diff --git a/etc/octavia.conf b/etc/octavia.conf
index cfa5676e68..994fec5ac7 100644
--- a/etc/octavia.conf
+++ b/etc/octavia.conf
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
 # Enable/disable ability for users to create TLS Terminated listeners
 # allow_tls_terminated_listeners = True
 
+# Enable/disable ability for users to create PING type Health Monitors
+# allow_ping_health_monitors = True
+
 [database]
 # This line MUST be changed to actually run the plugin.
 # Example:
diff --git a/octavia/api/v2/controllers/health_monitor.py b/octavia/api/v2/controllers/health_monitor.py
index 8ed3fb1eec..de21635d10 100644
--- a/octavia/api/v2/controllers/health_monitor.py
+++ b/octavia/api/v2/controllers/health_monitor.py
@@ -151,6 +151,12 @@ class HealthMonitorController(base.BaseController):
         """Creates a health monitor on a pool."""
         context = pecan.request.context.get('octavia_context')
         health_monitor = health_monitor_.healthmonitor
+
+        if (not CONF.api_settings.allow_ping_health_monitors and
+                health_monitor.type == constants.HEALTH_MONITOR_PING):
+            raise exceptions.DisabledOption(
+                option='type', value=constants.HEALTH_MONITOR_PING)
+
         pool = self._get_db_pool(context.session, health_monitor.pool_id)
         health_monitor.project_id = pool.project_id
 
diff --git a/octavia/common/config.py b/octavia/common/config.py
index e69735f54a..a579fddbe8 100644
--- a/octavia/common/config.py
+++ b/octavia/common/config.py
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ api_opts = [
                 help=_("Expose the v2 API?")),
     cfg.BoolOpt('allow_tls_terminated_listeners', default=True,
                 help=_("Allow users to create TLS Terminated listeners?")),
+    cfg.BoolOpt('allow_ping_health_monitors', default=True,
+                help=_("Allow users to create PING type Health Monitors?")),
 ]
 
 # Options only used by the amphora agent
diff --git a/octavia/tests/functional/api/v2/test_health_monitor.py b/octavia/tests/functional/api/v2/test_health_monitor.py
index 91b430d188..83353cfe61 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/functional/api/v2/test_health_monitor.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/functional/api/v2/test_health_monitor.py
@@ -740,6 +740,21 @@ class TestHealthMonitor(base.BaseAPITest):
             lb_id=self.lb_id, listener_id=self.listener_id,
             pool_id=self.pool_id)
 
+    def test_create_ping_when_ping_disabled(self):
+        self.conf = self.useFixture(oslo_fixture.Config(cfg.CONF))
+        self.conf.config(group='api_settings',
+                         allow_ping_health_monitors=False)
+        req_dict = {'pool_id': self.pool_id,
+                    'type': constants.HEALTH_MONITOR_PING,
+                    'delay': 1,
+                    'timeout': 1,
+                    'max_retries_down': 1,
+                    'max_retries': 1}
+        self.post(self.HMS_PATH, self._build_body(req_dict), status=400)
+        self.assert_correct_status(
+            lb_id=self.lb_id, listener_id=self.listener_id,
+            pool_id=self.pool_id)
+
     def test_create_with_bad_handler(self):
         self.handler_mock().health_monitor.create.side_effect = Exception()
         api_hm = self.create_health_monitor(
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/allow-operators-to-disable-ping-healthchecks-42fd8c3b88edaf35.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/allow-operators-to-disable-ping-healthchecks-42fd8c3b88edaf35.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c51d273ca3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/allow-operators-to-disable-ping-healthchecks-42fd8c3b88edaf35.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Cloud deployers can set `api_settings.allow_ping_health_monitors = False`
+    in `octavia.conf` to disable the ability to create PING health monitors.