diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
index 9dc61afe57..9de7dc76fa 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 	"restrictions.title-length": "Title Length",
 	"restrictions.post-length": "Post Length",
 	"restrictions.days-until-stale": "Days until topic is considered stale",
-	"restrictions.stale-help": "If a topic is considered \"stale\", then a warning will be shown to users who attempt to reply to that topic.",
+	"restrictions.stale-help": "If a topic is considered \"stale\", then a warning will be shown to users who attempt to reply to that topic. (set to 0 to disable)",
 	"timestamp": "Timestamp",
 	"timestamp.cut-off": "Date cut-off (in days)",
 	"timestamp.cut-off-help": "Dates &amp; times will be shown in a relative manner (e.g. \"3 hours ago\" / \"5 days ago\"), and localised into various\n\t\t\t\t\tlanguages. After a certain point, this text can be switched to display the localised date itself\n\t\t\t\t\t(e.g. 5 Nov 2016 15:30).<br /><em>(Default: <code>30</code>, or one month). Set to 0 to always display dates, leave blank to always display relative times.</em>",
diff --git a/public/src/client/topic/postTools.js b/public/src/client/topic/postTools.js
index e8b6b17970..573ffe4441 100644
--- a/public/src/client/topic/postTools.js
+++ b/public/src/client/topic/postTools.js
@@ -431,7 +431,14 @@ define('forum/topic/postTools', [
 	}
 
 	function showStaleWarning(callback) {
-		const staleThreshold = Math.min(Date.now() - (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * ajaxify.data.topicStaleDays), 8640000000000000);
+		const topicStaleDays = parseInt(ajaxify.data.topicStaleDays, 10);
+		if (!topicStaleDays) {
+			return callback();
+		}
+		const staleThreshold = Math.min(
+			Date.now() - (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * ajaxify.data.topicStaleDays),
+			8640000000000000
+		);
 		if (staleReplyAnyway || ajaxify.data.lastposttime >= staleThreshold) {
 			return callback();
 		}