diff --git a/lib/defaults.js b/lib/defaults.js
index 85d3be55e..44cfef5f0 100644
--- a/lib/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/defaults.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Default.httpHeaders = function (Env) {
     return {
         "X-XSS-Protection": "1; mode=block",
         "X-Content-Type-Options": "nosniff",
-        "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": Env.disableEmbedding? '': "*",
+        "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": Env.disableEmbedding? Env.permittedEmbedders: "*",
         "Permissions-policy":"interest-cohort=()"
     };
 };
diff --git a/lib/env.js b/lib/env.js
index fe2fa4828..f92eae98c 100644
--- a/lib/env.js
+++ b/lib/env.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ module.exports.create = function (config) {
 
         httpUnsafeOrigin: canonicalizeOrigin(config.httpUnsafeOrigin),
         httpSafeOrigin: canonicalizeOrigin(config.httpSafeOrigin),
+        permittedEmbedders: typeof(config.permittedEmbedders) === 'string'? config.permittedEmbedders: canonicalizeOrigin(config.httpSafeOrigin),
+
         removeDonateButton: config.removeDonateButton,
         httpPort: isValidPort(config.httpPort)? config.httpPort: 3000,
         httpAddress: typeof(config.httpAddress) === 'string'? config.httpAddress: '127.0.0.1',
@@ -68,7 +70,6 @@ module.exports.create = function (config) {
         archiveRetentionTime: config.archiveRetentionTime,
         accountRetentionTime: config.accountRetentionTime,
 
-    // TODO implement mutability
         adminEmail: config.adminEmail,
         supportMailbox: config.supportMailboxPublicKey,
 
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index a08a7e5c3..498b7465b 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ app.use('/blob', function (req, res, next) {
     if (req.method === 'HEAD') {
         Express.static(Path.join(__dirname, Env.paths.blob), {
             setHeaders: function (res, path, stat) {
-                res.set('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
+                res.set('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', Env.disableEmbedding? Env.permittedEmbedders: '*');
                 res.set('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Content-Length');
                 res.set('Access-Control-Expose-Headers', 'Content-Length');
             }
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ app.use('/blob', function (req, res, next) {
 
 app.use(function (req, res, next) {
     if (req.method === 'OPTIONS' && /\/blob\//.test(req.url)) {
-        res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
+        res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', Env.disableEmbedding? Env.permittedEmbedders: '*');
         res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET, OPTIONS');
         res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'DNT,X-CustomHeader,Keep-Alive,User-Agent,X-Requested-With,If-Modified-Since,Cache-Control,Content-Type,Content-Range,Range');
         res.setHeader('Access-Control-Max-Age', 1728000);
diff --git a/www/checkup/main.js b/www/checkup/main.js
index f465283cc..c858e6281 100644
--- a/www/checkup/main.js
+++ b/www/checkup/main.js
@@ -1026,23 +1026,31 @@ define([
 
     assert(function (cb, msg) {
         var header = 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin';
-        msg.appendChild(h('span', [ // XXX update text to indicate that the value doesn't match their preference
-            'Assets must be served with an ',
-            code(header),
-            ' header with a value of ',
-            code("'*'"),
-            ' if you wish to support embedding of encrypted media on third party websites.',
-        ]));
         Tools.common_xhr('/', function (xhr) {
             var raw = xhr.getResponseHeader(header);
 
             if (ApiConfig.disableEmbedding) {
-                if ([null, ''].includes(raw)) { return void cb(true); }
+                if (raw === trimmedSafe) { return void cb(true); }
                 else {
-                    return void cb(raw === '*' || raw);
+                    msg.appendChild(h('span', [
+                        'This instance has been configured to disable support for embedding assets in third-party websites. ',
+                        'In order for this setting to be effective while still permitting encrypted media to load locally ',
+                        'the ',
+                        code(header),
+                        ' should only match trusted domains.',
+                    ]));
+                    return void cb(raw);
                 }
             }
 
+            msg.appendChild(h('span', [
+                'Assets must be served with an ',
+                code(header),
+                ' header with a value of ',
+                code("'*'"),
+                ' if you wish to support embedding of encrypted media on third party websites.',
+            ]));
+
             cb(raw === "*" || raw);
         });
     });