diff --git a/doc/sphinx-guides/source/api/native-api.rst b/doc/sphinx-guides/source/api/native-api.rst
index 2a46abc9ce4..8b1f97b79cc 100644
--- a/doc/sphinx-guides/source/api/native-api.rst
+++ b/doc/sphinx-guides/source/api/native-api.rst
@@ -136,10 +136,6 @@ This endopint deals with users of the built-in authentication provider. Note tha
 For this service to work, the setting ``BuiltinUsers.KEY`` has to be set, and its value passed as ``key`` to
 each of the calls.
 
-List all users::
-
-  GET http://$SERVER/api/users?key=$key
-
 Generates a new user. Data about the user are posted via JSON. *Note that the password is passed as a parameter in the query*. ::
 
   POST http://$SERVER/api/users?password=$password&key=$key
diff --git a/scripts/api/post-intall-api-block.sh b/scripts/api/post-intall-api-block.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb03259baf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/api/post-intall-api-block.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Run this script post-installation, to block all the settings that 
+# should not be available to the general public in a production Dataverse installation.
+
+curl -X PUT -d groups,s,index,datasetfield http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
diff --git a/scripts/api/setup-all.sh b/scripts/api/setup-all.sh
index 75e4f739afd..8fc83564ea7 100755
--- a/scripts/api/setup-all.sh
+++ b/scripts/api/setup-all.sh
@@ -60,3 +60,5 @@ echo
 
 # OPTIONAL USERS AND DATAVERSES
 #./setup-optional.sh
+
+echo "Setup done. Consider running post-install-api-block.sh for blocking the sensitive API."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/api/testBlockEndpoints.sh b/scripts/api/testBlockEndpoints.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..55a78519909
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/api/testBlockEndpoints.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+ADMIN_KEY=$1
+
+echo Testing Groups
+curl http://localhost:8080/api/groups/ip/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo blocking groups
+curl -X PUT -d groups http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
+echo
+
+echo Testing Groups again - expecting 503 Unavailable
+curl -v http://localhost:8080/api/groups/ip/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo Unblocking groups
+curl -X DELETE http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
+echo
+
+echo Testing Groups
+curl http://localhost:8080/api/groups/ip/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo blocking groups, Roles
+curl -X PUT -d groups,roles http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
+echo
+
+echo Testing Groups again - expecting 503 Unavailable
+curl -v http://localhost:8080/api/groups/ip/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo Testing Roles - expecting 503 Unavailable
+curl -v http://localhost:8080/api/roles/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo blocking Roles only
+curl -X PUT -d roles http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
+echo
+
+echo Testing Groups again 
+curl -v http://localhost:8080/api/groups/ip/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo Testing Roles - expecting 503 Unavailable
+curl -v http://localhost:8080/api/roles/?key=$ADMIN_KEY
+echo
+
+echo Unblocking all
+curl -X DELETE http://localhost:8080/api/s/settings/:BlockedApiEndpoints
+echo
+
+echo DONE
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Admin.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Admin.java
index ff911d6cf95..42b77f09800 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Admin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Admin.java
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.providers.AuthenticationProviderRow;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.users.AuthenticatedUser;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.settings.Setting;
-import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-import java.net.URLDecoder;
 import javax.json.Json;
 import javax.json.JsonArrayBuilder;
 import javax.json.JsonObjectBuilder;
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/ApiBlockingFilter.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/ApiBlockingFilter.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4d5f2de5c78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/ApiBlockingFilter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.api;
+
+import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.settings.SettingsServiceBean;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.TreeSet;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+import javax.ejb.EJB;
+import javax.servlet.FilterChain;
+import javax.servlet.FilterConfig;
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
+import javax.servlet.ServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.ServletResponse;
+import javax.servlet.annotation.WebFilter;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
+
+/**
+ * A web filter to block API administration calls.
+ * @author michael
+ */
+@WebFilter( urlPatterns={"/api/*"} )
+public class ApiBlockingFilter implements javax.servlet.Filter {
+    
+    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ApiBlockingFilter.class.getName());
+    
+    @EJB
+    protected SettingsServiceBean settingsSvc;
+    
+    final Set<String> blockedApiEndpoints = new TreeSet<>();
+    private String lastEndpointList;
+    
+    @Override
+    public void init(FilterConfig fc) throws ServletException {
+        updateBlockedPoints();
+    }
+
+    private void updateBlockedPoints() {
+        blockedApiEndpoints.clear();
+        String endpointList = settingsSvc.getValueForKey(SettingsServiceBean.Key.BlockedApiEndpoints, "");
+        for ( String endpoint : endpointList.split(",") ) {
+            String endpointPrefix = canonize(endpoint);
+            if ( ! endpointPrefix.isEmpty() ) {
+                logger.log(Level.INFO, "Blocking API endpoint: {0}", endpointPrefix);
+                blockedApiEndpoints.add(endpointPrefix);
+            }
+        }
+        lastEndpointList = endpointList;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void doFilter(ServletRequest sr, ServletResponse sr1, FilterChain fc) throws IOException, ServletException {
+        String endpointList = settingsSvc.getValueForKey(SettingsServiceBean.Key.BlockedApiEndpoints, "");
+        if ( ! endpointList.equals(lastEndpointList) ) {
+            updateBlockedPoints();
+        }
+        
+        HttpServletRequest hsr = (HttpServletRequest) sr;
+        String apiEndpoint = canonize(hsr.getRequestURI().substring(hsr.getServletPath().length()));
+        
+        for ( String prefix : blockedApiEndpoints ) {
+            if ( apiEndpoint.startsWith(prefix) ) {
+                // Block!
+                HttpServletResponse httpResponse = (HttpServletResponse) sr1;
+                httpResponse.getWriter().println("{ status:\"error\", message:\"Endpoint blocked. Please contact the dataverse administrator\"}" );
+                httpResponse.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE);
+                httpResponse.setContentType("application/json");
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        
+        fc.doFilter(sr, sr1);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void destroy() {
+        logger.info("WebFilter destroy");
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Creates a canonical representation of {@code in}: trimmed spaces and slashes
+     * @param in the raw string
+     * @return {@code in} with no trailing and leading spaces and slashes.
+     */
+    private String canonize( String in ) {
+        in = in.trim();
+        if ( in.startsWith("/") ) {
+            in = in.substring(1);
+        }
+        if ( in.endsWith("/") ) {
+            in = in.substring(0, in.length()-1);
+        }
+        return in;
+    } 
+    
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Mail.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Mail.java
index 950919e3853..fadbc8f6e7f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Mail.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Mail.java
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-/*
- * To change this license header, choose License Headers in Project Properties.
- * To change this template file, choose Tools | Templates
- * and open the template in the editor.
- */
 package edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.api;
 
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.MailServiceBean;
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
index 3ca86f7227c..98cb388e377 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ public enum Key {
          * Search API. See also https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1299
          */
         SearchApiNonPublicAllowed,
+        
+        /**
+         * API endpoints that are not accessible. Comma separated list.
+         */
+        BlockedApiEndpoints,
+        
         /**
          * For development only (see dev guide for details). Backed by an enum
          * of possible account types.