diff --git a/src/lib/sonar.ts b/src/lib/sonar.ts
index 1b6a446fe80..5383ed04c5d 100644
--- a/src/lib/sonar.ts
+++ b/src/lib/sonar.ts
@@ -148,15 +148,20 @@ export class Sonar extends EventEmitter {
 
                 const ruleOptions = config.rules[id];
                 const ruleWorksWithLocalFiles = rule.meta.worksWithLocalFiles;
+                const severity = getSeverity(ruleOptions);
 
-                const context = new RuleContext(id, this, getSeverity(ruleOptions), ruleOptions, rule.meta);
-                const instance = rule.create(context);
+                if (severity) {
+                    const context = new RuleContext(id, this, severity, ruleOptions, rule.meta);
+                    const instance = rule.create(context);
 
-                Object.keys(instance).forEach((eventName) => {
-                    this.on(eventName, createEventHandler(instance[eventName], ruleWorksWithLocalFiles, id));
-                });
+                    Object.keys(instance).forEach((eventName) => {
+                        this.on(eventName, createEventHandler(instance[eventName], ruleWorksWithLocalFiles, id));
+                    });
 
-                this.rules.set(id, instance);
+                    this.rules.set(id, instance);
+                } else {
+                    debug(`Rule "${id}" is disabled`);
+                }
             });
 
             debug(`Rules loaded: ${this.rules.size}`);
diff --git a/tests/lib/sonar.ts b/tests/lib/sonar.ts
index 83bc40c3e7b..7f5a45bc189 100644
--- a/tests/lib/sonar.ts
+++ b/tests/lib/sonar.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ test.serial('If config.plugins is an array we should create just those plugins',
     t.context.eventemitter.prototype.on.restore();
 });
 
-test.serial('If config.rules is an array of ids we should create just those rules', (t) => {
+test.serial('If config.rules is an object with rules, we should create just those rules', (t) => {
     const rule = {
         create() {
             return {};
@@ -134,6 +134,36 @@ test.serial('If config.rules is an array of ids we should create just those rule
     t.context.eventemitter.prototype.on.restore();
 });
 
+test.serial(`If config.rules has some rules "off", we shouldn't create those rules`, (t) => {
+    const rule = {
+        create() {
+            return {};
+        },
+        meta: {}
+    };
+
+    sinon.spy(eventEmitter.EventEmitter2.prototype, 'on');
+    t.context.rule = rule;
+    sinon.stub(t.context.resourceLoader, 'getRules').returns(new Map([
+        ['disallowed-headers', rule],
+        ['lang-attribute', rule],
+        ['manifest-exists', rule]
+    ]));
+    sinon.stub(rule, 'create').returns({ 'fetch::end': () => { } });
+
+    const sonarObject = new sonar.Sonar({ //eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
+        rules: {
+            'disallowed-headers': 'warning',
+            'manifest-exists': 'off'
+        }
+    });
+
+    t.true(t.context.resourceLoader.getRules.called);
+    t.true(t.context.rule.create.calledOnce);
+
+    t.context.eventemitter.prototype.on.restore();
+});
+
 test.serial(`If an event is emitted for a local file and the rule doesn't work with those then the handler should be null`, (t) => {
     const rule = {
         create() {