diff --git a/admin/configuration.php b/admin/configuration.php
index 9ec7ed805..436661803 100644
--- a/admin/configuration.php
+++ b/admin/configuration.php
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ $main_checkboxes = array(
     'rate',
     'rate_anonymous',
     'email_admin_on_new_user',
+    'allow_user_customization',
    );
 
 $history_checkboxes = array(
diff --git a/admin/themes/default/template/configuration.tpl b/admin/themes/default/template/configuration.tpl
index c31374148..d0cb9b4bd 100644
--- a/admin/themes/default/template/configuration.tpl
+++ b/admin/themes/default/template/configuration.tpl
@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@
       </label>
     </li>
 
+    <li>
+      <label>
+        <span class="property">{'Allow user customization'|@translate}</span>
+        <input type="checkbox" name="allow_user_customization" {if ($main.allow_user_customization)}checked="checked"{/if}>
+      </label>
+    </li>
+
     <li>
       <label>
         <span class="property">{'Mail address is obligatory for all users'|@translate}</span>
diff --git a/install/config.sql b/install/config.sql
index 97b8ad53a..5bd5df4a9 100644
--- a/install/config.sql
+++ b/install/config.sql
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('page_banner','<h1>Piwig
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('history_admin','false','keep a history of administrator visits on your website');
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('history_guest','true','keep a history of guest visits on your website');
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('allow_user_registration','true','allow visitors to register?');
+INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('allow_user_customization','true','allow users to customize their gallery?');
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('nbm_send_html_mail','true','Send mail on HTML format for notification by mail');
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('nbm_send_mail_as','','Send mail as param value for notification by mail');
 INSERT INTO piwigo_config (param,value,comment) VALUES ('nbm_send_detailed_content','true','Send detailed content for notification by mail');
diff --git a/install/db/89-database.php b/install/db/89-database.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..848d5897b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/db/89-database.php
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+// +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+// | Piwigo - a PHP based picture gallery                                  |
+// +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+// | Copyright(C) 2008-2010 Piwigo Team                  http://piwigo.org |
+// | Copyright(C) 2003-2008 PhpWebGallery Team    http://phpwebgallery.net |
+// | Copyright(C) 2002-2003 Pierrick LE GALL   http://le-gall.net/pierrick |
+// +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+// | This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  |
+// | it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  |
+// | the Free Software Foundation                                          |
+// |                                                                       |
+// | This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but   |
+// | WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of            |
+// | MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU      |
+// | General Public License for more details.                              |
+// |                                                                       |
+// | You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License     |
+// | along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software           |
+// | Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, |
+// | USA.                                                                  |
+// +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+if (!defined("PHPWG_ROOT_PATH"))
+{
+  die('Hacking attempt!');
+}
+
+$upgrade_description = 'Admins can activate/deactivate user customization.';
+
+$query = '
+INSERT INTO '.CONFIG_TABLE.' (param,value,comment)
+  VALUES
+    ("allow_user_customization","true","allow users to customize their gallery?")
+;';
+
+pwg_query($query);
+
+echo
+"\n"
+. $upgrade_description
+."\n"
+;
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/language/en_UK/admin.lang.php b/language/en_UK/admin.lang.php
index 270972422..4803cbd86 100644
--- a/language/en_UK/admin.lang.php
+++ b/language/en_UK/admin.lang.php
@@ -749,4 +749,5 @@ $lang['Activate Navigation Thumbnails'] = 'Activate Navigation Thumbnails';
 $lang['Activate icon "%s"'] = 'Activate icon "%s"';
 $lang['Activate field "%s"'] = 'Activate field "%s"';
 $lang['Photo Properties'] = 'Photo Properties';
+$lang['Allow user customization'] = 'Allow user customization'; 
 ?>
diff --git a/language/fr_FR/common.lang.php b/language/fr_FR/common.lang.php
index 877031f8e..86d6a512a 100644
--- a/language/fr_FR/common.lang.php
+++ b/language/fr_FR/common.lang.php
@@ -387,4 +387,5 @@ $lang['This author removed the comment with id %d'] = 'Cet auteur a supprimé le
 $lang['delete this comment'] = "supprimer ce commentaire";
 $lang['validate this comment'] = 'valider ce commentaire';
 $lang['(!) This comment requires validation'] = '(!) Ce commentaire requiert une validation';
+$lang['Allow user customization'] = "Permettre la personnalisation de l'affichage"; 
 ?>
diff --git a/profile.php b/profile.php
index 4b3d03138..ddc7a3452 100644
--- a/profile.php
+++ b/profile.php
@@ -104,36 +104,39 @@ function save_profile_from_post($userdata, &$errors)
           );
   }
 
