diff --git a/newswires/app/controllers/QueryController.scala b/newswires/app/controllers/QueryController.scala
index 56901b5..038f456 100644
--- a/newswires/app/controllers/QueryController.scala
+++ b/newswires/app/controllers/QueryController.scala
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import play.api.mvc.{
   Request
 }
 import play.api.{Configuration, Logging}
+import service.FeatureSwitchProvider
 
 class QueryController(
     val controllerComponents: ControllerComponents,
@@ -42,13 +43,19 @@ class QueryController(
   ): Action[AnyContent] = apiAuthAction { request: UserRequest[AnyContent] =>
     val bucket = request.getQueryString("bucket").flatMap(SearchBuckets.get)
 
+    val suppliersToExcludeByDefault =
+      if (FeatureSwitchProvider.ShowGuSuppliers.isOn) List("GuReuters", "GuAP")
+      else Nil
+
     val queryParams = SearchParams(
       text = maybeFreeTextQuery,
       keywordIncl = maybeKeywords.map(_.split(",").toList).getOrElse(Nil),
       keywordExcl = paramToList(request, "keywordsExcl"),
       suppliersIncl = suppliers,
-      suppliersExcl =
-        request.queryString.get("supplierExcl").map(_.toList).getOrElse(Nil),
+      suppliersExcl = request.queryString
+        .get("supplierExcl")
+        .map(_.toList)
+        .getOrElse(Nil) ++ suppliersToExcludeByDefault,
       subjectsIncl = subjects,
       subjectsExcl = subjectsExcl
     )
diff --git a/newswires/app/controllers/ViteController.scala b/newswires/app/controllers/ViteController.scala
index b3e7a32..b57f536 100644
--- a/newswires/app/controllers/ViteController.scala
+++ b/newswires/app/controllers/ViteController.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import play.api.libs.ws.WSClient
 import play.api.mvc._
 import play.api.{Configuration, Mode}
 import play.filters.csrf.CSRFAddToken
+import service.FeatureSwitchProvider
+import service.FeatureSwitchProvider.FeatureSwitch
 import views.html.helper.CSRF
 
 import java.net.URL
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ import scala.concurrent.{ExecutionContext, Future}
 import scala.io.Source
 
 case class ClientConfig(
-    suppliersToExclude: List[String]
+    switches: Map[String, Boolean]
 )
 
 object ClientConfig {
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ class ViteController(
     def injectClientConfig(body: String): String = {
       val config =
         views.html.fragments.clientConfig(
-          ClientConfig(List("GuReuters", "GuAP"))
+          ClientConfig(FeatureSwitchProvider.clientSideSwitchStates)
         )
 
       body.replace(
diff --git a/newswires/app/service/FeatureSwitchProvider.scala b/newswires/app/service/FeatureSwitchProvider.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3de5f06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newswires/app/service/FeatureSwitchProvider.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package service
+
+import play.api.libs.json.{Json, OFormat}
+
+sealed trait SwitchState
+case object On extends SwitchState
+case object Off extends SwitchState
+
+object FeatureSwitchProvider {
+
+  case class FeatureSwitch(
+      name: String,
+      description: String,
+      exposeToClient: Boolean = false,
+      private val safeState: SwitchState
+  ) {
+    def isOn: Boolean =
+      safeState == On // currently we're only using safeState to determine state
+  }
+
+  val ShowGuSuppliers: FeatureSwitch =
+    FeatureSwitch(
+      name = "ShowGuSuppliers",
+      safeState = Off,
+      description = "Show suppliers from the Guardian",
+      exposeToClient = true
+    )
+
+  private val switches = List(
+    ShowGuSuppliers
+  )
+  def clientSideSwitchStates: Map[String, Boolean] =
+    switches.filter(_.exposeToClient).map(s => s.name -> s.isOn).toMap
+}
diff --git a/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx b/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
index fb427ff..b2be0aa 100644
--- a/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
+++ b/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { act, render } from '@testing-library/react';
-import type React from 'react';
 import { flushPendingPromises } from '../tests/testHelpers.ts';
 import type { SearchContextShape } from './SearchContext.tsx';
 import { SearchContextProvider, useSearch } from './SearchContext.tsx';
diff --git a/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.tsx b/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
index 69a0388..a6e0198 100644
--- a/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
+++ b/newswires/client/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import {
 	useContext,
 	useEffect,
 	useReducer,
-	useRef,
 	useState,
 } from 'react';
 import { z } from 'zod';
diff --git a/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/serverSideConfig.ts b/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/serverSideConfig.ts
index d852abb..8e3d33c 100644
--- a/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/serverSideConfig.ts
+++ b/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/serverSideConfig.ts
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-export const SUPPLIERS_TO_EXCLUDE = window.configuration.suppliersToExclude;
+export const SUPPLIERS_TO_EXCLUDE = window.configuration.switches
+	.ShowGuSuppliers
+	? []
+	: ['GUAP', 'GUREUTERS'];
diff --git a/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/windowConfigType.ts b/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/windowConfigType.ts
index f907cff..385cd57 100644
--- a/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/windowConfigType.ts
+++ b/newswires/client/src/serverSideConfig.ts/windowConfigType.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
+interface FeatureSwitches {
+	ShowGuSuppliers: boolean;
+}
+
 declare global {
 	/* ~ Here, declare things that go in the global namespace, or augment
 	 *~ existing declarations in the global namespace
 	 */
 	interface Window {
 		configuration: {
-			suppliersToExclude: string[];
+			switches: FeatureSwitches;
 		};
 	}
 }
diff --git a/newswires/client/src/suppliers.ts b/newswires/client/src/suppliers.ts
index a527133..0da8fcb 100644
--- a/newswires/client/src/suppliers.ts
+++ b/newswires/client/src/suppliers.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export const recognisedSuppliers = Object.keys(allSupplierData).filter(
 );
 
 export const supplierData = Object.fromEntries(
-	Object.entries(allSupplierData).filter(([supplier]) =>
+	Object.entries(allSupplierData).filter(([supplier, _]) =>
 		recognisedSuppliers.includes(supplier),
 	),
 );