diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index 65d629384..d7963fae1 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include <components/detournavigator/debug.hpp>
 #include <components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.hpp>
+#include <components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp>
 #include <components/detournavigator/recastglobalallocator.hpp>
 
 #include "../mwbase/environment.hpp"
@@ -198,15 +199,21 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
         mPhysics.reset(new MWPhysics::PhysicsSystem(resourceSystem, rootNode));
 
-        auto navigatorSettings = DetourNavigator::makeSettingsFromSettingsManager();
-        navigatorSettings.mMaxClimb = MWPhysics::sStepSizeUp;
-        navigatorSettings.mMaxSlope = MWPhysics::sMaxSlope;
-        navigatorSettings.mSwimHeightScale = mSwimHeightScale;
-        if (Settings::Manager::getBool("enable log", "Navigator"))
-            DetourNavigator::Log::instance().setSink(std::unique_ptr<DetourNavigator::FileSink>(
-                new DetourNavigator::FileSink(Settings::Manager::getString("log path", "Navigator"))));
-        DetourNavigator::RecastGlobalAllocator::init();
-        mNavigator.reset(new DetourNavigator::NavigatorImpl(navigatorSettings));
+        if (auto navigatorSettings = DetourNavigator::makeSettingsFromSettingsManager())
+        {
+            navigatorSettings->mMaxClimb = MWPhysics::sStepSizeUp;
+            navigatorSettings->mMaxSlope = MWPhysics::sMaxSlope;
+            navigatorSettings->mSwimHeightScale = mSwimHeightScale;
+            if (Settings::Manager::getBool("enable log", "Navigator"))
+                DetourNavigator::Log::instance().setSink(std::unique_ptr<DetourNavigator::FileSink>(
+                    new DetourNavigator::FileSink(Settings::Manager::getString("log path", "Navigator"))));
+            DetourNavigator::RecastGlobalAllocator::init();
+            mNavigator.reset(new DetourNavigator::NavigatorImpl(*navigatorSettings));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            mNavigator.reset(new DetourNavigator::NavigatorStub());
+        }
 
         mRendering.reset(new MWRender::RenderingManager(viewer, rootNode, resourceSystem, workQueue, &mFallback, resourcePath, *mNavigator));
         mProjectileManager.reset(new ProjectileManager(mRendering->getLightRoot(), resourceSystem, mRendering.get(), mPhysics.get()));
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d82d2f59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#ifndef OPENMW_COMPONENTS_DETOURNAVIGATOR_NAVIGATORSTUB_H
+#define OPENMW_COMPONENTS_DETOURNAVIGATOR_NAVIGATORSTUB_H
+
+#include "navigator.hpp"
+
+namespace DetourNavigator
+{
+    struct NavigatorStub final : public Navigator
+    {
+        NavigatorStub() = default;
+
+        void addAgent(const osg::Vec3f& /*agentHalfExtents*/) override {}
+
+        void removeAgent(const osg::Vec3f& /*agentHalfExtents*/) override {}
+
+        bool addObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const btCollisionShape& /*shape*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool addObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const ObjectShapes& /*shapes*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool addObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const DoorShapes& /*shapes*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool updateObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const btCollisionShape& /*shape*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool updateObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const ObjectShapes& /*shapes*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool updateObject(const ObjectId /*id*/, const DoorShapes& /*shapes*/, const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool removeObject(const ObjectId /*id*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool addWater(const osg::Vec2i& /*cellPosition*/, const int /*cellSize*/, const btScalar /*level*/,
+            const btTransform& /*transform*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool removeWater(const osg::Vec2i& /*cellPosition*/) override
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        void update(const osg::Vec3f& /*playerPosition*/) override {}
+
+        void wait() override {}
+
+        SharedNavMeshCacheItem getNavMesh(const osg::Vec3f& /*agentHalfExtents*/) const override
+        {
+            return SharedNavMeshCacheItem();
+        }
+
+        std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem> getNavMeshes() const override
+        {
+            return std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem>();
+        }
+
+        Settings getSettings() const override
+        {
+            return Settings {};
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/settings.cpp b/components/detournavigator/settings.cpp
index 0b9210a90..f584e48f9 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/settings.cpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/settings.cpp
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@
 
 namespace DetourNavigator
 {
-    Settings makeSettingsFromSettingsManager()
+    boost::optional<Settings> makeSettingsFromSettingsManager()
     {
+        if (!::Settings::Manager::getBool("enable", "Navigator"))
+            return boost::optional<Settings>();
+
         Settings navigatorSettings;
 
         navigatorSettings.mBorderSize = ::Settings::Manager::getInt("border size", "Navigator");
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/settings.hpp b/components/detournavigator/settings.hpp
index dda193fff..0316092a0 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/settings.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/settings.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef OPENMW_COMPONENTS_DETOURNAVIGATOR_SETTINGS_H
 #define OPENMW_COMPONENTS_DETOURNAVIGATOR_SETTINGS_H
 
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+
 #include <string>
 
 namespace DetourNavigator
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
         std::string mNavMeshPathPrefix;
     };
 
-    Settings makeSettingsFromSettingsManager();
+    boost::optional<Settings> makeSettingsFromSettingsManager();
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/files/settings-default.cfg b/files/settings-default.cfg
index 71a93d1a2..81df700cc 100644
--- a/files/settings-default.cfg
+++ b/files/settings-default.cfg
@@ -542,6 +542,10 @@ companion h = 0.63
 
 [Navigator]
 
+# Enable navigator (true, false). When enabled background threads are started to build navmesh for world geometry.
+# Pathfinding system uses navmesh to build paths. When disabled only pathgrid is used to build paths.
+enable = true
+
 # Scale of NavMesh coordinates to world coordinates (value > 0.0). Recastnavigation builds voxels for world geometry.
 # Basically voxel size is 1 / "cell size". To reduce amount of voxels we apply scale factor, to make voxel size
 # "recast scale factor" / "cell size". Default value calculates by this equation: