diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/join-handler/component.jsx b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/join-handler/component.jsx
index b62f599fd42421c845b361c0b31c99a2c461e276..0a7ecf0d06ee729db6ef8abbcedef1f0a763ffd0 100644
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/join-handler/component.jsx
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/join-handler/component.jsx
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ const propTypes = {
   children: PropTypes.element.isRequired,
 };
 
+const APP_CONFIG = Meteor.settings.public.app;
+
 class JoinHandler extends Component {
   static setError(codeError) {
     Session.set('hasError', true);
@@ -113,9 +115,16 @@ class JoinHandler extends Component {
       setLogoURL(response);
       logUserInfo();
 
-      Session.set('openPanel', 'chat');
-      Session.set('idChatOpen', '');
-      if (deviceInfo.type().isPhone) Session.set('openPanel', '');
+      const { showParticipantsOnLogin } = APP_CONFIG;
+
+      if (showParticipantsOnLogin) {
+        Session.set('openPanel', 'chat');
+        Session.set('idChatOpen', '');
+        if (deviceInfo.type().isPhone) Session.set('openPanel', '');
+      } else {
+        Session.set('openPanel', '');
+      }
+
 
       logger.info(`User successfully went through main.joinRouteHandler with [${JSON.stringify(response)}].`);
     } else {
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/private/config/settings.yml b/bigbluebutton-html5/private/config/settings.yml
index 057222f99fcfca8468fa2fb72a78fa87d9dcb90d..69808d4d0b9cefe7f24b6efaec12e4bdb8f08a43 100755
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/private/config/settings.yml
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/private/config/settings.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ public:
     desktopFont: 14
     audioChatNotification: false
     autoJoin: true
+    showParticipantsOnLogin: true
     listenOnlyMode: true
     forceListenOnly: false
     skipCheck: false