diff --git a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/dictproxy.py b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/dictproxy.py
index 75e38fe8..2d60f1f1 100644
--- a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/dictproxy.py
+++ b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/dictproxy.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 import os
 import sys
 import json
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ import subprocess
 
 from .database import Database
 
+NOCREATE_FILE = "/etc/chatmail-nocreate"
+
 
 def encrypt_password(password: str):
     password = password.encode("ascii")
@@ -27,10 +30,12 @@ def encrypt_password(password: str):
 
 
 def create_user(db, user, password):
-    if not os.path.exists("/tmp/nocreate"):
-        with db.write_transaction() as conn:
-            conn.create_user(user, password)
-        return dict(home=f"/home/vmail/{user}", uid="vmail", gid="vmail", password=password)
+    if os.path.exists(NOCREATE_FILE):
+        logging.warning(f"Didn't create account: {NOCREATE_FILE} exists. Delete the file to enable account creation.")
+        return
+    with db.write_transaction() as conn:
+        conn.create_user(user, password)
+    return dict(home=f"/home/vmail/{user}", uid="vmail", gid="vmail", password=password)
 
 
 def get_user_data(db, user):
diff --git a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/test_doveauth.py b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/test_doveauth.py
index 261f089b..8866c9a1 100644
--- a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/test_doveauth.py
+++ b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/test_doveauth.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import os
 
 import pytest
 
+import chatmaild.dictproxy
 from .dictproxy import get_user_data, lookup_passdb
 from .database import Database, DBError
 
@@ -14,8 +15,9 @@ def db(tmpdir):
 
 
 def test_basic(db):
-    if os.path.exists("/tmp/nocreate"):
-        os.remove("/tmp/nocreate")
+    chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE = "/tmp/nocreate"
+    if os.path.exists(chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE):
+        os.remove(chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE)
     lookup_passdb(db, "link2xt@c1.testrun.org", "asdf")
     data = get_user_data(db, "link2xt@c1.testrun.org")
     assert data
@@ -31,12 +33,13 @@ def test_dont_overwrite_password_on_wrong_login(db):
 
 
 def test_nocreate_file(db):
-    with open("/tmp/nocreate", "w+") as f:
+    chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE = "/tmp/nocreate"
+    with open(chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE, "w+") as f:
         f.write("")
-    assert os.path.exists("/tmp/nocreate")
+    assert os.path.exists(chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE)
     lookup_passdb(db, "newuser1@something.org", "kajdlqweqwe")
     assert not get_user_data(db, "newuser1@something.org")
-    os.remove("/tmp/nocreate")
+    os.remove(chatmaild.dictproxy.NOCREATE_FILE)
 
 
 def test_db_version(db):