diff --git a/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
index e73c3615a5..cd811e4dbd 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
@@ -225,21 +225,14 @@ logger.info('creating HTTP server'.yellow)
 const server = require('http').createServer(app)
 
 // provide settings for separate web and api processes
-// if enableApiRouter and enableWebRouter are not defined they default
-// to true.
-const notDefined = x => x == null
-const enableApiRouter =
-  Settings.web != null ? Settings.web.enableApiRouter : undefined
-if (enableApiRouter || notDefined(enableApiRouter)) {
+if (Settings.enabledServices.includes('api')) {
   logger.info('providing api router')
   app.use(privateApiRouter)
   app.use(Validation.errorMiddleware)
   app.use(ErrorController.handleApiError)
 }
 
-const enableWebRouter =
-  Settings.web != null ? Settings.web.enableWebRouter : undefined
-if (enableWebRouter || notDefined(enableWebRouter)) {
+if (Settings.enabledServices.includes('web')) {
   logger.info('providing web router')
 
   if (app.get('env') === 'production') {
diff --git a/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee b/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
index daad8e6525..524c4a0012 100644
--- a/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
+++ b/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
@@ -634,6 +634,8 @@ module.exports = settings =
 	# 	{imageName: 'texlive-full:2014.2', imageDesc: 'Legacy SL TeXLive 2014.2'}
 	# ]
 
+	enabledServices: (process.env['ENABLED_SERVICES'] || 'web,api').split(',').map((s) => s.trim())
+
 	# module options
 	# ----------
 	modules: