diff --git a/opentech/templates/base.html b/opentech/templates/base.html
index fad907c4fd76a143eee94fd7289298743047ae5a..23b6128853e2a0424469790cd765dc22a6352c26 100644
--- a/opentech/templates/base.html
+++ b/opentech/templates/base.html
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
         <script type="text/javascript" src="//translate.google.com/translate_a/element.js?cb=googleTranslateElementInit"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript">
             function googleTranslateElementInit() {
-              new google.translate.TranslateElement({pageLanguage: 'en', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.SIMPLE}, 'google_translate_element');
+              new google.translate.TranslateElement({pageLanguage: 'en', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.SIMPLE, autoDisplay: false}, 'google_translate_element');
             }
         </script>
         {% block extra_js %}{% endblock %}