diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index f00d76af..10abc82d 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -2583,6 +2583,12 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
                         "MainWindow", "You must restart Bitmessage for the port number change to take effect."))
                 shared.config.set('bitmessagesettings', 'port', str(
                     self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.lineEditTCPPort.text()))
+            if self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.checkBoxUPnP.isChecked() != shared.safeConfigGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp'):
+                shared.config.set('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp', str(self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.checkBoxUPnP.isChecked()))
+                if self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.checkBoxUPnP.isChecked():
+                    import upnp
+                    upnpThread = upnp.uPnPThread()
+                    upnpThread.start()
             #print 'self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()', self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()
             #print 'self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText())[0:5]', self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()[0:5]
             if shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'socksproxytype') == 'none' and self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()[0:5] == 'SOCKS':
@@ -4127,6 +4133,8 @@ class settingsDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
         # On the Network settings tab:
         self.ui.lineEditTCPPort.setText(str(
             shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'port')))
+        self.ui.checkBoxUPnP.setChecked(
+            shared.safeConfigGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp'))
         self.ui.checkBoxAuthentication.setChecked(shared.config.getboolean(
             'bitmessagesettings', 'socksauthentication'))
         self.ui.checkBoxSocksListen.setChecked(shared.config.getboolean(
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
index b9131315..4a1dfc7c 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/settings.py
@@ -120,15 +120,21 @@ class Ui_settingsDialog(object):
         self.groupBox1.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("groupBox1"))
         self.gridLayout_3 = QtGui.QGridLayout(self.groupBox1)
         self.gridLayout_3.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("gridLayout_3"))
-        spacerItem = QtGui.QSpacerItem(125, 20, QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding, QtGui.QSizePolicy.Minimum)
-        self.gridLayout_3.addItem(spacerItem, 0, 0, 1, 1)
+        #spacerItem = QtGui.QSpacerItem(125, 20, QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding, QtGui.QSizePolicy.Minimum)
+        #self.gridLayout_3.addItem(spacerItem, 0, 0, 1, 1)
         self.label = QtGui.QLabel(self.groupBox1)
         self.label.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("label"))
-        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.label, 0, 1, 1, 1)
+        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.label, 0, 0, 1, 1, QtCore.Qt.AlignRight)
         self.lineEditTCPPort = QtGui.QLineEdit(self.groupBox1)
         self.lineEditTCPPort.setMaximumSize(QtCore.QSize(70, 16777215))
         self.lineEditTCPPort.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("lineEditTCPPort"))
-        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.lineEditTCPPort, 0, 2, 1, 1)
+        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.lineEditTCPPort, 0, 1, 1, 1, QtCore.Qt.AlignLeft)
+        self.labelUPnP = QtGui.QLabel(self.groupBox1)
+        self.labelUPnP.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("labelUPnP"))
+        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.labelUPnP, 0, 2, 1, 1, QtCore.Qt.AlignRight)
+        self.checkBoxUPnP = QtGui.QCheckBox(self.groupBox1)
+        self.checkBoxUPnP.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("checkBoxUPnP"))
+        self.gridLayout_3.addWidget(self.checkBoxUPnP, 0, 3, 1, 1, QtCore.Qt.AlignLeft)
         self.gridLayout_4.addWidget(self.groupBox1, 0, 0, 1, 1)
         self.groupBox_3 = QtGui.QGroupBox(self.tabNetworkSettings)
         self.groupBox_3.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("groupBox_3"))
@@ -449,6 +455,7 @@ class Ui_settingsDialog(object):
         self.tabWidgetSettings.setTabText(self.tabWidgetSettings.indexOf(self.tabUserInterface), _translate("settingsDialog", "User Interface", None))
         self.groupBox1.setTitle(_translate("settingsDialog", "Listening port", None))
         self.label.setText(_translate("settingsDialog", "Listen for connections on port:", None))
+        self.labelUPnP.setText(_translate("settingsDialog", "UPnP:", None))
         self.groupBox_3.setTitle(_translate("settingsDialog", "Bandwidth limit", None))
         self.label_24.setText(_translate("settingsDialog", "Maximum download rate (kB/s): [0: unlimited]", None))
         self.label_25.setText(_translate("settingsDialog", "Maximum upload rate (kB/s): [0: unlimited]", None))
diff --git a/src/upnp.py b/src/upnp.py
index e9851b36..62fea1b4 100644
--- a/src/upnp.py
+++ b/src/upnp.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class uPnPThread(threading.Thread):
         self.routers = []
         self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
         self.sock.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_IP, socket.IP_MULTICAST_TTL, 2)
-        self.sock.settimeout(10)
+        self.sock.settimeout(2)
         self.sendSleep = 60
 
     def run(self):
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ class uPnPThread(threading.Thread):
         
         logger.debug("Starting UPnP thread")
         lastSent = 0
-        while shared.shutdown == 0:
+        while shared.shutdown == 0 and shared.safeConfigGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp'):
             if time.time() - lastSent > self.sendSleep and len(self.routers) == 0:
                 self.sendSearchRouter()
                 lastSent = time.time()
             try:
-                while shared.shutdown == 0:
+                while shared.shutdown == 0 and shared.safeConfigGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp'):
                     resp,(ip,port) = self.sock.recvfrom(1000)
                     if resp is None:
                         continue