diff --git a/onionr/communicator.py b/onionr/communicator.py
index acd749f0..2c0bf4c7 100755
--- a/onionr/communicator.py
+++ b/onionr/communicator.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class OnionrCommunicatorDaemon:
         netCheckTimer = OnionrCommunicatorTimers(self, netcheck.net_check, 600, myArgs=[self])
 
         # Announce the public API server transport address to other nodes if security level allows
-        if config.get('general.security_level', 1) == 0:
+        if config.get('general.security_level', 1) == 0 and config.get('general.announce_node', True):
             # Default to high security level incase config breaks
             announceTimer = OnionrCommunicatorTimers(self, announcenode.announce_node, 3600, myArgs=[self], requiresPeer=True, maxThreads=1)
             announceTimer.count = (announceTimer.frequency - 120)
diff --git a/onionr/static-data/default_config.json b/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
index bf757242..3fb3b3a8 100755
--- a/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
+++ b/onionr/static-data/default_config.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
     "general" : {
         "dev_mode" : true,
+        "announce_node" : true,
         "display_header" : false,
         "minimum_block_pow" : 4,
         "minimum_send_pow" : 4,
diff --git a/start-daemon.sh b/start-daemon.sh
index 6b478dae..d427d8e8 100755
--- a/start-daemon.sh
+++ b/start-daemon.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 echo "starting Onionr daemon..."
-echo "run onionr.sh stop to stop the daemon, or onionr.sh start to get output"
+echo "run onionr.sh stop to stop the daemon"
 exec nohup ./onionr.sh start > /dev/null 2>&1 & disown