diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 484aff54c5..71b94c25aa 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -267,15 +267,17 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			try
 			{
 				NatUtility.Logger = Log.Channels["server"].Writer;
-				NatUtility.Verbose = true;
+				NatUtility.Verbose = Settings.Server.VerboseNatDiscovery;
 				NatUtility.DeviceFound += DeviceFound;
 				NatUtility.DeviceLost += DeviceLost;
+				Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable = false;
 				NatUtility.StartDiscovery();
 				Log.Write("server", "NAT discovery started.");
 			}
 			catch (Exception e)
 			{
 				Log.Write("server", "Can't discover UPnP-enabled device: {0}", e);
+				Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable = false;
 				Settings.Server.AllowUPnP = false;
 			}
 
@@ -289,6 +291,18 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 			Sound.Create(Settings.Sound.Engine);
 			InitializeWithMods(Settings.Game.Mods);
+
+			RunAfterDelay(Settings.Server.NatDiscoveryTimeout, () =>
+			{
+				NatUtility.StopDiscovery();
+				Log.Write("server", "NAT discovery stopped.");
+				if (natDevice == null)
+				{
+					Log.Write("server", "No NAT devices with UPnP enabled found within {0} ms deadline. Disabling automatic port forwarding.".F(Settings.Server.NatDiscoveryTimeout));
+					Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable = false;
+					Settings.Server.AllowUPnP = false;
+				}
+			});
 		}
 
 		public static void DeviceFound(object sender, DeviceEventArgs args)
@@ -302,6 +316,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			foreach (var mp in natDevice.GetAllMappings())
 				Log.Write("server", "Existing port mapping: protocol={0}, public={1}, private={2}", mp.Protocol, mp.PublicPort, mp.PrivatePort);
 
+			Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable = true;
 			Settings.Server.AllowUPnP = true;
 		}
 
@@ -309,9 +324,10 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		{
 			natDevice = args.Device;
 
-			Log.Write("server", "NAT device Lost");
+			Log.Write("server", "NAT device lost.");
 			Log.Write("server", "Type: {0}", natDevice.GetType());
 
+			Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable = false;
 			Settings.Server.AllowUPnP = false;
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Settings.cs b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Settings.cs
index 527fe66866..2e2a179155 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Settings.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Settings.cs
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.GameRules
 		public int ExternalPort = 1234;
 		public bool AdvertiseOnline = true;
 		public string MasterServer = "http://master.open-ra.org/";
-		public bool AllowUPnP = true;
+		public bool AllowUPnP = true; // let the user disable it
+		public bool NatDeviceAvailable = false; // internal check if discovery succeeded
+		public int NatDiscoveryTimeout = 1000; // ms to search for UPnP enabled NATs
+		public bool VerboseNatDiscovery = false; // print very detailed logs for debugging
 		public bool AllowCheats = false;
 		public string Map = null;
 		public string[] Ban = null;
@@ -49,6 +52,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.GameRules
 			AdvertiseOnline = other.AdvertiseOnline;
 			MasterServer = other.MasterServer;
 			AllowUPnP = other.AllowUPnP;
+			NatDeviceAvailable = other.NatDeviceAvailable;
+			NatDiscoveryTimeout = other.NatDiscoveryTimeout;
+			VerboseNatDiscovery = other.VerboseNatDiscovery;
 			AllowCheats = other.AllowCheats;
 			Map = other.Map;
 			Ban = other.Ban;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
index 20bae37b1a..5ca5dc5a4b 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
@@ -80,8 +80,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 		{
 			foreach (var t in ServerTraits.WithInterface<IEndGame>())
 				t.GameEnded(this);
-			if (Settings.AllowUPnP)
-				RemovePortforward();
 		}
 
 		public Server(IPEndPoint endpoint, string[] mods, ServerSettings settings, ModData modData, INatDevice natDevice)
@@ -159,6 +157,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 					if (State == ServerState.ShuttingDown)
 					{
 						EndGame();
+						if (Settings.AllowUPnP)
+							RemovePortforward();
 						break;
 					}
 				}
@@ -166,9 +166,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				foreach (var t in ServerTraits.WithInterface<INotifyServerShutdown>())
 					t.ServerShutdown(this);
 
-				if (Settings.AllowUPnP)
-					RemovePortforward();
-
 				preConns.Clear();
 				conns.Clear();
 				try { listener.Stop(); }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
index e93d00a2f4..c15dac9da7 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Logic
 			var UPnPCheckbox = panel.Get<CheckboxWidget>("UPNP_CHECKBOX");
 			UPnPCheckbox.IsChecked = () => allowUPnP;
 			UPnPCheckbox.OnClick = () => allowUPnP ^= true;
+			UPnPCheckbox.IsDisabled = () => !Game.Settings.Server.NatDeviceAvailable;
 		}
 
 		void CreateAndJoin()
diff --git a/mods/cnc/chrome/createserver.yaml b/mods/cnc/chrome/createserver.yaml
index 839eea09f4..9f6ce6eaaf 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/chrome/createserver.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/chrome/createserver.yaml
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ Container@CREATESERVER_PANEL:
 					Y:180
 					Width:300
 					Height:20
-					Text:Allow UPnP port forwarding
+					Text:Automatic port forwarding
 				Label@EXTERNAL_PORT_LABEL:
 					X:15
 					Y:219
diff --git a/mods/ra/chrome/create-server.yaml b/mods/ra/chrome/create-server.yaml
index 3a81044bd2..c8427d0fc5 100644
--- a/mods/ra/chrome/create-server.yaml
+++ b/mods/ra/chrome/create-server.yaml
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Background@CREATESERVER_BG:
 			Y:165
 			Width:300
 			Height:20
-			Text:Allow UPnP port forwarding
+			Text:Automatic port forwarding
 		Button@CREATE_BUTTON:
 			X:130
 			Y:PARENT_BOTTOM - 45