diff --git a/privatemsg.admin.inc b/privatemsg.admin.inc
index ef15928..c54d932 100644
--- a/privatemsg.admin.inc
+++ b/privatemsg.admin.inc
@@ -220,6 +220,11 @@ function privatemsg_admin_settings() {
     '#description' => t('Also display a link to send a private message to the authors of the comments of the selected content types.'),
     '#default_value' => variable_get('privatemsg_display_on_comments', 0),
   );
+  $form['links']['privatemsg_display_write_new_message'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Display "Write new message" link on the Messages page.'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('privatemsg_display_write_new_message', 1),
+  );
 
   $form['#submit'][] = 'privatemsg_admin_settings_submit';
   return system_settings_form($form);
@@ -232,4 +237,4 @@ function privatemsg_admin_settings_submit() {
 function privatemsg_view_options() {
   $options = module_invoke_all('privatemsg_view_template');
   return $options;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/privatemsg.install b/privatemsg.install
index 8bf3892..1ce54d0 100644
--- a/privatemsg.install
+++ b/privatemsg.install
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ function privatemsg_uninstall() {
   variable_del('privatemsg_display_on_teaser');
   variable_del('privatemsg_no_messages_notification');
   variable_del('privatemsg_display_on_comments');
+  variable_del('privatemsg_display_write_new_message');
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/privatemsg.module b/privatemsg.module
index f2f2071..09b2cf6 100755
--- a/privatemsg.module
+++ b/privatemsg.module
@@ -1563,7 +1563,7 @@ function _privatemsg_block_menu() {
   $block = array();
 
   $links = array();
-  if (privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg')) {
+  if ((privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg')) && variable_get('privatemsg_display_write_new_message', 1)) {
     $links[] = l(t('Write new message'), 'messages/new');
   }
   if (privatemsg_user_access('read privatemsg') || privatemsg_user_access('read all private messages') ) {