diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/views.py b/common/djangoapps/student/views.py
index 35ce225011..ace1f8f576 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/views.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/views.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import ItemNotFoundError
 from models import Registration, UserProfile, PendingNameChange, PendingEmailChange, CourseEnrollment
 from datetime import date
 from collections import namedtuple
+from courseware.courses import course_staff_group_name, has_staff_access_to_course
 
 log = logging.getLogger("mitx.student")
 Article = namedtuple('Article', 'title url author image deck publication publish_date')
@@ -184,6 +185,14 @@ def change_enrollment(request):
                       .format(user.username, enrollment.course_id))
             return {'success': False, 'error': 'The course requested does not exist.'}
 
+        if settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('ACCESS_REQUIRE_STAFF_FOR_COURSE'):
+            # require that user be in the staff_* group (or be an overall admin) to be able to enroll
+            # eg staff_6.002x or staff_6.00x
+            if not has_staff_access_to_course(user,course):
+                staff_group = course_staff_group_name(course)
+                log.debug('user %s denied enrollment to %s ; not in %s' % (user,course.location.url(),staff_group))
+                return {'success': False, 'error' : '%s membership required to access course.' % staff_group}
+
         enrollment, created = CourseEnrollment.objects.get_or_create(user=user, course_id=course.id)
         return {'success': True}
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/courses.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/courses.py
index 19eef3ee80..e11fb566f4 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/courses.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/courses.py
@@ -114,3 +114,23 @@ def get_course_info_section(course, section_key):
             return "! Info section missing !"
 
     raise KeyError("Invalid about key " + str(section_key))
+
+def course_staff_group_name(course):
+    return 'staff_%s' % course.metadata['course']
+
+def has_staff_access_to_course(user,course):
+    '''
+    Returns True if the given user has staff access to the course.
+    This means that user is in the staff_* group, or is an overall admin.
+    '''
+    if user.is_staff:
+        return True
+    user_groups = [x[1] for x in user.groups.values_list()]	# note this is the Auth group, not UserTestGroup
+    log.debug('user is in groups %s' % user_groups)
+    staff_group = course_staff_group_name(course)
+    if staff_group in user_groups:
+        return True
+    return False
+
+    
+    
diff --git a/lms/envs/dev.py b/lms/envs/dev.py
index a4655bf763..3e681e6b0d 100644
--- a/lms/envs/dev.py
+++ b/lms/envs/dev.py
@@ -60,12 +60,13 @@ SECRET_KEY = '85920908f28904ed733fe576320db18cabd7b6cd'
 
 ################################ LMS Migration #################################
 MITX_FEATURES['ENABLE_LMS_MIGRATION'] = True
+MITX_FEATURES['ACCESS_REQUIRE_STAFF_FOR_COURSE'] = True
 
 LMS_MIGRATION_ALLOWED_IPS = ['any']
 
 ################################ OpenID Auth #################################
 MITX_FEATURES['AUTH_USE_OPENID'] = True
-MITX_FEATURES['BYPASS_ACTIVATION_EMAIL_FOR_EXTAUTH'] = True
+MITX_FEATURES['BYPASS_ACTIVATION_EMAIL_FOR_EXTAUTH'] = True	# require that user be in the staff_* group to be able to enroll
 
 INSTALLED_APPS += ('external_auth',) 
 INSTALLED_APPS += ('django_openid_auth',)
diff --git a/lms/templates/portal/course_about.html b/lms/templates/portal/course_about.html
index e6359d0542..afecc2f795 100644
--- a/lms/templates/portal/course_about.html
+++ b/lms/templates/portal/course_about.html
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
         $(document).delegate('#class_enroll_form', 'ajax:success', function(data, json, xhr) {
           if(json.success) {
             location.href="${reverse('dashboard')}";
+          }else{
+            document.getElementById('register_message').innerHTML = "<p><font color='red'>" + json.error + "</font></p>";
           }
         });
       })(this)
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@
                 <span class="register disabled">You are registered for this course (${course.number}).</span>
             %else:
                 <a href="#" class="register">Register for ${course.number}</a>
+	        <div id="register_message"></div>
             %endif
           %else:
             <a href="#signup-modal" class="register" rel="leanModal" data-notice='You must Sign Up or <a href="#login-modal" rel="leanModal">Log In</a> to enroll.'>Register for ${course.number}</a>