diff --git a/include/Prefs.h b/include/Prefs.h
index 404143f1d8..55d56407b6 100644
--- a/include/Prefs.h
+++ b/include/Prefs.h
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ class Prefs {
   char* test_runtime_script_path;
   char* test_post_script_path;
 
-  char* message_broker_url;
-  char* message_broker;
+  char *message_broker_url, *message_broker;
+  bool message_broker_enabled;
 #ifdef NTOPNG_PRO
   bool print_maintenance, print_license;
   char *lic_mgr_config_file;
@@ -375,6 +375,9 @@ class Prefs {
   inline const char* get_message_broker() {
     return(message_broker);
   };
+  inline bool is_message_broker_enabled() {
+    return(message_broker_enabled);
+  };
   inline char* get_export_endpoint() { return (export_endpoint); };
   inline char* get_export_zmq_encryption_key() {
     return (export_zmq_encryption_key);
diff --git a/include/ntop_defines.h b/include/ntop_defines.h
index 9b2b4759e7..045f8f2a1b 100644
--- a/include/ntop_defines.h
+++ b/include/ntop_defines.h
@@ -1118,10 +1118,12 @@
 
 /* MESSAGE BROKER CONSTS */
 
-#define CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL \
-  NTOPNG_PREFS_PREFIX ".message_broker_url"
+#define CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL NTOPNG_PREFS_PREFIX ".message_broker_url"
 #define DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL "0.0.0.0:4222"
 
+#define CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_ENABLED NTOPNG_PREFS_PREFIX ".toggle_message_broker"
+#define DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER_ENABLED false
+
 #define BROKER_RPC_CALL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS (u_int64_t)10000
 #define BROKER_RPC_CALL_MAX_RSP_LEN (u_int64_t)256
 
diff --git a/scripts/lua/admin/prefs.lua b/scripts/lua/admin/prefs.lua
index a319289c16..e6951a24ad 100644
--- a/scripts/lua/admin/prefs.lua
+++ b/scripts/lua/admin/prefs.lua
@@ -2205,12 +2205,13 @@ if auth.has_capability(auth.capabilities.preferences) then
             showElement, default_broker_id --[[show]] )
 
         prefsInputFieldPrefs(subpage_active.entries["message_broker_url"].title,
-            subpage_active.entries["message_broker_url"].description, "ntopng.prefs.", "message_broker_url", "", "text",
+            subpage_active.entries["message_broker_url"].description, "ntopng.prefs.", "message_broker_url", prefs.message_broker_url, "text",
             showElement, nil, nil, {
                 attributes = {
                     spellcheck = "false"
                 },
-                pattern = "[^\\s]+"
+                pattern = "[^\\s]+",
+                required = true
             })
 
         prefsInputFieldPrefs(subpage_active.entries["message_broker_username"].title,
diff --git a/scripts/lua/modules/check_redis_prefs.lua b/scripts/lua/modules/check_redis_prefs.lua
index 82414bb23e..4994663c8b 100644
--- a/scripts/lua/modules/check_redis_prefs.lua
+++ b/scripts/lua/modules/check_redis_prefs.lua
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ end
 
 -- ###########################################
 
-function areHostTimeseriesEnabled(ifid)
+function areHostTimeseriesEnabled()
     local rv = ntop.getPref("ntopng.prefs.hosts_ts_creation")
     if isEmptyString(rv) then
         rv = "light"
diff --git a/src/Ntop.cpp b/src/Ntop.cpp
index 9c0d59935b..ae330ad9bb 100644
--- a/src/Ntop.cpp
+++ b/src/Ntop.cpp
@@ -4276,10 +4276,12 @@ void Ntop::incBlacklisHits(std::string listname) {
 #ifdef NTOPNG_PRO
 void Ntop::connectMessageBroker() {
 #ifdef HAVE_NATS
-  const char *m_broker_id = prefs->get_message_broker();
+  if (getPrefs() && getPrefs()->is_message_broker_enabled()) {
+    const char *m_broker_id = prefs->get_message_broker();
 
