Index: portal/portal-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/portal/charon/CharonPortal.java
===================================================================
--- portal/portal-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/portal/charon/CharonPortal.java	(revision 14757)
+++ portal/portal-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/portal/charon/CharonPortal.java	(working copy)
@@ -2222,15 +2222,49 @@
 		String pageUrl = Web.returnUrl(req, "/" + portalPrefix + "/"
 				+ Web.escapeUrl(getSiteEffectiveId(site)) + "/page/");
 		String pagePopupUrl = Web.returnUrl(req, "/page/");
-		boolean showPresence = ServerConfigurationService.getBoolean(
-				"display.users.present", true);
-		boolean showHelp = ServerConfigurationService.getBoolean(
-				"display.help.menu", true);
 		boolean loggedIn = session.getUserId() != null;
 		String iconUrl = site.getIconUrlFull();
 		boolean published = site.isPublished();
 		String type = site.getType();
-
+		
+		// Display Help menu? Site property has precedence if specified
+		
+		boolean showHelp;
+		String showHelpSite = site.getProperties().getProperty("display-help-menu");
+		
+		if (showHelpSite == null)
+		{
+			showHelp = ServerConfigurationService.getBoolean("display.help.menu", true); 
+		}
+		else 
+		{
+			showHelp = Boolean.valueOf(showHelpSite).booleanValue();
+		}
+			
+		// Display presence? Global property display.users.present may be always / never / true / false
+		// If true or false, the value may be overriden by the site property display-users-present
+		// which may be true or false.
+		
+		boolean showPresence;
+		String globalShowPresence = ServerConfigurationService.getString("display.users.present");
+		
+		if (globalShowPresence.equals("never")) {
+			showPresence = false;
+		} else if (globalShowPresence.equals("always")) {
+			showPresence = true;
+		} else {
+			String showPresenceSite = site.getProperties().getProperty("display-users-present");
+				
+			if (showPresenceSite == null)
+			{
+				showPresence = Boolean.valueOf(globalShowPresence).booleanValue();  
+			}
+			else 
+			{
+				showPresence = Boolean.valueOf(showPresenceSite).booleanValue();
+			}	
+		}
+		
 		out.println("<div class=\"divColor\" id=\"toolMenuWrap\">");
 		out.println("	<div id=\"worksiteLogo\">");
 		if (!published)