diff --git a/admin/index.php b/admin/index.php
index 6ef4b206b51..5b01be2749b 100644
--- a/admin/index.php
+++ b/admin/index.php
@@ -240,7 +240,9 @@ if ($version > $CFG->version) {  // upgrade
 
         if ($fetchupdates) {
             // no sesskey support guaranteed here
-            available_update_checker::instance()->fetch();
+            if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
+                available_update_checker::instance()->fetch();
+            }
             redirect($reloadurl);
         }
 
diff --git a/admin/renderer.php b/admin/renderer.php
index f6a2c111f4e..05521fa2c71 100644
--- a/admin/renderer.php
+++ b/admin/renderer.php
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      */
     public function upgrade_plugin_check_page(plugin_manager $pluginman, available_update_checker $checker,
             $version, $showallplugins, $reloadurl, $continueurl) {
+        global $CFG;
 
         $output = '';
 
@@ -181,14 +182,16 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
         $output .= $this->box_start('generalbox');
         $output .= $this->container_start('generalbox', 'notice');
         $output .= html_writer::tag('p', get_string('pluginchecknotice', 'core_plugin'));
-        $output .= $this->container_start('checkforupdates');
-        $output .= $this->single_button(new moodle_url($reloadurl, array('fetchupdates' => 1)), get_string('checkforupdates', 'core_plugin'));
-        if ($timefetched = $checker->get_last_timefetched()) {
-            $output .= $this->container(get_string('checkforupdateslast', 'core_plugin',
-                userdate($timefetched, get_string('strftimedatetime', 'core_langconfig'))));
+        if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
+            $output .= $this->container_start('checkforupdates');
+            $output .= $this->single_button(new moodle_url($reloadurl, array('fetchupdates' => 1)), get_string('checkforupdates', 'core_plugin'));
+            if ($timefetched = $checker->get_last_timefetched()) {
+                $output .= $this->container(get_string('checkforupdateslast', 'core_plugin',
+                    userdate($timefetched, get_string('strftimedatetime', 'core_langconfig'))));
+            }
+            $output .= $this->container_end();
         }
         $output .= $this->container_end();
-        $output .= $this->container_end();
 
         $output .= $this->plugins_check_table($pluginman, $version, array('full' => $showallplugins));
         $output .= $this->box_end();
@@ -227,11 +230,12 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      */
     public function admin_notifications_page($maturity, $insecuredataroot, $errorsdisplayed,
             $cronoverdue, $dbproblems, $maintenancemode, $availableupdates, $availableupdatesfetch) {
+        global $CFG;
         $output = '';
 
         $output .= $this->header();
         $output .= $this->maturity_info($maturity);
-        $output .= $this->available_updates($availableupdates, $availableupdatesfetch);
+        $output .= empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications) ? $this->available_updates($availableupdates, $availableupdatesfetch) : '';
         $output .= $this->insecure_dataroot_warning($insecuredataroot);
         $output .= $this->display_errors_warning($errorsdisplayed);
         $output .= $this->cron_overdue_warning($cronoverdue);
@@ -256,19 +260,23 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      * @return string HTML to output.
      */
     public function plugin_management_page(plugin_manager $pluginman, available_update_checker $checker) {
+        global $CFG;
+
         $output = '';
 
         $output .= $this->header();
         $output .= $this->heading(get_string('pluginsoverview', 'core_admin'));
         $output .= $this->plugins_overview_panel($pluginman);
 
-        $output .= $this->container_start('checkforupdates');
-        $output .= $this->single_button(new moodle_url($this->page->url, array('fetchremote' => 1)), get_string('checkforupdates', 'core_plugin'));
-        if ($timefetched = $checker->get_last_timefetched()) {
-            $output .= $this->container(get_string('checkforupdateslast', 'core_plugin',
-                userdate($timefetched, get_string('strftimedatetime', 'core_langconfig'))));
+        if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
+            $output .= $this->container_start('checkforupdates');
+            $output .= $this->single_button(new moodle_url($this->page->url, array('fetchremote' => 1)), get_string('checkforupdates', 'core_plugin'));
+            if ($timefetched = $checker->get_last_timefetched()) {
+                $output .= $this->container(get_string('checkforupdateslast', 'core_plugin',
+                    userdate($timefetched, get_string('strftimedatetime', 'core_langconfig'))));
+            }
+            $output .= $this->container_end();
         }
-        $output .= $this->container_end();
 
         $output .= $this->box($this->plugins_control_panel($pluginman), 'generalbox');
         $output .= $this->footer();
@@ -559,6 +567,8 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      * @return string HTML code
      */
     public function plugins_check_table(plugin_manager $pluginman, $version, array $options = null) {
+        global $CFG;
+
         $plugininfo = $pluginman->get_plugins();
 
         if (empty($plugininfo)) {
@@ -641,7 +651,7 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
                 $status = get_string('status_' . $statuscode, 'core_plugin');
 
                 $availableupdates = $plugin->available_updates();
-                if (!empty($availableupdates)) {
+                if (!empty($availableupdates) and empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
                     foreach ($availableupdates as $availableupdate) {
                         $status .= $this->plugin_available_update_info($availableupdate);
                     }
@@ -771,6 +781,8 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      * @return string as usually
      */
     public function plugins_overview_panel(plugin_manager $pluginman) {
+        global $CFG;
+
         $plugininfo = $pluginman->get_plugins();
 
         $numtotal = $numdisabled = $numextension = $numupdatable = 0;
@@ -787,7 +799,7 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
                 if (!$plugin->is_standard()) {
                     $numextension++;
                 }
-                if ($plugin->available_updates()) {
+                if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications) and $plugin->available_updates()) {
                     $numupdatable++;
                 }
             }
@@ -813,6 +825,8 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      * @return string HTML code
      */
     public function plugins_control_panel(plugin_manager $pluginman) {
+        global $CFG;
+
         $plugininfo = $pluginman->get_plugins();
 
         if (empty($plugininfo)) {
@@ -916,7 +930,7 @@ class core_admin_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
                 }
 
