diff --git a/web/react/components/invite_member_modal.jsx b/web/react/components/invite_member_modal.jsx
index 1854107f81..d1672126da 100644
--- a/web/react/components/invite_member_modal.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/invite_member_modal.jsx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
             if (config.AllowInviteNames) {
                 invite.first_name = this.refs["first_name"+index].getDOMNode().value.trim();
-                if (!invite.first_name ) {
+                if (!invite.first_name && config.RequireInviteNames) {
                     first_name_errors[index] = "This is a required field";
                     valid = false;
                 } else {
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 }
 
                 invite.last_name = this.refs["last_name"+index].getDOMNode().value.trim();
-                if (!invite.last_name ) {
+                if (!invite.last_name && config.RequireInviteNames) {
                     last_name_errors[index] = "This is a required field";
                     valid = false;
                 } else {
diff --git a/web/static/config/config.js b/web/static/config/config.js
index 82d4bbf702..45c713da2e 100644
--- a/web/static/config/config.js
+++ b/web/static/config/config.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ var config = {
     // Feature switches
     AllowPublicLink: true,
     AllowInviteNames: true,
+    RequireInviteNames: false,
     AllowSignupDomainsWizard: false,
 
     // Privacy switches