diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/room.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/room.js.erb
index 892cf313..cb51cb9d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/room.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/room.js.erb
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ $(document).on('turbolinks:load', function(){
     $("#createRoomModal form").attr("action", $("body").data('relative-root'))
     updateDropdown($(".dropdown-item[value='default']"))
     $("#room_mute_on_join").prop("checked", false)
+    $("#room_require_moderator_approval").prop("checked", false)
     $("#room_anyone_can_start").prop("checked", false)
 
     //show all elements & their children with a create-only class
@@ -105,6 +106,12 @@ $(document).on('turbolinks:load', function(){
       $("#room_mute_on_join").prop("checked", false)
     }
 
+    if(settings.requireModeratorApproval){
+      $("#room_require_moderator_approval").prop("checked", true)
+    } else { //default option
+      $("#room_require_moderator_approval").prop("checked", false)
+    }
+    
     if(settings.anyoneCanStart){
       $("#room_anyone_can_start").prop("checked", true)
     } else { //default option
diff --git a/app/controllers/rooms_controller.rb b/app/controllers/rooms_controller.rb
index 311d357c..f232ab06 100644
--- a/app/controllers/rooms_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/rooms_controller.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
     @room = Room.new(name: room_params[:name], access_code: room_params[:access_code])
     @room.owner = current_user
     @room.room_settings = create_room_settings_string(room_params[:mute_on_join], room_params[:client],
-      room_params[:anyone_can_start])
+      room_params[:require_moderator_approval], room_params[:anyone_can_start])
 
     if @room.save
       if room_params[:auto_join] == "1"
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
     room_settings = JSON.parse(@room[:room_settings])
     opts[:mute_on_start] = room_settings["muteOnStart"] if room_settings["muteOnStart"]
     opts[:join_via_html5] = room_settings["joinViaHtml5"] if room_settings["joinViaHtml5"]
+    opts[:require_moderator_approval] = room_settings["requireModeratorApproval"]
 
     begin
       redirect_to @room.join_path(current_user.name, opts, current_user.uid)
@@ -203,7 +204,7 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
         @room.update_attributes(name: params[:room_name] || room_params[:name])
       elsif update_type.eql? "settings"
         room_settings_string = create_room_settings_string(room_params[:mute_on_join], room_params[:client],
-          room_params[:anyone_can_start])
+          room_params[:require_moderator_approval], room_params[:anyone_can_start])
         @room.update_attributes(room_settings: room_settings_string)
       elsif update_type.eql? "access_code"
         @room.update_attributes(access_code: room_params[:access_code])
@@ -211,10 +212,12 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
-  def create_room_settings_string(mute_res, client_res, start_res)
+  def create_room_settings_string(mute_res, client_res, require_approval_res, start_res)
     room_settings = {}
     room_settings["muteOnStart"] = mute_res == "1"
 
+    room_settings["requireModeratorApproval"] = require_approval_res == "1"
+
     if client_res.eql? "html5"
       room_settings["joinViaHtml5"] = true
     elsif client_res.eql? "flash"
@@ -227,7 +230,8 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def room_params
-    params.require(:room).permit(:name, :auto_join, :mute_on_join, :client, :access_code, :anyone_can_start)
+    params.require(:room).permit(:name, :auto_join, :mute_on_join, :client, :access_code,
+      :require_moderator_approval, :anyone_can_start)
   end
 
   # Find the room from the uid.
@@ -305,6 +309,7 @@ class RoomsController < ApplicationController
 
       # Check if the user has specified which client to use
       opts[:join_via_html5] = room_settings["joinViaHtml5"] if room_settings["joinViaHtml5"]
+      opts[:require_moderator_approval] = room_settings["requireModeratorApproval"]
 
       if current_user
         redirect_to @room.join_path(current_user.name, opts, current_user.uid)
diff --git a/app/models/room.rb b/app/models/room.rb
index b3ee4713..1d68e232 100644
--- a/app/models/room.rb
+++ b/app/models/room.rb
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ class Room < ApplicationRecord
       "meta_bbb-origin-server-name": options[:host]
     }
 
