diff --git a/Bug.pm b/Bug.pm
index 14876dbe3a384e2094ef523e80a3472ca6c63b2c..b451190e2a41866c3d22d3a97e61a2ee6ba44a5a 100755
--- a/Bug.pm
+++ b/Bug.pm
@@ -50,9 +50,13 @@ sub fields {
                     bug_file_loc status_whiteboard keywords
                     priority bug_severity target_milestone
                     dependson blocked votes
-                    reporter assigned_to qa_contact cc
+                    reporter assigned_to cc
                    );
 
+    if (Param('useqacontact')) {
+        push @fields, "qa_contact";
+    }
+
     if (Param('timetrackinggroup')) {
         push @fields, qw(estimated_time remaining_time actual_time);
     }
@@ -182,6 +186,8 @@ sub initBug  {
 
   if (Param('useqacontact') && $self->{'qa_contact'} > 0) {
       $self->{'qa_contact'} = new Bugzilla::User($self->{'qa_contact'});
+  } else {
+      $self->{'qa_contact'} = undef;
   }
 
   my $ccSet = new RelationSet;
@@ -376,7 +382,7 @@ sub user {
     # and actually try to make the change.
     $self->{'user'}->{'canedit'} = $::userid == 0
                                    || $::userid == $self->{'reporter'}{'id'}
-                                   || ($self->{'qa_contact'} && $::userid == $self->{'qa_contact'}{'id'})
+                                   || (Param('useqacontact') && $self->{'qa_contact'} && $::userid == $self->{'qa_contact'}{'id'})
                                    || $::userid == $self->{'assigned_to'}{'id'}
                                    || &::UserInGroup("editbugs");
     $self->{'user'}->{'canconfirm'} = $::userid == 0
diff --git a/Bugzilla/Bug.pm b/Bugzilla/Bug.pm
index 14876dbe3a384e2094ef523e80a3472ca6c63b2c..b451190e2a41866c3d22d3a97e61a2ee6ba44a5a 100755
--- a/Bugzilla/Bug.pm
+++ b/Bugzilla/Bug.pm
@@ -50,9 +50,13 @@ sub fields {
                     bug_file_loc status_whiteboard keywords
                     priority bug_severity target_milestone
                     dependson blocked votes
-                    reporter assigned_to qa_contact cc
+                    reporter assigned_to cc
                    );
 
+    if (Param('useqacontact')) {
+        push @fields, "qa_contact";
+    }
+
     if (Param('timetrackinggroup')) {
         push @fields, qw(estimated_time remaining_time actual_time);
     }
@@ -182,6 +186,8 @@ sub initBug  {
 
   if (Param('useqacontact') && $self->{'qa_contact'} > 0) {
       $self->{'qa_contact'} = new Bugzilla::User($self->{'qa_contact'});
+  } else {
+      $self->{'qa_contact'} = undef;
   }
 
   my $ccSet = new RelationSet;
@@ -376,7 +382,7 @@ sub user {
     # and actually try to make the change.
     $self->{'user'}->{'canedit'} = $::userid == 0
                                    || $::userid == $self->{'reporter'}{'id'}
-                                   || ($self->{'qa_contact'} && $::userid == $self->{'qa_contact'}{'id'})
+                                   || (Param('useqacontact') && $self->{'qa_contact'} && $::userid == $self->{'qa_contact'}{'id'})
                                    || $::userid == $self->{'assigned_to'}{'id'}
                                    || &::UserInGroup("editbugs");
     $self->{'user'}->{'canconfirm'} = $::userid == 0
diff --git a/globals.pl b/globals.pl
index 62fc1d63359c665f91fb24cf1b436ea423fbf250..812fdff15006422dfe5b6f99a76388d9039c622d 100644
--- a/globals.pl
+++ b/globals.pl
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ sub CanSeeBug {
                || (($userid > 0) && 
                   (
                        ($assigned_to == $userid) 
-                    || ($qa_contact == $userid)
+                    || (Param('useqacontact') && $qa_contact == $userid)
                     || (($reporter == $userid) && $rep_access) 
                     || ($found_cc && $cc_access) 
                     || ($found_groups == $found_members)
diff --git a/process_bug.cgi b/process_bug.cgi
index 6f0d641750a0206b0410922d62ba8b1509d43767..94c74fcf5f8373c5d47a454e5d59959fc9510eca 100755
--- a/process_bug.cgi
+++ b/process_bug.cgi
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ sub CheckCanChangeField {
     }
     
     # Allow the QA contact to change anything.
-    if ($qacontactid eq $whoid) {
+    if (Param('useqacontact') && ($qacontactid eq $whoid)) {
         return 1;
     }