diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index 6fc84efc2..791740663 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ config :pleroma, :instance,
   registrations_open: true,
   invites_enabled: false,
   account_activation_required: false,
+  account_approval_required: false,
   federating: true,
   federation_incoming_replies_max_depth: 100,
   federation_reachability_timeout_days: 7,
diff --git a/config/description.exs b/config/description.exs
index b0cc8d527..e57379dee 100644
--- a/config/description.exs
+++ b/config/description.exs
@@ -665,6 +665,11 @@ config :pleroma, :config_description, [
         type: :boolean,
         description: "Require users to confirm their emails before signing in"
       },
+      %{
+        key: :account_approval_required,
+        type: :boolean,
+        description: "Require users to be manually approved by an admin before signing in"
+      },
       %{
         key: :federating,
         type: :boolean,
diff --git a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
index f796330f1..94389152e 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ To add configuration to your config file, you can copy it from the base config.
 * `registrations_open`: Enable registrations for anyone, invitations can be enabled when false.
 * `invites_enabled`: Enable user invitations for admins (depends on `registrations_open: false`).
 * `account_activation_required`: Require users to confirm their emails before signing in.
+* `account_approval_required`: Require users to be manually approved by an admin before signing in.
 * `federating`: Enable federation with other instances.
 * `federation_incoming_replies_max_depth`: Max. depth of reply-to activities fetching on incoming federation, to prevent out-of-memory situations while fetching very long threads. If set to `nil`, threads of any depth will be fetched. Lower this value if you experience out-of-memory crashes.
 * `federation_reachability_timeout_days`: Timeout (in days) of each external federation target being unreachable prior to pausing federating to it.
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/instance_view.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/instance_view.ex
index 5deb0d7ed..243067a73 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/instance_view.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/instance_view.ex
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.InstanceView do
       pleroma: %{
         metadata: %{
           account_activation_required: Keyword.get(instance, :account_activation_required),
+          account_approval_required: Keyword.get(instance, :account_approval_required),
           features: features(),
           federation: federation(),
           fields_limits: fields_limits()
diff --git a/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/instance_controller_test.exs b/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/instance_controller_test.exs
index cc880d82c..8a4183283 100644
--- a/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/instance_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/instance_controller_test.exs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.InstanceControllerTest do
            } = result
 
     assert result["pleroma"]["metadata"]["account_activation_required"] != nil
+    assert result["pleroma"]["metadata"]["account_approval_required"] != nil
     assert result["pleroma"]["metadata"]["features"]
     assert result["pleroma"]["metadata"]["federation"]
     assert result["pleroma"]["metadata"]["fields_limits"]