+    create_options[:guestPolicy] = "ASK_MODERATOR" if options[:require_moderator_approval]
+
     # Send the create request.
     begin
       meeting = bbb(owner.provider).create_meeting(name, bbb_id, create_options)
@@ -104,6 +106,8 @@ class Room < ApplicationRecord
     join_opts[:userID] = uid if uid
     join_opts[:joinViaHtml5] = options[:join_via_html5] if options[:join_via_html5]
 
+    join_opts[:guest] = true if options[:require_moderator_approval] && !options[:user_is_moderator]
+
     bbb(owner.provider).join_meeting_url(bbb_id, name, password, join_opts)
   end
 
diff --git a/app/views/shared/modals/_create_room_modal.html.erb b/app/views/shared/modals/_create_room_modal.html.erb
index e274f55f..e65b1b98 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/modals/_create_room_modal.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/shared/modals/_create_room_modal.html.erb
@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@
               </label>
             <% end %>
 
+            <% if Rails.configuration.room_features.include? "require-moderator-approval" %>
+              <label class="custom-switch pl-0 mt-3 mb-3 w-100 text-left d-inline-block">
+                <span class="custom-switch-description"><%= t("modal.room_settings.require_approval")%></span>
+                <%= f.check_box :require_moderator_approval, class: "custom-switch-input", checked: false %>
+                <span class="custom-switch-indicator float-right"></span>
+              </label>
+            <% end %>
+            
             <% if Rails.configuration.room_features.include? "anyone-can-start" %>
               <label class="custom-switch pl-0 mt-3 mb-3 w-100 text-left d-inline-block">
                 <span class="custom-switch-description"><%= t("modal.room_settings.start")%></span>
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 810830a5..ce53acab 100755
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ en:
       update: Update Room
       client: Select client type
       mute: Mute users when they join
+      require_approval: Require moderator approval before joining
       start: Allow any user to start this meeting
       default: Default
       html: HTML5
diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index f89e390a..1d390631 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -125,8 +125,9 @@ RELATIVE_URL_ROOT=/b
 # Current settings available:
 #   default-client: Room owners can decide between the Flash Client and the HTML5 Client for a room
 #   mute-on-join: Automatically mute users by default when they join a room
+#   require-moderator-approval: Require moderators to approve new users before they can join the room
 #   anyone-can-start: Allows anyone with the join url to start the room in BigBlueButton
-ROOM_FEATURES=default-client,mute-on-join,anyone-can-start
+ROOM_FEATURES=default-client,mute-on-join,require-moderator-approval,anyone-can-start
 
 # Specify the maximum number of records to be sent to the BigBlueButton API in one call
 # Default is set to 25 records
diff --git a/spec/controllers/rooms_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/rooms_controller_spec.rb
index 1a099574..2081ede0 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/rooms_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/rooms_controller_spec.rb
@@ -119,8 +119,10 @@ describe RoomsController, type: :controller do
       @request.session[:user_id] = @owner.id
       name = Faker::Games::Pokemon.name
 
-      room_params = { name: name, "client": "html5", "mute_on_join": "1", "anyone_can_start": "1" }
-      json_room_settings = "{\"muteOnStart\":true,\"joinViaHtml5\":true,\"anyoneCanStart\":true}"
+      room_params = { name: name, "client": "html5", "mute_on_join": "1",
+        "require_moderator_approval": "1", "anyone_can_start": "1" }
+      json_room_settings = "{\"muteOnStart\":true,\"requireModeratorApproval\":true," \
+        "\"joinViaHtml5\":true,\"anyoneCanStart\":true}"
 
       post :create, params: { room: room_params }
 
@@ -357,8 +359,8 @@ describe RoomsController, type: :controller do
       @request.session[:user_id] = @user.id
 
       room_params = { "client": "html5", "mute_on_join": "1", "name": @secondary_room.name }
-      formatted_room_params = "{\"muteOnStart\":true,\"joinViaHtml5\":true,\"anyoneCanStart\":false}"
-      # JSON string format
+      formatted_room_params = "{\"muteOnStart\":true,\"requireModeratorApproval\":false," \
+        "\"joinViaHtml5\":true,\"anyoneCanStart\":false}" # JSON string format
 
       expect { post :update_settings, params: { room_uid: @secondary_room.uid, room: room_params } }
         .to change { @secondary_room.reload.room_settings }