-  $int_pattern = '/^\d+$/';
-  if (empty($_POST['nb_image_line'])
-      or (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['nb_image_line'])))
+  if ($conf['allow_user_customization'] or defined('IN_ADMIN'))
   {
-    $errors[] = l10n('The number of images per row must be a not null scalar');
-  }
+    $int_pattern = '/^\d+$/';
+    if (empty($_POST['nb_image_line'])
+        or (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['nb_image_line'])))
+    {
+      $errors[] = l10n('The number of images per row must be a not null scalar');
+    }
 
-  if (empty($_POST['nb_line_page'])
-      or (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['nb_line_page'])))
-  {
-    $errors[] = l10n('The number of rows per page must be a not null scalar');
-  }
+    if (empty($_POST['nb_line_page'])
+        or (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['nb_line_page'])))
+    {
+      $errors[] = l10n('The number of rows per page must be a not null scalar');
+    }
 
-  if ($_POST['maxwidth'] != ''
-      and (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['maxwidth'])
-           or $_POST['maxwidth'] < 50))
-  {
-    $errors[] = l10n('Maximum width must be a number superior to 50');
-  }
-  if ($_POST['maxheight']
-       and (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['maxheight'])
-             or $_POST['maxheight'] < 50))
-  {
-    $errors[] = l10n('Maximum height must be a number superior to 50');
-  }
-  // periods must be integer values, they represents number of days
-  if (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['recent_period'])
-      or $_POST['recent_period'] <= 0)
-  {
-    $errors[] = l10n('Recent period must be a positive integer value') ;
+    if ($_POST['maxwidth'] != ''
+        and (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['maxwidth'])
+             or $_POST['maxwidth'] < 50))
+    {
+      $errors[] = l10n('Maximum width must be a number superior to 50');
+    }
+    if ($_POST['maxheight']
+         and (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['maxheight'])
+               or $_POST['maxheight'] < 50))
+    {
+      $errors[] = l10n('Maximum height must be a number superior to 50');
+    }
+    // periods must be integer values, they represents number of days
+    if (!preg_match($int_pattern, $_POST['recent_period'])
+        or $_POST['recent_period'] <= 0)
+    {
+      $errors[] = l10n('Recent period must be a positive integer value') ;
+    }
   }
 
   if (isset($_POST['mail_address']))
@@ -199,26 +202,28 @@ function save_profile_from_post($userdata, &$errors)
                    array($data));
     }
 
-    // update user "additional" informations (specific to Piwigo)
-    $fields = array(
-      'nb_image_line', 'nb_line_page', 'language', 'maxwidth', 'maxheight',
-      'expand', 'show_nb_comments', 'show_nb_hits', 'recent_period', 'theme'
-      );
-
-    $data = array();
-    $data['user_id'] = $userdata['id'];
-
-    foreach ($fields as $field)
+    if ($conf['allow_user_customization'] or defined('IN_ADMIN'))
     {
-      if (isset($_POST[$field]))
-      {
-        $data[$field] = $_POST[$field];
-      }
-    }
-    mass_updates(USER_INFOS_TABLE,
-                 array('primary' => array('user_id'), 'update' => $fields),
-                 array($data));
+      // update user "additional" informations (specific to Piwigo)
+      $fields = array(
+        'nb_image_line', 'nb_line_page', 'language', 'maxwidth', 'maxheight',
+        'expand', 'show_nb_comments', 'show_nb_hits', 'recent_period', 'theme'
+        );
 
+      $data = array();
+      $data['user_id'] = $userdata['id'];
+
+      foreach ($fields as $field)
+      {
+        if (isset($_POST[$field]))
+        {
+          $data[$field] = $_POST[$field];
+        }
+      }
+      mass_updates(USER_INFOS_TABLE,
+                   array('primary' => array('user_id'), 'update' => $fields),
+                   array($data));
+    }
     trigger_action( 'save_profile_from_post', $userdata['id'] );
 
     if (!empty($_POST['redirect']))
@@ -245,6 +250,7 @@ function load_profile_in_template($url_action, $url_redirect, $userdata)
     array(
       'USERNAME'=>stripslashes($userdata['username']),
       'EMAIL'=>get_email_address_as_display_text(@$userdata['email']),
+      'ALLOW_USER_CUSTOMIZATION'=>$conf['allow_user_customization'],
       'NB_IMAGE_LINE'=>$userdata['nb_image_line'],
       'NB_ROW_PAGE'=>$userdata['nb_line_page'],
       'RECENT_PERIOD'=>$userdata['recent_period'],
diff --git a/themes/default/template/profile_content.tpl b/themes/default/template/profile_content.tpl
index 876a2a8a8..fa43adde6 100644
--- a/themes/default/template/profile_content.tpl
+++ b/themes/default/template/profile_content.tpl
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 {/if}
   </fieldset>
 
+{if $ALLOW_USER_CUSTOMIZATION}
   <fieldset>
     <legend>{'Preferences'|@translate}</legend>
 
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@
       </li>
     </ul>
   </fieldset>
+{/if}
 
   <p class="bottomButtons">
     <input class="submit" type="submit" name="validate" value="{'Submit'|@translate}">