diff --git a/apps/package/repos/__init__.py b/apps/package/repos/__init__.py
index fb35682..3ce7c2c 100644
--- a/apps/package/repos/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/package/repos/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+
 import re
 
+
 def get_all_repos():
     return (get_repo(repo_id) for repo_id in supported_repos())
 
@@ -16,4 +19,7 @@ def get_repo_for_repo_url(repo_url):
     return unsupported_handler
 
 def supported_repos():
-    return ["bitbucket", "github", "launchpad"]
+    supported = ["bitbucket", "github"]
+    if settings.LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE:
+        supported += ["launchpad"]
+    return supported
diff --git a/apps/package/tests/test_pulls.py b/apps/package/tests/test_pulls.py
index 71095e4..da49ff9 100644
--- a/apps/package/tests/test_pulls.py
+++ b/apps/package/tests/test_pulls.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.test import TestCase
@@ -26,13 +27,14 @@ def setUp(self):
         )        
         package.save()
         
-        package = Package.objects.create(
-            title="Django-PreFlight",
-            slug="django-preflight",
-            repo_url="https://code.launchpad.net/~canonical-isd-hackers/django-preflight/trunk",
-            pypi_url="django-preflight"            
-        )
-        package.save()
+        if settings.LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE:
+            package = Package.objects.create(
+                title="Django-PreFlight",
+                slug="django-preflight",
+                repo_url="https://code.launchpad.net/~canonical-isd-hackers/django-preflight/trunk",
+                pypi_url="django-preflight"            
+            )
+            package.save()
                 
         # package list is needed throughout the app
         self.packages = Package.objects.all()
@@ -107,4 +109,4 @@ def test_package_model_fetch(self):
                 self.assertTrue(package.repo_description)
             
             # TODO check if this is getting updated
-            #self.assertTrue(package.participants)
\ No newline at end of file
+            #self.assertTrue(package.participants)
diff --git a/apps/package/tests/test_repos.py b/apps/package/tests/test_repos.py
index d32c389..08e83f3 100644
--- a/apps/package/tests/test_repos.py
+++ b/apps/package/tests/test_repos.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # TODO: mock these tests so no network access is required
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.test import TestCase
 
 from package.repos.bitbucket import repo_handler as bitbucket_handler
@@ -58,23 +59,24 @@ def test_fetch_metadata(self):
         self.package.fetch_commits()    
 
 
-class TestLaunchpadRepo(TestCase):
-    def setUp(self):
-        self.package = Package.objects.create(
-            title="Django-PreFlight",
-            slug="django-preflight",
-            repo_url="https://code.launchpad.net/~canonical-isd-hackers/django-preflight/trunk")
-    
-    def test_fetch_commits(self):
-        self.assertEqual(Commit.objects.count(), 0)
-        launchpad_handler.fetch_commits(self.package)
-        self.assertNotEqual(Commit.objects.count(), 0)
-
-    def test_fetch_metadata(self):
-        package = launchpad_handler.fetch_metadata(self.package)
-        self.assertTrue(package.repo_watchers > 0)
-        self.assertTrue(package.repo_forks > 0)
-        self.assertEqual(package.participants, 'canonical-isd-hackers')
+if settings.LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE:
+    class TestLaunchpadRepo(TestCase):
+        def setUp(self):
+            self.package = Package.objects.create(
+                title="Django-PreFlight",
+                slug="django-preflight",
+                repo_url="https://code.launchpad.net/~canonical-isd-hackers/django-preflight/trunk")
+        
+        def test_fetch_commits(self):
+            self.assertEqual(Commit.objects.count(), 0)
+            launchpad_handler.fetch_commits(self.package)
+            self.assertNotEqual(Commit.objects.count(), 0)
+
+        def test_fetch_metadata(self):
+            package = launchpad_handler.fetch_metadata(self.package)
+            self.assertTrue(package.repo_watchers > 0)
+            self.assertTrue(package.repo_forks > 0)
+            self.assertEqual(package.participants, 'canonical-isd-hackers')
 
 '''
 class TestSourceforgeRepo(TestCase):
@@ -103,12 +105,12 @@ def test_repo_registry(self):
         g = get_repo("github")
         self.assertEqual(g.title, "Github")
         self.assertEqual(g.url, "https://github.com")
-
-        l = get_repo("launchpad")
-        self.assertEqual(l.title, "Launchpad")
-        self.assertEqual(l.url, "https://code.launchpad.net")
-
         self.assertTrue("github" in supported_repos())
-        self.assertTrue("launchpad" in supported_repos())
+
+        if settings.LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE:
+            l = get_repo("launchpad")
+            self.assertEqual(l.title, "Launchpad")
+            self.assertEqual(l.url, "https://code.launchpad.net")
+            self.assertTrue("launchpad" in supported_repos())
 
         self.assertRaises(ImportError, lambda: get_repo("xyzzy"))
diff --git a/docs/install.rst b/docs/install.rst
index c170e15..a40cf89 100644
--- a/docs/install.rst
+++ b/docs/install.rst
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ Change the ``ROOT_URLS`` setting in ``local_settings.py`` from `<root_directory_
 
     ROOT_URLCONF = '<root_directory_name>.urls'
 
+You can enable launchpad support in the local settings file. Launchpad's dependencies can be a little fussy, so this will probably require some additional tweaking on your part::
+
+    LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE = True
+
 Add a Google Analytics code if you have one::
 
     URCHIN_ID = "UA-YOURID123-1"
diff --git a/local_settings.py.example b/local_settings.py.example
index 3fe2661..24dc72f 100644
--- a/local_settings.py.example
+++ b/local_settings.py.example
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ LOCAL_INSTALLED_APPS = []
 
 ROOT_URLCONF = "packaginator.urls"
 
+LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE = False
+
 # Analytics ID
 URCHIN_ID = ""
 
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 9e1c89b..7fd5ee8 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -272,8 +272,8 @@
 """
 }
 
-#: See http://ask.github.com/celery/configuration.html
 CELERYD_TASK_TIME_LIMIT = 300
+LAUNCHPAD_ACTIVE = False
 
 LOCAL_INSTALLED_APPS = []