                 $updateinfo = '';
-                if (is_array($plugin->available_updates())) {
+                if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications) and is_array($plugin->available_updates())) {
                     foreach ($plugin->available_updates() as $availableupdate) {
                         $updateinfo .= $this->plugin_available_update_info($availableupdate);
                     }
diff --git a/admin/settings/server.php b/admin/settings/server.php
index b8b674cc41f..0188b6db4f8 100644
--- a/admin/settings/server.php
+++ b/admin/settings/server.php
@@ -222,19 +222,21 @@ $ADMIN->add('server', $temp);
 $ADMIN->add('server', new admin_externalpage('adminregistration', new lang_string('registration','admin'), "$CFG->wwwroot/$CFG->admin/registration/index.php"));
 
 // "update notifications" settingpage
-$temp = new admin_settingpage('updatenotifications', new lang_string('updatenotifications', 'core_admin'));
-$temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('updateautocheck', new lang_string('updateautocheck', 'core_admin'),
-                                            new lang_string('updateautocheck_desc', 'core_admin'), 1));
-$temp->add(new admin_setting_configselect('updateminmaturity', new lang_string('updateminmaturity', 'core_admin'),
-                                          new lang_string('updateminmaturity_desc', 'core_admin'), MATURITY_STABLE,
-                                          array(
-                                              MATURITY_ALPHA  => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_ALPHA, 'core_admin'),
-                                              MATURITY_BETA   => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_BETA, 'core_admin'),
-                                              MATURITY_RC     => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_RC, 'core_admin'),
-                                              MATURITY_STABLE => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_STABLE, 'core_admin'),
-                                          )));
-$temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('updatenotifybuilds', new lang_string('updatenotifybuilds', 'core_admin'),
-                                            new lang_string('updatenotifybuilds_desc', 'core_admin'), 0));
-$ADMIN->add('server', $temp);
+if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
+    $temp = new admin_settingpage('updatenotifications', new lang_string('updatenotifications', 'core_admin'));
+    $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('updateautocheck', new lang_string('updateautocheck', 'core_admin'),
+                                                new lang_string('updateautocheck_desc', 'core_admin'), 1));
+    $temp->add(new admin_setting_configselect('updateminmaturity', new lang_string('updateminmaturity', 'core_admin'),
+                                              new lang_string('updateminmaturity_desc', 'core_admin'), MATURITY_STABLE,
+                                              array(
+                                                  MATURITY_ALPHA  => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_ALPHA, 'core_admin'),
+                                                  MATURITY_BETA   => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_BETA, 'core_admin'),
+                                                  MATURITY_RC     => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_RC, 'core_admin'),
+                                                  MATURITY_STABLE => new lang_string('maturity'.MATURITY_STABLE, 'core_admin'),
+                                              )));
+    $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('updatenotifybuilds', new lang_string('updatenotifybuilds', 'core_admin'),
+                                                new lang_string('updatenotifybuilds_desc', 'core_admin'), 0));
+    $ADMIN->add('server', $temp);
+}
 
 } // end of speedup
diff --git a/config-dist.php b/config-dist.php
index 986d2ba92c8..e82d7bd38c3 100644
--- a/config-dist.php
+++ b/config-dist.php
@@ -431,6 +431,11 @@ $CFG->admin = 'admin';
 //
 //      $CFG->cssoptimiserpretty = true;
 //
+// Use the following flag to completely disable the Available update notifications
+// feature and hide it from the server administration UI.
+//
+//      $CFG->disableupdatenotifications = true;
+//
 //=========================================================================
 // 8. SETTINGS FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVERS - not intended for production use!!!
 //=========================================================================
diff --git a/lib/cronlib.php b/lib/cronlib.php
index f02769d7a39..b05e34f87c9 100644
--- a/lib/cronlib.php
+++ b/lib/cronlib.php
@@ -382,9 +382,11 @@ function cron_run() {
     mtrace(get_string('siteupdatesend', 'hub'));
 
     // If enabled, fetch information about available updates and eventually notify site admins
-    require_once($CFG->libdir.'/pluginlib.php');
-    $updateschecker = available_update_checker::instance();
-    $updateschecker->cron();
+    if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications)) {
+        require_once($CFG->libdir.'/pluginlib.php');
+        $updateschecker = available_update_checker::instance();
+        $updateschecker->cron();
+    }
 
     //cleanup old session linked tokens
     //deletes the session linked tokens that are over a day old.
diff --git a/lib/pluginlib.php b/lib/pluginlib.php
index 38ac61c4f7d..8a19144cf61 100644
--- a/lib/pluginlib.php
+++ b/lib/pluginlib.php
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class plugin_manager {
      *      the values are the corresponding objects extending {@link plugininfo_base}
      */
     public function get_plugins($disablecache=false) {
+        global $CFG;
 
         if ($disablecache or is_null($this->pluginsinfo)) {
             $this->pluginsinfo = array();
@@ -118,8 +119,7 @@ class plugin_manager {
                 $this->pluginsinfo[$plugintype] = $plugins;
             }
 
-            // TODO: MDL-20438 verify this is the correct solution/replace
-            if (!during_initial_install()) {
+            if (empty($CFG->disableupdatenotifications) and !during_initial_install()) {
                 // append the information about available updates provided by {@link available_update_checker()}
                 $provider = available_update_checker::instance();
                 foreach ($this->pluginsinfo as $plugintype => $plugins) {