diff --git a/app/views/users/getting_started.haml b/app/views/users/getting_started.haml
index 525b507b6521ebea8d9c423709b896168d7f6b26..abd508b0966e542a8669ffb8cf5da9db0d447b4c 100644
--- a/app/views/users/getting_started.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/getting_started.haml
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
   .stream_container
     %h2
       = welcome_text
+    %h4
+      = t(".community_welcome")
+    %p
+      = t(".not_mandatory")
 
     %ul#getting_started
       %li.profile{:class => ("completed" if has_completed_profile?)}
@@ -71,21 +75,22 @@
             = t('.connect_with_people_explanation_pt1', :bold => content_tag(:b, t('.bold'))).html_safe
             = t('.connect_with_people_explanation_pt2')
 
-          #diaspora_hq_pane
-            - if diasporahq = Person.find_by_diaspora_handle("diasporahq@joindiaspora.com")
-              = person_image_link(diasporahq, :size => :thumb_medium)
+          -unless AppConfig[:no_follow_diasporahq]
+            #diaspora_hq_pane
+              - if diasporahq = Person.find_by_diaspora_handle("diasporahq@joindiaspora.com")
+                = person_image_link(diasporahq, :size => :thumb_medium)
 
-              .name
-                = person_link(diasporahq)
+                .name
+                  = person_link(diasporahq)
 
-              .info
-                = t('.get_updates_from_core')
+                .info
+                  = t('.get_updates_from_core')
 
-              .add_to_aspect
-                = render :partial => 'people/relationship_action',
-                  :locals => { :person => diasporahq,
-                                :contact => current_user.contact_for(diasporahq),
-                                :current_user => current_user }
+                .add_to_aspect
+                  = render :partial => 'people/relationship_action',
+                    :locals => { :person => diasporahq,
+                                  :contact => current_user.contact_for(diasporahq),
+                                  :current_user => current_user }
 
           #featured_users_pane
             %h4
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index c05d2879b4b5f5b7c7649f3b98973bd1b99ed13d..272a3f689323add294ea2c12ba27118203329d96 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -841,6 +841,8 @@ en:
     getting_started:
       welcome: "Welcome!"
       welcome_with_name: "Welcome, %{name}!"
+      community_welcome: "Diaspora's community is happy to have you aboard!"
+      not_mandatory: "Completing the following steps will improve your Diaspora experience, but they are not mandatory."
 
       finished: "Finished"