diff --git a/cmd/prometheus/main.go b/cmd/prometheus/main.go
index cae862d82..92310bb01 100644
--- a/cmd/prometheus/main.go
+++ b/cmd/prometheus/main.go
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ func main() {
 	a.Flag("web.enable-remote-shutdown", "Enable shutdown via HTTP request.").
 		Default("false").BoolVar(&cfg.web.EnableQuit)
 
+	a.Flag("web.enable-admin-api", "Enables API endpoints for admin control actions").
+		Default("false").BoolVar(&cfg.web.EnableAdminAPI)
+
 	a.Flag("web.console.templates", "Path to the console template directory, available at /consoles.").
 		Default("consoles").StringVar(&cfg.web.ConsoleTemplatesPath)
 
diff --git a/web/api/v2/api.go b/web/api/v2/api.go
index af3f0e9cd..25cfb7afc 100644
--- a/web/api/v2/api.go
+++ b/web/api/v2/api.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import (
 
 // API encapsulates all API services.
 type API struct {
+	enableAdmin   bool
 	now           func() time.Time
 	db            *tsdb.DB
 	q             func(mint, maxt int64) storage.Querier
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ func New(
 	q func(mint, maxt int64) storage.Querier,
 	targets func() []*retrieval.Target,
 	alertmanagers func() []*url.URL,
+	enableAdmin bool,
 ) *API {
 	return &API{
 		now:           now,
@@ -66,12 +68,17 @@ func New(
 		q:             q,
 		targets:       targets,
 		alertmanagers: alertmanagers,
+		enableAdmin:   enableAdmin,
 	}
 }
 
 // RegisterGRPC registers all API services with the given server.
 func (api *API) RegisterGRPC(srv *grpc.Server) {
-	pb.RegisterAdminServer(srv, NewAdmin(api.db))
+	if api.enableAdmin {
+		pb.RegisterAdminServer(srv, NewAdmin(api.db))
+	} else {
+		pb.RegisterAdminServer(srv, &adminDisabled{})
+	}
 }
 
 // HTTPHandler returns an HTTP handler for a REST API gateway to the given grpc address.
@@ -125,6 +132,21 @@ func labelsToProto(lset labels.Labels) pb.Labels {
 	return r
 }
 
+// adminDisabled implements the administration interface that informs
+// that the API endpoints are disbaled.
+type adminDisabled struct {
+}
+
+// TSDBSnapshot implements pb.AdminServer.
+func (s *adminDisabled) TSDBSnapshot(_ context.Context, _ *pb.TSDBSnapshotRequest) (*pb.TSDBSnapshotResponse, error) {
+	return nil, status.Error(codes.Unavailable, "Admin APIs are disabled")
+}
+
+// DeleteSeries imeplements pb.AdminServer.
+func (s *adminDisabled) DeleteSeries(_ context.Context, r *pb.SeriesDeleteRequest) (*pb.SeriesDeleteResponse, error) {
+	return nil, status.Error(codes.Unavailable, "Admin APIs are disabled")
+}
+
 // Admin provides an administration interface to Prometheus.
 type Admin struct {
 	db      *tsdb.DB
diff --git a/web/web.go b/web/web.go
index 03b5daf86..c57800ffe 100644
--- a/web/web.go
+++ b/web/web.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	ConsoleTemplatesPath string
 	ConsoleLibrariesPath string
 	EnableQuit           bool
+	EnableAdminAPI       bool
 }
 
 // New initializes a new web Handler.
@@ -301,6 +302,7 @@ func (h *Handler) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		func() []*url.URL {
 			return h.options.Notifier.Alertmanagers()
 		},
+		h.options.EnableAdminAPI,
 	)
 	av2.RegisterGRPC(grpcSrv)