Menu() :
                                            false,
                                            appInstance->getFaceshift(),
                                            SLOT(setTCPEnabled(bool)));
+    addCheckableActionToQMenuAndActionHash(avatarOptionsMenu, MenuOption::ChatCircling, 0, true);
 
     QMenu* webcamOptionsMenu = developerMenu->addMenu("Webcam Options");
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.h b/interface/src/Menu.h
index cf6a35ff2b..987d7ff452 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.h
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ namespace MenuOption {
     const QString AutomaticallyAuditTree = "Automatically Audit Tree Stats";
     const QString Bandwidth = "Bandwidth Display";
     const QString BandwidthDetails = "Bandwidth Details";
+    const QString ChatCircling = "Chat Circling";
     const QString Collisions = "Collisions";
     const QString CopyVoxels = "Copy";
     const QString CoverageMap = "Render Coverage Map";
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 99d77f6aff..5ecc806d6f 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include "Application.h"
 #include "DataServerClient.h"
+#include "Menu.h"
 #include "MyAvatar.h"
 #include "Physics.h"
 #include "devices/OculusManager.h"
@@ -1110,6 +1111,10 @@ bool operator<(const SortedAvatar& s1, const SortedAvatar& s2) {
 }
 
 void MyAvatar::updateChatCircle(float deltaTime) {
+    if (!Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::ChatCircling)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     // find all members and sort by distance
     QVector<SortedAvatar> sortedAvatars;
     NodeList* nodeList = NodeList::getInstance();