diff --git a/src/org.mate.terminal.gschema.xml.in b/src/org.mate.terminal.gschema.xml.in
index 7696051..3deedb9 100644
--- a/src/org.mate.terminal.gschema.xml.in
+++ b/src/org.mate.terminal.gschema.xml.in
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@
       <summary>Whether to ask for confirmation when closing terminal windows</summary>
       <description>Whether to ask for confirmation when closing a terminal window which has more than one open tab.</description>
     </key>
+    <key name="middle-click-closes-tabs" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <summary>Close tabs with middle click</summary>
+      <description>If true, it enables the ability to close tabs using middle click.</description>
+    </key>
     <key name="ctrl-tab-switch-tabs" type="b">
       <default>false</default>
       <summary>Switch tabs with [Ctrl]+[Tab]</summary>
diff --git a/src/terminal-window.c b/src/terminal-window.c
index 26655cb..5cdb6a4 100644
--- a/src/terminal-window.c
+++ b/src/terminal-window.c
@@ -2941,8 +2941,12 @@ notebook_button_press_cb (GtkWidget *widget,
     int page_num;
     int before_pages;
     int later_pages;
+    GSettings *settings;
 
-    if (event->type == GDK_BUTTON_PRESS && event->button == 2)
+    settings = g_settings_new ("org.mate.terminal.global");
+
+    if ((event->type == GDK_BUTTON_PRESS && event->button == 2) &&
+            (g_settings_get_boolean (settings, "middle-click-closes-tabs")))
     {
         tab_clicked = find_tab_num_at_pos (notebook, event->x_root, event->y_root);
         if (tab_clicked >= 0)