diff --git a/capsulflask/__init__.py b/capsulflask/__init__.py
index f85f268..7261bf4 100644
--- a/capsulflask/__init__.py
+++ b/capsulflask/__init__.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ load_dotenv(find_dotenv())
 app = Flask(__name__)
 
 app.config.from_mapping(
-  
   BASE_URL=os.environ.get("BASE_URL", default="http://localhost:5000"),
   SECRET_KEY=os.environ.get("SECRET_KEY", default="dev"),
   HUB_MODE_ENABLED=os.environ.get("HUB_MODE_ENABLED", default="True").lower() in ['true', '1', 't', 'y', 'yes'],
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ app.config.from_mapping(
   #STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=os.environ.get("STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET", default="")
 
   BTCPAY_PRIVATE_KEY=os.environ.get("BTCPAY_PRIVATE_KEY", default="").replace("\\n", "\n"),
-  BTCPAY_URL=os.environ.get("BTCPAY_URL", default="https://btcpay.cyberia.club")
+  BTCPAY_URL=os.environ.get("BTCPAY_URL", default="")
 )
 
 app.config['HUB_URL'] = os.environ.get("HUB_URL", default=app.config['BASE_URL'])
@@ -140,10 +139,13 @@ else:
 
 app.config['HTTP_CLIENT'] = MyHTTPClient(timeout_seconds=int(app.config['INTERNAL_HTTP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS']))
 
-try:
-  app.config['BTCPAY_CLIENT'] = btcpay.Client(api_uri=app.config['BTCPAY_URL'], pem=app.config['BTCPAY_PRIVATE_KEY'])
-except:
-  app.logger.warning("unable to create btcpay client. Capsul will work fine except cryptocurrency payments will not work. The error was: " + my_exec_info_message(sys.exc_info()))
+app.config['BTCPAY_ENABLED'] = False
+if app.config['BTCPAY_URL'] is not "":
+  try:
+    app.config['BTCPAY_CLIENT'] = btcpay.Client(api_uri=app.config['BTCPAY_URL'], pem=app.config['BTCPAY_PRIVATE_KEY'])
+    app.config['BTCPAY_ENABLED'] = True
+  except:
+    app.logger.warning("unable to create btcpay client. Capsul will work fine except cryptocurrency payments will not work. The error was: " + my_exec_info_message(sys.exc_info()))
 
 # only start the scheduler and attempt to migrate the database if we are running the app.
 # otherwise we are running a CLI command.
@@ -219,7 +221,6 @@ def override_url_for():
   return dict(url_for=url_for_with_cache_bust)
 
 
-
 def url_for_with_cache_bust(endpoint, **values):
   """
   Add a query parameter based on the hash of the file, this acts as a cache bust
@@ -244,7 +245,3 @@ def url_for_with_cache_bust(endpoint, **values):
       values['q'] = current_app.config['STATIC_FILE_HASH_CACHE'][filename]
 
   return url_for(endpoint, **values)
-
-
-
-  
diff --git a/capsulflask/console.py b/capsulflask/console.py
index e97b805..5da18e9 100644
--- a/capsulflask/console.py
+++ b/capsulflask/console.py
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@ def account_balance():
     has_vms=len(vms_billed)>0, 
     vms_billed=vms_billed,
     warning_text=warning_text,
+    btcpay_enabled=current_app.config["BTCPAY_ENABLED"],
     payments=list(map(
       lambda x: dict(
         dollars=x["dollars"], 
diff --git a/capsulflask/payment.py b/capsulflask/payment.py
index 1029f7d..3c41cd9 100644
--- a/capsulflask/payment.py
+++ b/capsulflask/payment.py
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ def validate_dollars():
 def btcpay_payment():
   errors = list()
 
+  if not current_app.config['BTCPAY_ENABLED']:
+    flash("BTCPay is not enabled on this server")
+    return redirect(url_for("console.account_balance"))
+
   if request.method == "POST":
     result = validate_dollars()
     errors = result[0]
@@ -289,4 +293,4 @@ def success():
 #   except stripe.error.SignatureVerificationError:
 #     print("/payment/stripe/webhook returned 400: invalid signature")
 #     abort(400, "invalid signature")
-      
\ No newline at end of file
+      
diff --git a/capsulflask/templates/account-balance.html b/capsulflask/templates/account-balance.html
index 512e24c..3d47e70 100644
--- a/capsulflask/templates/account-balance.html
+++ b/capsulflask/templates/account-balance.html
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@
             <a href="/payment/stripe">Add funds with Credit/Debit (stripe)</a>
             <ul><li>notice: stripe will load nonfree javascript </li></ul>
           </li>
+          {% if btcpay_enabled %}
           <li><a href="/payment/btcpay">Add funds with Bitcoin/Litecoin/Monero (btcpay)</a></li>
+          {% endif %}
     
           <li>Cash: email <a href="mailto:treasurer@cyberia.club">treasurer@cyberia.club</a></li>
         </ul>