diff --git a/nano/core_test/toml.cpp b/nano/core_test/toml.cpp
index 9e2a5cbe83..b29519ba6a 100644
--- a/nano/core_test/toml.cpp
+++ b/nano/core_test/toml.cpp
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ TEST (toml, daemon_config_deserialize_defaults)
 	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.optimistic_scheduler.gap_threshold, defaults.node.optimistic_scheduler.gap_threshold);
 	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.optimistic_scheduler.max_size, defaults.node.optimistic_scheduler.max_size);
 
+	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.enabled, defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.enabled);
 	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.hinting_threshold_percent, defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.hinting_threshold_percent);
 	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.check_interval.count (), defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.check_interval.count ());
 	ASSERT_EQ (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.block_cooldown.count (), defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.block_cooldown.count ());
@@ -516,6 +517,7 @@ TEST (toml, daemon_config_deserialize_no_defaults)
 	max_size = 999
 
 	[node.hinted_scheduler]
+	enabled = false
 	hinting_threshold = 99
 	check_interval = 999
 	block_cooldown = 999
@@ -667,6 +669,7 @@ TEST (toml, daemon_config_deserialize_no_defaults)
 	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.optimistic_scheduler.gap_threshold, defaults.node.optimistic_scheduler.gap_threshold);
 	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.optimistic_scheduler.max_size, defaults.node.optimistic_scheduler.max_size);
 
+	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.enabled, defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.enabled);
 	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.hinting_threshold_percent, defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.hinting_threshold_percent);
 	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.check_interval.count (), defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.check_interval.count ());
 	ASSERT_NE (conf.node.hinted_scheduler.block_cooldown.count (), defaults.node.hinted_scheduler.block_cooldown.count ());
diff --git a/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.cpp b/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.cpp
index a6f976864f..0d971aa1e8 100644
--- a/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ void nano::scheduler::hinted::start ()
 {
 	debug_assert (!thread.joinable ());
 
+	if (!config.enabled)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
 	thread = std::thread{ [this] () {
 		nano::thread_role::set (nano::thread_role::name::scheduler_hinted);
 		run ();
@@ -254,6 +259,7 @@ nano::scheduler::hinted_config::hinted_config (nano::network_constants const & n
 
 nano::error nano::scheduler::hinted_config::serialize (nano::tomlconfig & toml) const
 {
+	toml.put ("enable", enabled, "Enable or disable hinted elections\ntype:bool");
 	toml.put ("hinting_threshold", hinting_threshold_percent, "Percentage of online weight needed to start a hinted election. \ntype:uint32,[0,100]");
 	toml.put ("check_interval", check_interval.count (), "Interval between scans of the vote cache for possible hinted elections. \ntype:milliseconds");
 	toml.put ("block_cooldown", block_cooldown.count (), "Cooldown period for blocks that failed to start an election. \ntype:milliseconds");
@@ -264,6 +270,7 @@ nano::error nano::scheduler::hinted_config::serialize (nano::tomlconfig & toml)
 
 nano::error nano::scheduler::hinted_config::deserialize (nano::tomlconfig & toml)
 {
+	toml.get ("enabled", enabled);
 	toml.get ("hinting_threshold", hinting_threshold_percent);
 
 	auto check_interval_l = check_interval.count ();
diff --git a/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.hpp b/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.hpp
index 4bb30cd9ae..9e8fd425ac 100644
--- a/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/scheduler/hinted.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class hinted_config final
 	nano::error serialize (nano::tomlconfig & toml) const;
 
 public:
+	bool enabled{ true };
 	std::chrono::milliseconds check_interval{ 1000 };
 	std::chrono::milliseconds block_cooldown{ 10000 };
 	unsigned hinting_threshold_percent{ 10 };
diff --git a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
index a11e1540e3..cda2866651 100644
--- a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ nano::scheduler::optimistic::~optimistic ()
 
 void nano::scheduler::optimistic::start ()
 {
+	debug_assert (!thread.joinable ());
+
 	if (!config.enabled)
 	{
 		return;
 	}
 
-	debug_assert (!thread.joinable ());
-
 	thread = std::thread{ [this] () {
 		nano::thread_role::set (nano::thread_role::name::scheduler_optimistic);
 		run ();