diff --git a/src/app/components/representatives/representatives.component.html b/src/app/components/representatives/representatives.component.html
index 03b8c12..5a691b7 100644
--- a/src/app/components/representatives/representatives.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/representatives/representatives.component.html
@@ -188,26 +188,24 @@
                   </div>
                 </div>
 
-                <div class="uk-form-controls">
+                <!-- <div class="uk-form-controls">
                   <div class="uk-inline uk-width-1-1 uk-margin-top">
                     <button class="uk-button uk-button-default uk-button-small" *ngIf="showRecommendedReps" (click)="showRecommendedReps = !showRecommendedReps"><span uk-icon="icon: minus; ratio: 0.8" style="margin-right: 5px;"></span> Hide Recommended Representatives</button>
                     <button class="uk-button uk-button-primary uk-button-small" *ngIf="!showRecommendedReps" (click)="showRecommendedReps = !showRecommendedReps"><span uk-icon="icon: plus; ratio: 0.8" style="margin-right: 5px;"></span> View Recommended Representatives</button>
                   </div>
-                </div>
+                </div> -->
               </div>
 
-              <div *ngIf="showRecommendedReps">
+              <!-- <div *ngIf="showRecommendedReps">
                 <hr>
 
                 <div class="uk-margin">
                   <p class="uk-text-lead uk-text-center">Select a representative recommended by <a href="https://mynano.ninja" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="uk-link-text">MyNanoNinja</a></p>
-                  <!--<h4>Or, Select a recommended representative</h4>-->
                   <ul class="uk-list uk-list-striped" style="margin-bottom: 0;">
                     <li class="uk-list-header">
                       <div uk-grid>
                         <div class="uk-width-expand">Representative</div>
                         <div class="uk-width-1-2">Weight / Uptime / Accounts</div>
-                        <!--<div class="uk-width-1-5">Uptime / Delegators</div>-->
                       </div>
                     </li>
                   </ul>
@@ -242,7 +240,7 @@
                   </ul>
                 </div>
 
-              </div>
+              </div> -->
 
 
             </div>
diff --git a/src/app/services/ninja.service.ts b/src/app/services/ninja.service.ts
index a9b55f3..161369c 100644
--- a/src/app/services/ninja.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/services/ninja.service.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ import { UtilService } from './util.service';
 @Injectable()
 export class NinjaService {
 
-  // URL to Ninja API
-  ninjaUrl = 'https://mynano.ninja/api/';
+  // URL to MyNanoNinja-compatible representative health check API
+  // set to empty string to disable
+  ninjaUrl = '';
 
   // null - loading, false - offline, true - online
   status = null;
@@ -15,6 +16,10 @@ export class NinjaService {
   constructor(private http: HttpClient, private notifications: NotificationService, private util: UtilService) { }
 
   private async request(action): Promise<any> {
+    if (this.ninjaUrl === '') {
+      return Promise.resolve(null);
+    }
+
     return await this.http.get(this.ninjaUrl + action).toPromise()
       .then(res => {
         return res;
@@ -67,8 +72,14 @@ export class NinjaService {
     return replist[0];
   }
 
-  // false - does not exist, null - any other error
+  // Expected to return:
+  // false, if the representative never voted as part of nano consensus
+  // null, if the representative state is unknown (any other error)
   async getAccount(account: string): Promise<any> {
+    if (this.ninjaUrl === '') {
+      return Promise.resolve(null);
+    }
+
     const REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 10000;
 
     const successPromise =