diff --git a/test/api/v3/unit/libs/slack.js b/test/api/v3/unit/libs/slack.js
index b3d579349a..b133380384 100644
--- a/test/api/v3/unit/libs/slack.js
+++ b/test/api/v3/unit/libs/slack.js
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 /* eslint-disable camelcase */
 import { IncomingWebhook } from '@slack/client';
+import requireAgain from 'require-again';
 import slack from '../../../../../website/server/libs/slack';
+import logger from '../../../../../website/server/libs/logger';
 import { TAVERN_ID } from '../../../../../website/server/models/group';
+import nconf from 'nconf';
 
 describe('slack', () => {
   describe('sendFlagNotification', () => {
@@ -93,5 +96,21 @@ describe('slack', () => {
         })],
       });
     });
+
+    it('noops if no flagging url is provided', () => {
+      sandbox.stub(nconf, 'get').withArgs('SLACK:FLAGGING_URL').returns('');
+      sandbox.stub(logger, 'error');
+      let reRequiredSlack = requireAgain('../../../../../website/server/libs/slack');
+
+      expect(logger.error).to.be.calledOnce;
+
+      reRequiredSlack.sendFlagNotification({
+        flagger,
+        group,
+        message,
+      });
+
+      expect(IncomingWebhook.prototype.send).to.not.be.called;
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/website/server/libs/slack.js b/website/server/libs/slack.js
index e67ab26030..2c309ae430 100644
--- a/website/server/libs/slack.js
+++ b/website/server/libs/slack.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable camelcase */
 import { IncomingWebhook } from '@slack/client';
+import logger from './logger';
 import { TAVERN_ID } from '../models/group';
 import nconf from 'nconf';
 
@@ -7,13 +8,22 @@ const SLACK_FLAGGING_URL = nconf.get('SLACK:FLAGGING_URL');
 const SLACK_FLAGGING_FOOTER_LINK = nconf.get('SLACK:FLAGGING_FOOTER_LINK');
 const BASE_URL = nconf.get('BASE_URL');
 
-let flagSlack = new IncomingWebhook(SLACK_FLAGGING_URL);
+let flagSlack;
+
+try {
+  flagSlack = new IncomingWebhook(SLACK_FLAGGING_URL);
+} catch (err) {
+  logger.error(err);
+}
 
 function sendFlagNotification ({
   flagger,
   group,
   message,
 }) {
+  if (!SLACK_FLAGGING_URL) {
+    return;
+  }
   let titleLink;
   let title = `Flag in ${group.name}`;
   let text = `${flagger.profile.name} (${flagger.id}) flagged a message`;