diff --git a/app/Helpers/ConfigHelper.php b/app/Helpers/ConfigHelper.php
index b6c0ebe..da56781 100644
--- a/app/Helpers/ConfigHelper.php
+++ b/app/Helpers/ConfigHelper.php
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ class ConfigHelper
             'albums_menu_parents_only' => false,
             'albums_menu_number_items' => 10,
             'allow_photo_comments' => false,
+            'allow_photo_comments_anonymous' => true,
             'allow_self_registration' => true,
             'analytics_code' => '',
             'app_name' => trans('global.app_name'),
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/DefaultController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/DefaultController.php
index f4f5aea..8019d6e 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/DefaultController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/DefaultController.php
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ class DefaultController extends Controller
         $checkboxKeys = [
             'albums_menu_parents_only',
             'allow_photo_comments',
+            'allow_photo_comments_anonymous',
             'allow_self_registration',
             'enable_visitor_hits',
             'hotlink_protection',
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Gallery/PhotoCommentController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Gallery/PhotoCommentController.php
index f81c890..e02ee50 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Gallery/PhotoCommentController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Gallery/PhotoCommentController.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
 use App\Http\Requests\StorePhotoCommentRequest;
 use App\Photo;
 use App\PhotoComment;
+use App\User;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\App;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ class PhotoCommentController extends Controller
 
         if (!$this->loadAlbumPhotoComment($albumUrlAlias, $photoFilename, $commentID, $album, $photo, $comment))
         {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
 
         if (Gate::denies('moderate-comments', $photo))
@@ -73,7 +74,13 @@ class PhotoCommentController extends Controller
 
         if (!$this->loadAlbumPhotoComment($albumUrlAlias, $photoFilename, $commentID, $album, $photo, $comment))
         {
-            return;
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (!User::currentOrAnonymous()->can('photo:post-comment'))
+        {
+            App::abort(403);
+            return null;
         }
 
         return Theme::render('partials.photo_comments_reply_form', [
@@ -94,7 +101,13 @@ class PhotoCommentController extends Controller
 
         if (!$this->loadAlbumPhotoComment($albumUrlAlias, $photoFilename, 0, $album, $photo, $comment))
         {
-            return;
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (!User::currentOrAnonymous()->can('photo:post-comment'))
+        {
+            App::abort(403);
+            return null;
         }
 
         // Validate and link the parent comment, if provided
diff --git a/app/Providers/AuthServiceProvider.php b/app/Providers/AuthServiceProvider.php
index d37e63a..6cc85d7 100644
--- a/app/Providers/AuthServiceProvider.php
+++ b/app/Providers/AuthServiceProvider.php
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ class AuthServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
         {
             return UserConfig::get('public_statistics') || !$user->isAnonymous();
         });
+
+        Gate::define('photo:post-comment', function(User $user)
+        {
+            if ($user->isAnonymous())
+            {
+                return UserConfig::get('allow_photo_comments_anonymous');
+            };
+
+            return true;
+        });
     }
 
     private function userHasAdminPermission(User $user, $permissionDescription)
diff --git a/resources/lang/en/forms.php b/resources/lang/en/forms.php
index 9961921..0e0e7b8 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en/forms.php
+++ b/resources/lang/en/forms.php
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ return [
     'select' => 'Select',
     'select_current_text' => '(current)',
     'settings_allow_photo_comments' => 'Allow comments on photos',
+    'settings_allow_photo_comments_anonymous' => 'Allow anonymous users to comment on photos',
+    'settings_allow_photo_comments_anonymous_help' => 'With this option enabled, users can post comments without being logged in.',
     'settings_allow_photo_comments_help' => 'With this option enabled, users can comment on individual photos.',
     'settings_photo_comments_thread_depth' => 'Maximum depth for nested comments:',
     'settings_photo_comments_thread_depth_help' => 'Set to zero to disable nested comments.',
diff --git a/resources/views/themes/base/admin/settings.blade.php b/resources/views/themes/base/admin/settings.blade.php
index 0628075..2ba7565 100644
--- a/resources/views/themes/base/admin/settings.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/themes/base/admin/settings.blade.php
@@ -488,6 +488,14 @@
                                     </label>
                                 </div>
 
+                                <div class="form-check mt-3">
+                                    <input type="checkbox" class="form-check-input" id="allow-photo-comments-anonymous" name="allow_photo_comments_anonymous" @if (old('allow_photo_comments_anonymous', UserConfig::get('allow_photo_comments_anonymous')))checked="checked"@endif>
+                                    <label class="form-check-label" for="allow-photo-comments-anonymous">
+                                        <strong>@lang('forms.settings_allow_photo_comments_anonymous')</strong><br/>
+                                        @lang('forms.settings_allow_photo_comments_anonymous_help')
+                                    </label>
+                                </div>
+
                                 <div class="form-check mt-3">
                                     <input type="checkbox" class="form-check-input" id="photo-comments-require-login" name="photo_comments_require_login" @if (old('photo_comments_require_login', UserConfig::get('photo_comments_require_login')))checked="checked"@endif>
                                     <label class="form-check-label" for="photo-comments-require-login">
diff --git a/resources/views/themes/base/partials/photo_comments.blade.php b/resources/views/themes/base/partials/photo_comments.blade.php
index 2828071..2def8ca 100644
--- a/resources/views/themes/base/partials/photo_comments.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/themes/base/partials/photo_comments.blade.php
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
     <div class="col mt-4">
         <h2>@lang('gallery.photo_comments_heading')</h2>
 
-        <h3>@lang('gallery.photo_comments_reply_form_heading')</h3>
-        <p>@lang('gallery.photo_comments_reply_form_p1')</p>
-        <hr/>
-        @include(Theme::viewName('partials.photo_comments_reply_form'))
+        @if (\App\User::currentOrAnonymous()->can('photo:post-comment'))
+            <h3>@lang('gallery.photo_comments_reply_form_heading')</h3>
+            <p>@lang('gallery.photo_comments_reply_form_p1')</p>
+            <hr/>
+            @include(Theme::viewName('partials.photo_comments_reply_form'))
+        @endif
 
         @foreach ($photo->comments()->whereNull('parent_comment_id')->get() as $comment)
             @if ($comment->isApproved())