diff --git a/src/core/config/mod.rs b/src/core/config/mod.rs
index 962f40a3..8d8b86ce 100644
--- a/src/core/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/core/config/mod.rs
@@ -1713,6 +1713,13 @@ pub struct Config {
 	#[serde(default = "true_fn")]
 	pub create_admin_room: bool,
 
+	/// Whether to enable federation on the admin room. This cannot be changed
+	/// after the admin room is created.
+	///
+	/// default: true
+	#[serde(default = "true_fn")]
+	pub federate_admin_room: bool,
+
 	/// Sentry.io crash/panic reporting, performance monitoring/metrics, etc.
 	/// This is NOT enabled by default. tuwunel's default Sentry reporting
 	/// endpoint domain is `o4509498990067712.ingest.us.sentry.io`.
diff --git a/src/service/admin/create.rs b/src/service/admin/create.rs
index 914d9c1f..b3b6483e 100644
--- a/src/service/admin/create.rs
+++ b/src/service/admin/create.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ pub async fn create_admin_room(services: &Services) -> Result {
 		.timeline
 		.build_and_append_pdu(
 			PduBuilder::state(String::new(), &RoomCreateEventContent {
-				federate: true,
+				federate: services.config.federate_admin_room,
 				predecessor: None,
 				room_version: room_version.clone(),
 				..create_content
diff --git a/tuwunel-example.toml b/tuwunel-example.toml
index bba9a70b..b5ecb7bd 100644
--- a/tuwunel-example.toml
+++ b/tuwunel-example.toml
@@ -1476,6 +1476,11 @@
 #
 #create_admin_room = true
 
+# Whether to enable federation on the admin room. This cannot be changed
+# after the admin room is created.
+#
+#federate_admin_room = true
+
 # Sentry.io crash/panic reporting, performance monitoring/metrics, etc.
 # This is NOT enabled by default. tuwunel's default Sentry reporting
 # endpoint domain is `o4509498990067712.ingest.us.sentry.io`.