diff --git a/include/aoapplication.h b/include/aoapplication.h
index 18f6ef2..af357d0 100644
--- a/include/aoapplication.h
+++ b/include/aoapplication.h
@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ public:
   // from the config.ini.
   bool is_stickypres_enabled();
 
+  // Returns the value of whether custom chatboxes should be a thing.
+  // from the config.ini.
+  // I am increasingly maddened by the lack of dynamic auto-generation system for settings.
+  bool is_customchat_enabled();
+
   // Returns the value of the maximum amount of lines the IC chatlog
   // may contain, from config.ini.
   int get_max_log_size();
diff --git a/include/aooptionsdialog.h b/include/aooptionsdialog.h
index 7e983a3..06684ef 100644
--- a/include/aooptionsdialog.h
+++ b/include/aooptionsdialog.h
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ private:
   QLabel *ui_stickypres_lbl;
   QCheckBox *ui_stickypres_cb;
 
+  QLabel *ui_customchat_lbl;
+  QCheckBox *ui_customchat_cb;
+
   QWidget *ui_callwords_tab;
   QWidget *ui_callwords_widget;
   QVBoxLayout *ui_callwords_layout;
diff --git a/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp b/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
index 80746f7..e6ff8ff 100644
--- a/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
@@ -313,6 +313,20 @@ AOOptionsDialog::AOOptionsDialog(QWidget *parent, AOApplication *p_ao_app)
 
   ui_gameplay_form->setWidget(row, QFormLayout::FieldRole, ui_stickypres_cb);
 
+  row += 1;
+  ui_customchat_lbl = new QLabel(ui_form_layout_widget);
+  ui_customchat_lbl->setText(tr("Custom Chatboxes:"));
+  ui_customchat_lbl->setToolTip(
+      tr("Turn this on to allow characters to define their own "
+         "custom chat box designs."));
+
+  ui_gameplay_form->setWidget(row, QFormLayout::LabelRole, ui_customchat_lbl);
+
+  ui_customchat_cb = new QCheckBox(ui_form_layout_widget);
+  ui_customchat_cb->setChecked(ao_app->is_customchat_enabled());
+
+  ui_gameplay_form->setWidget(row, QFormLayout::FieldRole, ui_customchat_cb);
+
   QScrollArea *scroll = new QScrollArea;
   scroll->setWidget(ui_form_layout_widget);
   ui_gameplay_tab->setLayout(new QVBoxLayout);
@@ -708,6 +722,7 @@ void AOOptionsDialog::save_pressed()
   configini->setValue("stickysounds", ui_stickysounds_cb->isChecked());
   configini->setValue("stickyeffects", ui_stickyeffects_cb->isChecked());
   configini->setValue("stickypres", ui_stickypres_cb->isChecked());
+  configini->setValue("customchat", ui_customchat_cb->isChecked());
 
   QFile *callwordsini = new QFile(ao_app->get_base_path() + "callwords.ini");
 
diff --git a/src/courtroom.cpp b/src/courtroom.cpp
index ba16f8c..7326948 100644
--- a/src/courtroom.cpp
+++ b/src/courtroom.cpp
@@ -1883,30 +1883,35 @@ void Courtroom::handle_chatmessage_2()
 
     QString chatbox_path = ao_app->get_theme_path("chat");
     QString chatbox = ao_app->get_chat(m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME]);
-    if (chatbox != "") {
+    QString customchar;
+    if (ao_app->is_customchat_enabled())
+      customchar = m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME];
+
+    if (chatbox != "" && ao_app->is_customchat_enabled()) {
       chatbox_path = ao_app->get_base_path() + "misc/" + chatbox + "/chat";
       if (!ui_vp_chatbox->set_chatbox(chatbox_path))
         ui_vp_chatbox->set_chatbox(chatbox_path + "box");
+    }
 
-      pos_size_type design_ini_result = ao_app->get_element_dimensions(
-          "chat_arrow", "courtroom_design.ini", m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME]);
-      if (design_ini_result.width < 0 || design_ini_result.height < 0) {
-        qDebug() << "W: could not find \"chat_arrow\" in courtroom_design.ini";
-        ui_vp_chat_arrow->hide();
-      }
-      else {
-        ui_vp_chat_arrow->move(design_ini_result.x, design_ini_result.y);
-        ui_vp_chat_arrow->combo_resize(design_ini_result.width,
-                                       design_ini_result.height);
-      }
+    //This should probably be called only if any change from the last chat arrow was actually detected.
+    pos_size_type design_ini_result = ao_app->get_element_dimensions(
+        "chat_arrow", "courtroom_design.ini", customchar);
+    if (design_ini_result.width < 0 || design_ini_result.height < 0) {
+      qDebug() << "W: could not find \"chat_arrow\" in courtroom_design.ini";
+      ui_vp_chat_arrow->hide();
+    }
+    else {
+      ui_vp_chat_arrow->move(design_ini_result.x, design_ini_result.y);
+      ui_vp_chat_arrow->combo_resize(design_ini_result.width,
+                                     design_ini_result.height);
     }
 
     pos_size_type default_width = ao_app->get_element_dimensions(
-        "showname", "courtroom_design.ini", m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME]);
+        "showname", "courtroom_design.ini", customchar);
     int extra_width =
         ao_app
             ->get_design_element("showname_extra_width", "courtroom_design.ini",
-                                 m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME])
+                                 customchar)
             .toInt();
 
     if (extra_width > 0) {
@@ -2692,8 +2697,13 @@ void Courtroom::chat_tick()
       ui_vp_player_char->play_idle(m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME],
                                    m_chatmessage[EMOTE]);
     }
-    QString f_char = m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME];
-    QString f_custom_theme = ao_app->get_chat(f_char);
+    QString f_char;
+    QString f_custom_theme;
+    if (ao_app->is_customchat_enabled())
+    {
+      f_char = m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME];
+      f_custom_theme = ao_app->get_chat(f_char);
+    }
     ui_vp_chat_arrow->play(
         "chat_arrow", f_char,
         f_custom_theme); // Chat stopped being processed, indicate that.
diff --git a/src/text_file_functions.cpp b/src/text_file_functions.cpp
index 4ea58d6..8f86840 100644
--- a/src/text_file_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/text_file_functions.cpp
@@ -988,6 +988,12 @@ bool AOApplication::is_stickypres_enabled()
   return result.startsWith("true");
 }
 
+bool AOApplication::is_customchat_enabled()
+{
+  QString result = configini->value("customchat", "true").value<QString>();
+  return result.startsWith("true");
+}
+
 bool AOApplication::get_casing_enabled()
 {
   QString result = configini->value("casing_enabled", "false").value<QString>();