diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 4074841c7e..c10a8e56ed 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ FEATURES = {
 
     # Allow users to change their email address.
     'ALLOW_EMAIL_ADDRESS_CHANGE': True,
+
+    # Whether to check the "Notify users by email" checkbox in the batch enrollment form
+    # in the instructor dashboard.
+    'BATCH_ENROLLMENT_NOTIFY_USERS_DEFAULT': True,
 }
 
 # Settings for the course reviews tool template and identification key, set either to None to disable course reviews
diff --git a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/membership.html b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/membership.html
index bdf89ea17e..4b5c412023 100644
--- a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/membership.html
+++ b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/membership.html
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
     </div>
     <div class="enroll-option">
         <label class="has-hint">
-            <input type="checkbox" name="email-students" id="email-students" value="Notify-students-by-email" checked="yes" aria-describedby="heading-batch-enrollment">
+          <input type="checkbox" name="email-students" id="email-students" value="Notify-students-by-email" aria-describedby="heading-batch-enrollment"
+                 ${'checked="yes"' if settings.FEATURES.get('BATCH_ENROLLMENT_NOTIFY_USERS_DEFAULT') else ''}>
             <span class="label-text">${_("Notify users by email")}</span>
             <div class="hint email-students-hint">
                 <span class="hint-caret"></span>