diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d2b93ef61f561b08bf38372bc044f0b29ec9640b..dfe8dfedbf8fb92f025b2e7e42a3fd6325260c6a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ graph/*.svg
 graph/*.png
 graph/*.dot
 
+webclient/config.js
+
 uploads
diff --git a/webclient/README b/webclient/README
index 0f893b1712b7ec139c26440330bdb4a15f55e870..9750d2706a716d1dd82692ebd528a2d06341cdfa 100644
--- a/webclient/README
+++ b/webclient/README
@@ -1,12 +1,24 @@
 Basic Usage
 -----------
 
-The Synapse web client needs to be hosted by a basic HTTP server.
-
-You can use the Python simple HTTP server::
+The web client should automatically run when running the home server. Alternatively, you can run
+it stand-alone:
 
     $ python -m SimpleHTTPServer
 
 Then, open this URL in a WEB browser::
 
     http://127.0.0.1:8000/
+
+
+ReCaptcha Keys
+--------------
+The web client will look for the global variable webClientConfig for config options. You should
+put your ReCaptcha public key there like so:
+
+webClientConfig = {
+        recaptcha_public_key: "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"
+}
+
+This should be put in webclient/config.js which is already .gitignored, rather than in the web
+client source files.
diff --git a/webclient/index.html b/webclient/index.html
index fe62d95bb80d4fc62e84c290d724e454328a5009..098137313452751b574557fd09a214c788e562d1 100644
--- a/webclient/index.html
+++ b/webclient/index.html
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     <script src="js/angular-sanitize.min.js"></script>
     <script type='text/javascript' src='js/ng-infinite-scroll-matrix.js'></script>
     <script src="app.js"></script>
+    <script src="config.js"></script>
     <script src="app-controller.js"></script>
     <script src="app-directive.js"></script>
     <script src="app-filter.js"></script>
diff --git a/webclient/login/register-controller.js b/webclient/login/register-controller.js
index 9d02f274df6c5373fa2ce0d10514e65487e2355d..96fffb364d610058de983d7eb80ae7c56e232833 100644
--- a/webclient/login/register-controller.js
+++ b/webclient/login/register-controller.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ angular.module('RegisterController', ['matrixService'])
                                     function($scope, $rootScope, $location, matrixService, eventStreamService) {
     'use strict';
     
-    var useCaptcha = false;
+    var useCaptcha = true;
     
     // FIXME: factor out duplication with login-controller.js
     
@@ -147,7 +147,18 @@ angular.module('RegisterController', ['matrixService'])
 	
 	var setupCaptcha = function() {
 	    console.log("Setting up ReCaptcha")
-	    Recaptcha.create("6Le31_kSAAAAAK-54VKccKamtr-MFA_3WS1d_fGV",
+        var config = window.webClientConfig;
+        var public_key = undefined;
+        if (config === undefined) {
+            console.error("Couldn't find webClientConfig. Cannot get public key for captcha.");
+        }
+        else {
+            public_key = webClientConfig.recaptcha_public_key;
+            if (public_key === undefined) {
+                console.error("No public key defined for captcha!")
+            }
+        }
+	    Recaptcha.create(public_key,
 	    "regcaptcha",
 	    {
 	      theme: "red",