diff --git a/conversejs/builtin.ts b/conversejs/builtin.ts
index 214faed8..5aa9a606 100644
--- a/conversejs/builtin.ts
+++ b/conversejs/builtin.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ interface InitConverseParams {
   boshServiceUrl: string
   websocketServiceUrl: string
   authenticationUrl: string
+  advancedControls: 'true' | 'false'
 }
 window.initConverse = async function initConverse ({
   jid,
@@ -85,8 +86,10 @@ window.initConverse = async function initConverse ({
   room,
   boshServiceUrl,
   websocketServiceUrl,
-  authenticationUrl
+  authenticationUrl,
+  advancedControls
 }: InitConverseParams) {
+  const isInIframe = inIframe()
   const params: any = {
     assets_path: assetsPath,
 
@@ -103,18 +106,12 @@ window.initConverse = async function initConverse ({
       room
     ],
     singleton: true,
-    auto_focus: false,
-    hide_muc_participants: inIframe(),
+    auto_focus: isInIframe,
+    hide_muc_participants: isInIframe,
     keepalive: true,
     play_sounds: false,
     muc_mention_autocomplete_min_chars: 3,
     muc_mention_autocomplete_filter: 'contains',
-    modtools_disable_assign: true,
-    muc_disable_slash_commands: [
-      'admin', 'ban', 'clear', 'deop', 'destroy', 'kick',
-      'member', 'modtools', 'mute', 'op', 'owner', 'register',
-      'revoke', 'subject', 'topic', 'voice'
-    ],
     muc_instant_rooms: true,
     show_client_info: false,
     allow_adhoc_commands: false,
@@ -143,5 +140,18 @@ window.initConverse = async function initConverse ({
     }
   }
 
+  if (!advancedControls) {
+    // These params are for externals XMPP servers.
+    // NB: because we dont know if external servers have authentication mecanism,
+    // we disable all moderation functionnality.
+    // This is also done for backward compatibility with older installations.
+    params.muc_disable_slash_commands = [
+      'admin', 'ban', 'clear', 'deop', 'destroy', 'kick',
+      'member', 'modtools', 'mute', 'op', 'owner', 'register',
+      'revoke', 'subject', 'topic', 'voice'
+    ]
+    params.modtools_disable_assign = true
+  }
+
   window.converse.initialize(params)
 }
diff --git a/conversejs/index.html b/conversejs/index.html
index 509b3e4b..7ac7a1c5 100644
--- a/conversejs/index.html
+++ b/conversejs/index.html
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
     room: '{{ROOM}}',
     boshServiceUrl: '{{BOSH_SERVICE_URL}}',
     websocketServiceUrl: '{{WS_SERVICE_URL}}',
-    authenticationUrl: '{{AUTHENTICATION_URL}}'
+    authenticationUrl: '{{AUTHENTICATION_URL}}',
+    advancedControls: '{{ADVANCEDCONTROLS}}'
   })
 </script>
 </body>
diff --git a/server/lib/routers/webchat.ts b/server/lib/routers/webchat.ts
index 95fcf99f..ccf24253 100644
--- a/server/lib/routers/webchat.ts
+++ b/server/lib/routers/webchat.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ async function initWebchatRouter (options: RegisterServerOptions): Promise<Route
       let boshUri: string
       let wsUri: string
       let authenticationUrl: string = ''
+      let advancedControls: boolean = false
       if (settings['chat-use-prosody']) {
         server = 'anon.localhost'
         room = '{{VIDEO_UUID}}@room.localhost'
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ async function initWebchatRouter (options: RegisterServerOptions): Promise<Route
         authenticationUrl = options.peertubeHelpers.config.getWebserverUrl() +
           getBaseRouter() +
           'api/auth'
+        advancedControls = true
       } else if (settings['chat-use-builtin']) {
         if (!settings['chat-server']) {
           throw new Error('Missing chat-server settings.')
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ async function initWebchatRouter (options: RegisterServerOptions): Promise<Route
       page = page.replace(/{{BOSH_SERVICE_URL}}/g, boshUri)
       page = page.replace(/{{WS_SERVICE_URL}}/g, wsUri)
       page = page.replace(/{{AUTHENTICATION_URL}}/g, authenticationUrl)
+      page = page.replace(/{{ADVANCEDCONTROLS}}/g, advancedControls ? 'true' : 'false')
 
       res.status(200)
       res.type('html')