diff --git a/appview/pages/funcmap.go b/appview/pages/funcmap.go
index f1d6b6e2..bd0dc734 100644
--- a/appview/pages/funcmap.go
+++ b/appview/pages/funcmap.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type tab map[string]string
 
 func (p *Pages) funcMap() template.FuncMap {
 	return template.FuncMap{
+		"projectMode": func() bool { return p.projectMode },
 		"split": func(s string) []string {
 			return strings.Split(s, "\n")
 		},
@@ -486,15 +487,20 @@ func (p *Pages) funcMap() template.FuncMap {
 			return map[string]any{
 				"OrderedReactionKinds": models.OrderedReactionKinds,
 				// would be great to have ordered maps right about now
-				"UserSettingsTabs": []tab{
-					{"Name": "profile", "Icon": "user"},
-					{"Name": "keys", "Icon": "key"},
-					{"Name": "emails", "Icon": "mail"},
-					{"Name": "notifications", "Icon": "bell"},
-					{"Name": "knots", "Icon": "volleyball"},
-					{"Name": "spindles", "Icon": "spool"},
-					{"Name": "sites", "Icon": "globe"},
-				},
+				"UserSettingsTabs": func() []tab {
+					tabs := []tab{
+						{"Name": "profile", "Icon": "user"},
+						{"Name": "keys", "Icon": "key"},
+						{"Name": "emails", "Icon": "mail"},
+						{"Name": "notifications", "Icon": "bell"},
+						{"Name": "knots", "Icon": "volleyball"},
+						{"Name": "spindles", "Icon": "spool"},
+					}
+					if !p.projectMode {
+						tabs = append(tabs, tab{"Name": "sites", "Icon": "globe"})
+					}
+					return tabs
+				}(),
 				"RepoSettingsTabs": []tab{
 					{"Name": "general", "Icon": "sliders-horizontal"},
 					{"Name": "access", "Icon": "users"},
diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index 2c7038a9..391499dc 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ type Pages struct {
 	db          *db.DB
 	rdb         *cache.Cache
 	dev         bool
+	projectMode bool
 	embedFS     fs.FS
 	templateDir string // Path to templates on disk for dev mode
 	rctx        *markup.RenderContext
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func NewPages(config *config.Config, res *idresolver.Resolver, database *db.DB,
 		mu:          sync.RWMutex{},
 		cache:       NewTmplCache[string, *template.Template](),
 		dev:         config.Core.Dev,
+		projectMode: config.Project.Enabled,
 		avatar:      config.Avatar,
 		pdsCfg:      config.Pds,
 		rctx:        rctx,
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/fragments/topbar.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/fragments/topbar.html
index 794a9131..ee76c1bd 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/fragments/topbar.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/fragments/topbar.html
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@
                     <div class="flex items-center order-4 md:order-5">{{ block "profileDropdown" . }} {{ end }}</div>
                 {{ else }}
                     <a href="/login">login</a>
+                    {{ if not projectMode }}
                     <span class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">or</span>
                     <a href="/signup" class="btn-create py-0 hover:no-underline hover:text-white flex items-center gap-2">
                       join now {{ i "arrow-right" "size-4" }}
                     </a>
+                    {{ end }}
                 {{ end }}
             </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/newComment.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/newComment.html
index e6038136..1361efc2 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/newComment.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/newComment.html
@@ -129,10 +129,12 @@
   </form>
   {{ else }}
     <div class="bg-amber-50 dark:bg-amber-900 border border-amber-500 rounded drop-shadow-sm p-6 relative flex gap-2 items-center">
+      {{ if not projectMode }}
       <a href="/signup" class="btn-create py-0 hover:no-underline hover:text-white flex items-center gap-2">
         sign up
       </a>
       <span class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">or</span>
+      {{ end }}
       <a href="/login" class="underline">login</a>
       to add to the discussion
     </div>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/pull.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/pull.html
index 23a9cf56..c7b17505 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/pull.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/pull.html
@@ -656,10 +656,12 @@
 
 {{ define "loginPrompt" }}
   <div class="bg-amber-50 dark:bg-amber-900 border border-amber-500 rounded shadow-sm p-2 relative flex gap-2 items-center">
+    {{ if not projectMode }}
     <a href="/signup" class="btn-create py-0 hover:no-underline hover:text-white flex items-center gap-2">
       sign up
     </a>
     <span class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">or</span>
+    {{ end }}
     <a href="/login" class="underline">login</a>
     to add to the discussion
   </div>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/user/login.html b/appview/pages/templates/user/login.html
index b9533c57..9e2851e8 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/user/login.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/user/login.html
@@ -108,9 +108,11 @@
       </div>
   </div>
   {{ end }}
+  {{ if not projectMode }}
   <p class="text-sm text-gray-500">
     Don't have an account? <a href="/signup" class="underline">Create an account</a> on Tangled now!
   </p>
+  {{ end }}
 
   <p id="login-msg" class="error w-full"></p>
 {{ end }}