diff --git a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
index 1be90e3c8..2019bce38 100644
--- a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
@@ -824,6 +824,8 @@ class ProtocolsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def import_docx
+    return render_403 unless Protocol.docx_parser_enabled?
+
     temp_files_ids = []
     params[:files].each do |file|
       temp_file = TempFile.new(session_id: request.session_options[:id], file: file)
diff --git a/app/models/protocol.rb b/app/models/protocol.rb
index 1a3ee2122..d3c08b196 100644
--- a/app/models/protocol.rb
+++ b/app/models/protocol.rb
@@ -232,6 +232,10 @@ class Protocol < ApplicationRecord
     teams.blank? ? self : where(team: teams)
   end
 
+  def self.docx_parser_enabled?
+    ENV.fetch('PROTOCOLS_PARSER_URL', nil).present?
+  end
+
   def original_code
     # returns linked protocol code, or code of the original version of the linked protocol
     parent&.parent&.code || parent&.code || code
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/index/_general_toolbar.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/index/_general_toolbar.html.erb
index b7ef7e5a8..362ddd6f3 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/index/_general_toolbar.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/index/_general_toolbar.html.erb
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
         <ul class="dropdown-menu">
           <li>
             <a class="btn-link-alt btn-secondary-link btn-open-file" <%= can_create_protocols_in_repository?(@current_team) ? 'data-action="import"' : 'disabled="disabled"' %>>
-              <span><%= t("protocols.index.import_alt") %></span>
-              <input type="file" value="" accept=".eln,.docx" data-role="import-file-input"
+              <span><%= Protocol.docx_parser_enabled? ? t('protocols.index.import_eln_docx') : t('protocols.index.import_eln') %></span>
+              <input type="file" value="" accept="<%= Protocol.docx_parser_enabled? ? '.eln,.docx' : '.eln' %>" data-role="import-file-input"
               data-team-id="<%= @current_team.id %>" data-import-url="<%= import_protocols_path %>">
             </a>
           </li>
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 538b822a2..4d4ca3cfd 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -2881,7 +2881,8 @@ en:
       edit: "Edit"
       clone_btn: "Copy"
       import: "Import"
-      import_alt: "From file (.docx, .eln)"
+      import_eln: "From file (.eln)"
+      import_eln_docx: "From file (.docx, .eln)"
       import_protocols_io: "From Protocols.io"
       modal_import_json_upload: "Upload"
       modal_import_json_title: "Import protocols.io file"