diff --git a/scipost/forms.py b/scipost/forms.py
index f2a9f8687cc0f43d82b11014bd8079f9e2f5ca98..b575736f8712dbcbc19282af42d79931a17c5aa8 100644
--- a/scipost/forms.py
+++ b/scipost/forms.py
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ class RegistrationForm(forms.Form):
     password = forms.CharField(label='* Password', widget=forms.PasswordInput())
     password_verif = forms.CharField(label='* Verify pwd', widget=forms.PasswordInput())
     captcha = CaptchaField(label='* I am not a robot')
-
-
+    invited = forms.BooleanField(widget=forms.HiddenInput())
 
 class RegistrationInvitationForm(forms.ModelForm):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/scipost/templates/scipost/register.html b/scipost/templates/scipost/register.html
index 975913639372bf2688a1582eb2b32f5903040095..abb4b07cba6bb3d3525e4f6fce036fb09ab369da 100644
--- a/scipost/templates/scipost/register.html
+++ b/scipost/templates/scipost/register.html
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 <section>
   <h1>Register to SciPost</h1>
 
-  {% if welcome_message %}<!-- Temporary: only see form if invited (thus welcome_message exists) -->
+  {% if form.invited %}<!-- Temporary: only see form if invited (thus welcome_message exists) -->
 
   <div class="flex-greybox">
     <h2>{{ welcome_message }}</h2>
diff --git a/scipost/views.py b/scipost/views.py
index a06c51667452d149d3c19f32de6ef2dc207ddf35..cbf207c1e98b68bb2b69bf01a596785c37a2e9ec 100644
--- a/scipost/views.py
+++ b/scipost/views.py
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ def register(request):
         form = RegistrationForm(request.POST)
         Utils.load({'form': form})
         if form.is_valid():
+            if form['invited'] == False:
+                return render(request, 'scipost/register.html',
+                              {'form': form, 'errormessage': 'Registration is by invitation only at this stage. Come back after 1 May!'})
             if Utils.password_mismatch():
                 return render(request, 'scipost/register.html', 
                               {'form': form, 'errormessage': 'Your passwords must match'})
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@ def register(request):
             return HttpResponseRedirect('thanks_for_registering')
     else:
         form = RegistrationForm()
+        form['invited'] = False
     context = {'form': form}
     return render(request, 'scipost/register.html', context)
 
@@ -271,6 +275,7 @@ def accept_invitation(request, key):
         form.fields['last_name'].initial = invitation.last_name
         form.fields['first_name'].initial = invitation.first_name
         form.fields['email'].initial = invitation.email_address
+        form.fields['invited'].initial = True
         errormessage = ''
         welcome_message = 'Welcome, ' + title_dict[invitation.title] + ' ' + invitation.last_name + ', and thanks in advance for registering (by completing this form)'
         return render(request, 'scipost/register.html', {'form': form, 'errormessage': errormessage, 'welcome_message': welcome_message})