diff --git a/docs/installationguide.md b/docs/installationguide.md
index cd860f73..83f2b35f 100644
--- a/docs/installationguide.md
+++ b/docs/installationguide.md
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ The ones relating specific JSON bindings are described in the following table.
 | IOTA_MQTT_AVOID_LEADING_SLASH | mqtt.avoidLeadingSlash  |
 | IOTA_MQTT_CLEAN               | mqtt.clean              |
 | IOTA_MQTT_CLIENT_ID           | mqtt.clientId           |
-| IOTA_MQTT_DISABLED            |                         |
+| IOTA_MQTT_DISABLED            | mqtt.disabled           |
 | IOTA_AMQP_HOST                | amqp.host               |
 | IOTA_AMQP_PORT                | amqp.port               |
 | IOTA_AMQP_USERNAME            | amqp.username           |
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ The ones relating specific JSON bindings are described in the following table.
 | IOTA_AMQP_DURABLE             | amqp.durable            |
 | IOTA_AMQP_RETRIES             | amqp.retries            |
 | IOTA_AMQP_RETRY_TIME          | amqp.retryTime          |
-| IOTA_AMQP_DISABLED            |                         |
+| IOTA_AMQP_DISABLED            | amqp.disabled           |
 | IOTA_HTTP_HOST                | http.host               |
 | IOTA_HTTP_PORT                | http.port               |
 | IOTA_HTTP_TIMEOUT             | http.timeout            |
diff --git a/lib/bindings/AMQPBinding.js b/lib/bindings/AMQPBinding.js
index b50dcb93..fa991055 100644
--- a/lib/bindings/AMQPBinding.js
+++ b/lib/bindings/AMQPBinding.js
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ function start(callback) {
     if (!amqpConfig) {
         return config.getLogger().error(context, 'Error AMPQ is not configured');
     }
+    if (amqpConfig.disabled) {
+        return config.getLogger().error(context, 'AMPQ is disabled');
+    }
 
     if (amqpConfig.exchange) {
         exchange = amqpConfig.exchange;
diff --git a/lib/bindings/MQTTBinding.js b/lib/bindings/MQTTBinding.js
index dec3953b..399efde6 100644
--- a/lib/bindings/MQTTBinding.js
+++ b/lib/bindings/MQTTBinding.js
@@ -232,6 +232,9 @@ function start(callback) {
     if (!mqttConfig) {
         return config.getLogger().error(context, 'Error MQTT is not configured');
     }
+    if (mqttConfig.disabled) {
+        return config.getLogger().error(context, 'MQTT is disabled');
+    }
     const rejectUnauthorized =
         typeof mqttConfig.rejectUnauthorized === 'boolean' ? mqttConfig.rejectUnauthorized : true;
     let rndSuffix = '_' + Math.random().toString(16).substr(2, 8);
diff --git a/lib/configService.js b/lib/configService.js
index 8cb93f6f..6efd87b3 100644
--- a/lib/configService.js
+++ b/lib/configService.js
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ function processEnvironmentVariables() {
     }
 
     if (process.env.IOTA_MQTT_DISABLED && process.env.IOTA_MQTT_DISABLED.trim().toLowerCase() === 'true'){
-        delete config.mqtt;
+        config.mqtt.disabled = true;
     }
 
     if (anyIsSet(amqpVariables)) {
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ function processEnvironmentVariables() {
     }
 
     if (process.env.IOTA_AMPQ_DISABLED && process.env.IOTA_AMPQ_DISABLED.trim().toLowerCase() === 'true'){
-        delete config.amqp;
+        config.amqp.disabled = true;
     }
 
     if (anyIsSet(httpVariables)) {