diff --git a/src/main/java/org/qortal/controller/arbitrary/ArbitraryDataManager.java b/src/main/java/org/qortal/controller/arbitrary/ArbitraryDataManager.java
index abba2afd..c8142c92 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/qortal/controller/arbitrary/ArbitraryDataManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/qortal/controller/arbitrary/ArbitraryDataManager.java
@@ -326,6 +326,11 @@ public class ArbitraryDataManager extends Thread {
 	}
 
 	private boolean shouldMakeDirectFileRequestsForSignature(String signature58) {
+		if (!Settings.getInstance().isDirectDataRetrievalEnabled()) {
+			// Direct connections are disabled in the settings
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		Triple<Integer, Integer, Long> request = arbitraryDataSignatureRequests.get(signature58);
 
 		if (request == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/qortal/settings/Settings.java b/src/main/java/org/qortal/settings/Settings.java
index d11aff40..871a7e1a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/qortal/settings/Settings.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/qortal/settings/Settings.java
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ public class Settings {
 	/** Whether to allow data outside of the storage policy to be relayed between other peers */
 	private boolean relayModeEnabled = false;
 
+	/** Whether to make connections directly with peers that have the required data */
+	private boolean directDataRetrievalEnabled = true;
+
 	/** Expiry time (ms) for (unencrypted) built/cached data */
 	private Long builtDataExpiryInterval = 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000L; // 30 days
 
@@ -835,6 +838,10 @@ public class Settings {
 		return this.relayModeEnabled;
 	}
 
+	public boolean isDirectDataRetrievalEnabled() {
+		return this.directDataRetrievalEnabled;
+	}
+
 	public Long getBuiltDataExpiryInterval() {
 		return this.builtDataExpiryInterval;
 	}