diff --git a/lib/pleroma/application.ex b/lib/pleroma/application.ex
index a6b921b45..f30fcd1e4 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/application.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/application.ex
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ def start(_type, _args) do
     # Define workers and child supervisors to be supervised
     children =
       [
+        worker(Pleroma.Config, [Application.get_all_env(:pleroma)]),
         # Start the Ecto repository
         supervisor(Pleroma.Repo, []),
         # Start the endpoint when the application starts
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/config.ex b/lib/pleroma/config.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..510d8d498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pleroma/config.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.Config do
+  use Agent
+
+  def start_link(initial) do
+    Agent.start_link(fn -> initial end, name: __MODULE__)
+  end
+
+  def get(path) do
+    Agent.get(__MODULE__, Kernel, :get_in, [path])
+  end
+
+  def put(path, value) do
+    Agent.update(__MODULE__, Kernel, :put_in, [path, value])
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller.ex
index a7b1c0079..531e98237 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller.ex
@@ -6,11 +6,25 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.ActivityPubController do
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Relay
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Utils
   alias Pleroma.Web.Federator
+  alias Pleroma.Config
 
   require Logger
 
   action_fallback(:errors)
 
+  plug(:relay_active? when action in [:relay])
+
+  def relay_active?(conn, _) do
+    if Config.get([:instance, :allow_relay]) do
+      conn
+    else
+      conn
+      |> put_status(404)
+      |> json(%{error: "not found"})
+      |> halt
+    end
+  end
+
   def user(conn, %{"nickname" => nickname}) do
     with %User{} = user <- User.get_cached_by_nickname(nickname),
          {:ok, user} <- Pleroma.Web.WebFinger.ensure_keys_present(user) do
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/federator/federator.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/federator/federator.ex
index 078f3ec11..9ea2507a1 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/federator/federator.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/federator/federator.ex
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Federator do
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Relay
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Transmogrifier
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Utils
+  alias Pleroma.Config
   require Logger
 
   @websub Application.get_env(:pleroma, :websub)
@@ -71,9 +72,9 @@ def handle(:publish, activity) do
         Logger.info(fn -> "Sending #{activity.data["id"]} out via Salmon" end)
         Pleroma.Web.Salmon.publish(actor, activity)
 
-        if Mix.env() != :test do
+        if Config.get([:instance, :allow_relay]) do
           Logger.info(fn -> "Relaying #{activity.data["id"]} out" end)
-          Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Relay.publish(activity)
+          Relay.publish(activity)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
index b531b6188..7b7affe5e 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
 
   @instance Application.get_env(:pleroma, :instance)
   @federating Keyword.get(@instance, :federating)
-  @allow_relay Keyword.get(@instance, :allow_relay)
   @public Keyword.get(@instance, :public)
   @registrations_open Keyword.get(@instance, :registrations_open)
 
@@ -354,11 +353,9 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
   end
 
   if @federating do
-    if @allow_relay do
-      scope "/relay", Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub do
-        pipe_through(:ap_relay)
-        get("/", ActivityPubController, :relay)
-      end
+    scope "/relay", Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub do
+      pipe_through(:ap_relay)
+      get("/", ActivityPubController, :relay)
     end
 
     scope "/", Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub do
diff --git a/test/config_test.exs b/test/config_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d0f0a2d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.ConfigTest do
+  use Pleroma.DataCase
+  alias Pleroma.Config
+
+  test "get returns the item at the path if there is one" do
+    Config.put([:instance, :name], "Plemora")
+    assert Config.get([:instance, :name]) == "Plemora"
+    assert Config.get([:unknown]) == nil
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller_test.exs b/test/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller_test.exs
index e63cd6583..5b46bbe76 100644
--- a/test/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_controller_test.exs
@@ -4,6 +4,29 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.ActivityPubControllerTest do
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.{UserView, ObjectView}
   alias Pleroma.{Repo, User}
   alias Pleroma.Activity
+  alias Pleroma.Config
+
+  describe "/relay" do
+    test "with the relay active, it returns the relay user", %{conn: conn} do
+      Config.put([:instance, :allow_relay], true)
+
+      res =
+        conn
+        |> get(activity_pub_path(conn, :relay))
+        |> json_response(200)
+
+      assert res["id"] =~ "/relay"
+    end
+
+    test "with the relay disabled, it returns 404", %{conn: conn} do
+      Config.put([:instance, :allow_relay], false)
+
+      res =
+        conn
+        |> get(activity_pub_path(conn, :relay))
+        |> json_response(404)
+    end
+  end
 
   describe "/users/:nickname" do
     test "it returns a json representation of the user", %{conn: conn} do
diff --git a/test/web/activity_pub/relay_test.exs b/test/web/activity_pub/relay_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41d13e055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/web/activity_pub/relay_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.RelayTest do
+  use Pleroma.DataCase
+
+  alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Relay
+
+  test "gets an actor for the relay" do
+    user = Relay.get_actor()
+
+    assert user.ap_id =~ "/relay"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/web/federator_test.exs b/test/web/federator_test.exs
index 09533362a..966702935 100644
--- a/test/web/federator_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/federator_test.exs
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.FederatorTest do
   alias Pleroma.Web.Federator
+  alias Pleroma.Web.CommonAPI
+  alias Pleroma.Config
   use Pleroma.DataCase
+  import Pleroma.Factory
+  import Mock
 
   test "enqueues an element according to priority" do
     queue = [%{item: 1, priority: 2}]
@@ -17,4 +21,45 @@ test "pop first item" do
 
     assert {2, [%{item: 1, priority: 2}]} = Federator.queue_pop(queue)
   end
+
+  describe "Publish an activity" do
+    setup do
+      user = insert(:user)
+      {:ok, activity} = CommonAPI.post(user, %{"status" => "HI"})
+
+      relay_mock = {
+        Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Relay,
+        [],
+        [publish: fn _activity -> send(self(), :relay_publish) end]
+      }
+
+      %{activity: activity, relay_mock: relay_mock}
+    end
+
+    test "with relays active, it publishes to the relay", %{
+      activity: activity,
+      relay_mock: relay_mock
+    } do
+      Config.put([:instance, :allow_relay], true)
+
+      with_mocks([relay_mock]) do
+        Federator.handle(:publish, activity)
+      end
+
+      assert_received :relay_publish
+    end
+
+    test "with relays deactivated, it does not publish to the relay", %{
+      activity: activity,
+      relay_mock: relay_mock
+    } do
+      Config.put([:instance, :allow_relay], false)
+
+      with_mocks([relay_mock]) do
+        Federator.handle(:publish, activity)
+      end
+
+      refute_received :relay_publish
+    end
+  end
 end