-  if (!strcmp(m_broker_id, CONST_NATS_M_BROKER_ID)) {
-    message_broker = new (std::nothrow) NatsBroker();
+    if (!strcmp(m_broker_id, CONST_NATS_M_BROKER_ID)) {
+      message_broker = new (std::nothrow) NatsBroker();
+    }
   }
 #endif /* HAVE NATS */
   // TODO: add MQTT
diff --git a/src/Prefs.cpp b/src/Prefs.cpp
index e0dddce197..6a24d24a86 100644
--- a/src/Prefs.cpp
+++ b/src/Prefs.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ Prefs::Prefs(Ntop *_ntop) {
     enable_informative_captive_portal = false,
     enable_external_auth_captive_portal = false,
     override_dst_with_post_nat_dst = false,
-    override_src_with_post_nat_src = false;
+    override_src_with_post_nat_src = false,
+    message_broker_enabled = false;
   hostMask = no_host_mask, collect_blacklist_stats = false;
   enable_asn_behaviour_analysis = enable_network_behaviour_analysis =
     enable_iface_l7_behaviour_analysis = false;
@@ -839,7 +840,7 @@ void Prefs::getDefaultStringPrefsValue(const char *pref_key, char **buffer,
                                        const char *default_value) {
   char rsp[MAX_PATH];
 
-  if ((ntop->getRedis()->get((char *)pref_key, rsp, sizeof(rsp)) == 0) && (rsp[0] != '\0'))
+  if ((ntop->getRedis()->get((char *)pref_key, rsp, sizeof(rsp)) == 0) && (rsp[0] != '\0') && strcmp(rsp, "nil"))
     *buffer = strdup(rsp);
   else
     *buffer = strdup(default_value);
@@ -947,6 +948,7 @@ void Prefs::reloadPrefsFromRedis() {
 
     enable_top_talkers = getDefaultBoolPrefsValue(CONST_TOP_TALKERS_ENABLED, CONST_DEFAULT_TOP_TALKERS_ENABLED),
     enable_sites_collection = getDefaultBoolPrefsValue(CONST_SITES_COLLECTION_ENABLED, CONST_DEFAULT_SITES_COLLECTION_ENABLED),
+    message_broker_enabled = getDefaultBoolPrefsValue(CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_ENABLED, DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER_ENABLED),
     enable_dns_cache = getDefaultBoolPrefsValue(CONST_DNS_CACHE_ENABLED, CONST_DEFAULT_DNS_CACHE_ENABLED),
     enable_active_local_hosts_cache = getDefaultBoolPrefsValue(CONST_RUNTIME_ACTIVE_LOCAL_HOSTS_CACHE_ENABLED,
 							       CONST_DEFAULT_IS_ACTIVE_LOCAL_HOSTS_CACHE_ENABLED),
@@ -1030,9 +1032,12 @@ void Prefs::reloadPrefsFromRedis() {
     free(aux);
   }
 
-  getDefaultStringPrefsValue(CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL, &aux, DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL);
-  if(message_broker_url) free(message_broker_url);
-  message_broker_url = aux;
+  getDefaultStringPrefsValue(CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL, &tmp, DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER_URL);
+  if (tmp) {
+    if (message_broker_url) free(message_broker_url);
+    message_broker_url = strdup(tmp);
+    free(tmp);
+  }
 
   getDefaultStringPrefsValue(CONST_PREFS_MESSAGE_BROKER, &tmp, DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BROKER);
   if (message_broker) free(message_broker);
@@ -2841,6 +2846,7 @@ void Prefs::lua(lua_State *vm) {
                             enable_external_auth_captive_portal);
 
   lua_push_uint64_table_entry(vm, "max_ui_strlen", max_ui_strlen);
+  
 
   lua_push_str_table_entry(vm, "config_file",
                            config_file_path ? config_file_path : (char *)"");
@@ -2857,6 +2863,10 @@ void Prefs::lua(lua_State *vm) {
   lua_push_str_table_entry(vm, "capture_direction",
                            Utils::captureDirection2Str(captureDirection));
 
+  lua_push_str_table_entry(vm, "message_broker_url", message_broker_url ? message_broker_url : "");
+  lua_push_str_table_entry(vm, "message_broker", message_broker ? message_broker : "");
+  lua_push_bool_table_entry(vm, "toggle_message_broker", message_broker_enabled);
+  
   lua_push_str_table_entry(vm, "zmq_publish_events_url", zmq_publish_events_url);
   lua_push_bool_table_entry(vm, "limited_resources_mode", limited_resources_mode);
 }