diff --git a/etc/koha-conf.xml b/etc/koha-conf.xml
index f24d7dfcfe..3c4da9c541 100644
--- a/etc/koha-conf.xml
+++ b/etc/koha-conf.xml
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@
      Because PazPar2 only connects to a Z39.50 server using TCP/IP,
      it cannot use the Unix-domain socket that biblioserver uses.
      Therefore, a custom server is defined. -->
+__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_PRE__
 <listen id="mergeserver">tcp:@:__MERGE_SERVER_PORT__</listen>
 <server id="mergeserver"  listenref="mergeserver"> 
     <directory>__ZEBRA_DATA_DIR__/biblios</directory>
     <config>__ZEBRA_CONF_DIR__/zebra-biblios.cfg</config>
     <cql2rpn>__ZEBRA_CONF_DIR__/pqf.properties</cql2rpn>
 </server>
+__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_POST__
 
 <!-- BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS -->
 <server id="biblioserver"  listenref="biblioserver"> 
diff --git a/rewrite-config.PL b/rewrite-config.PL
index f4f1f5eca3..f1952c2b1b 100644
--- a/rewrite-config.PL
+++ b/rewrite-config.PL
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ $prefix = $ENV{'INSTALL_BASE'} || "/usr";
   "__INSTALL_ZEBRA__" => 'yes',
   "__INSTALL_SRU__" => 'yes',
   "__INSTALL_PAZPAR2__" => 'no',
+  "__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_PRE__" => '<!--',
+  "__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_POST__" => '-->',
   "__AUTH_INDEX_MODE__" => 'grs1',
 );
 
@@ -132,8 +134,15 @@ foreach $key (keys %configuration) {
   }
 }
 
+# munge commenting out the PazPar2 mergeserver
+# entry in koha-conf.xml if necessary
+if ($configuration{'__INSTALL_PAZPAR2__'} eq 'yes') {
+    $configuration{'__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_PRE__'} = '';
+    $configuration{'__PAZPAR2_TOGGLE_XML_POST__'} = '';
+}
+
 $fname = $ARGV[0];
-$file = read_file($fname);
+$file = &read_file($fname);
 $file =~ s/__.*?__/exists $configuration{$&} ? $configuration{$&} : $&/seg;
 
 # At this point, file is in 'blib' and by default