diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
index e224a8bba..bc97703ce 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ final class AppSettings: ObservableObject {
         case pusherProfileTag
         case shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents
         case startChatFlowEnabled = "showStartChatFlow"
+        case startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled
         case mediaUploadingFlowEnabled
     }
     
@@ -164,6 +165,9 @@ final class AppSettings: ObservableObject {
     @UserSetting(key: UserDefaultsKeys.startChatFlowEnabled.rawValue, defaultValue: false, persistIn: store)
     var startChatFlowEnabled
     
+    @UserSetting(key: UserDefaultsKeys.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled.rawValue, defaultValue: false, persistIn: nil)
+    var startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled
+    
     // MARK: Media Uploading
     
     @UserSetting(key: UserDefaultsKeys.mediaUploadingFlowEnabled.rawValue, defaultValue: false, persistIn: nil)
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
index cca32e7e8..d23fdcb07 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ struct DeveloperOptionsScreenViewState: BindableState {
 struct DeveloperOptionsScreenViewStateBindings {
     var shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents: Bool
     var startChatFlowEnabled: Bool
+    var startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled: Bool
     var mediaUploadFlowEnabled: Bool
 }
 
 enum DeveloperOptionsScreenViewAction {
     case changedShouldCollapseRoomStateEvents
     case changedStartChatFlowEnabled
+    case changedStartChatUserSuggestionsEnabled
     case changedMediaUploadFlowEnabled
 }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
index 5cc56cad0..b57ced5a3 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel: DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModelType, Deve
     init() {
         let bindings = DeveloperOptionsScreenViewStateBindings(shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents: ServiceLocator.shared.settings.shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents,
                                                                startChatFlowEnabled: ServiceLocator.shared.settings.startChatFlowEnabled,
+                                                               startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled: ServiceLocator.shared.settings.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled,
                                                                mediaUploadFlowEnabled: ServiceLocator.shared.settings.mediaUploadingFlowEnabled)
         let state = DeveloperOptionsScreenViewState(bindings: bindings)
         
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ class DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel: DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModelType, Deve
             ServiceLocator.shared.settings.shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents = state.bindings.shouldCollapseRoomStateEvents
         case .changedStartChatFlowEnabled:
             ServiceLocator.shared.settings.startChatFlowEnabled = state.bindings.startChatFlowEnabled
+        case .changedStartChatUserSuggestionsEnabled:
+            ServiceLocator.shared.settings.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled = state.bindings.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled
         case .changedMediaUploadFlowEnabled:
             ServiceLocator.shared.settings.mediaUploadingFlowEnabled = state.bindings.mediaUploadFlowEnabled
         }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
index 04f8bd1cb..1433201e3 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ struct DeveloperOptionsScreen: View {
                     context.send(viewAction: .changedStartChatFlowEnabled)
                 }
                 
+                Toggle(isOn: $context.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled) {
+                    Text("Start chat user suggestions")
+                }
+                .onChange(of: context.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled) { _ in
+                    context.send(viewAction: .changedStartChatUserSuggestionsEnabled)
+                }
+                
                 Toggle(isOn: $context.mediaUploadFlowEnabled) {
                     Text("Show Media Uploading flow")
                 }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/StartChatViewModel.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/StartChatViewModel.swift
index 1210e1f05..b9345cf26 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/StartChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/StartChatViewModel.swift
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ class StartChatViewModel: StartChatViewModelType, StartChatViewModelProtocol {
     }
     
     private func fetchSuggestions() {
+        guard ServiceLocator.shared.settings.startChatUserSuggestionsEnabled else {
+            state.usersSection = .init(type: .suggestions, users: [])
+            return
+        }
         state.usersSection = .init(type: .suggestions, users: [.mockAlice, .mockBob, .mockCharlie])
     }
     
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/View/StartChatScreen.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/View/StartChatScreen.swift
index dc5b7c07e..581d016d3 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/View/StartChatScreen.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/StartChat/View/StartChatScreen.swift
@@ -81,20 +81,23 @@ struct StartChatScreen: View {
         .formSectionStyle()
     }
     
+    @ViewBuilder
     private var usersSection: some View {
-        Section {
-            ForEach(context.viewState.usersSection.users, id: \.userID) { user in
-                Button { context.send(viewAction: .selectUser(user)) } label: {
-                    StartChatSuggestedUserCell(user: user, imageProvider: context.imageProvider)
+        if !context.viewState.usersSection.users.isEmpty {
+            Section {
+                ForEach(context.viewState.usersSection.users, id: \.userID) { user in
+                    Button { context.send(viewAction: .selectUser(user)) } label: {
+                        StartChatSuggestedUserCell(user: user, imageProvider: context.imageProvider)
+                    }
+                }
+            } header: {
+                if let title = context.viewState.usersSection.type.title {
+                    Text(title)
                 }
             }
-        } header: {
-            if let title = context.viewState.usersSection.type.title {
-                Text(title)
-            }
+            .listRowSeparator(.automatic)
+            .formSectionStyle()
         }
-        .listRowSeparator(.automatic)
-        .formSectionStyle()
     }
     
     private var noResultsContent: some View {
diff --git a/changelog.d/pr-770.change b/changelog.d/pr-770.change
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dffad695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/pr-770.change
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Guard user suggestions behind feature flag so that they don't impact releasability of other room creation features
\ No newline at end of file