diff --git a/src/webapp_column_right.py b/src/webapp_column_right.py
index 24dd4b74f..3fd5d6cab 100644
--- a/src/webapp_column_right.py
+++ b/src/webapp_column_right.py
@@ -161,14 +161,18 @@ def get_right_column_content(base_dir: str, nickname: str, domain_full: str,
         translate['Newswire RSS Feed'] + ' | " title="' + \
         translate['Newswire RSS Feed'] + '" src="/' + \
         'icons/logorss.png" /></a>\n'
-    rss_icon_str += \
-        '        <a href="/categories.xml" tabindex="4" ' + \
-        'class="imageAnchor">' + \
-        '<img class="' + edit_image_class + \
-        '" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="' + \
-        translate['Hashtag Categories RSS Feed'] + ' | " title="' + \
-        translate['Hashtag Categories RSS Feed'] + '" src="/' + \
-        'icons/categoriesrss.png" /></a>\n'
+    account_dir: str = acct_dir(base_dir, nickname, domain)
+    show_categories_filename: str = account_dir + '/.showCategories'
+    show_categories = is_a_file(show_categories_filename)
+    if show_categories:
+        rss_icon_str += \
+            '        <a href="/categories.xml" tabindex="4" ' + \
+            'class="imageAnchor">' + \
+            '<img class="' + edit_image_class + \
+            '" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="' + \
+            translate['Hashtag Categories RSS Feed'] + ' | " title="' + \
+            translate['Hashtag Categories RSS Feed'] + '" src="/' + \
+            'icons/categoriesrss.png" /></a>\n'
     if rss_icon_at_top:
         html_str += rss_icon_str
 
diff --git a/src/webapp_hashtagswarm.py b/src/webapp_hashtagswarm.py
index 98d053f64..2764be9a7 100644
--- a/src/webapp_hashtagswarm.py
+++ b/src/webapp_hashtagswarm.py
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ def get_hashtag_categories_feed(base_dir: str,
     return rss_str
 
 
-def html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir: str, actor: str, translate: {}) -> str:
+def html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir: str, actor: str, translate: {},
+                        show_categories: bool) -> str:
     """Returns a tag swarm of today's hashtags
     """
     max_tag_length = 42
@@ -321,9 +322,9 @@ def _update_cached_hashtag_swarm(base_dir: str, nickname: str, domain: str,
                                  translate: {}) -> bool:
     """Updates the hashtag swarm stored as a file
     """
-    cached_hashtag_swarm_filename = \
-        acct_dir(base_dir, nickname, domain) + '/.hashtagSwarm'
     save_swarm = True
+    account_dir: str = acct_dir(base_dir, nickname, domain)
+    cached_hashtag_swarm_filename = account_dir + '/.hashtagSwarm'
     if is_a_file(cached_hashtag_swarm_filename):
         last_modified = file_last_modified(cached_hashtag_swarm_filename)
         modified_date = None
@@ -348,9 +349,12 @@ def _update_cached_hashtag_swarm(base_dir: str, nickname: str, domain: str,
         else:
             print('WARN: no modified date for ' + str(last_modified))
     if save_swarm:
+        show_categories_filename = account_dir + '/.showCategories'
+        show_categories = is_a_file(show_categories_filename)
         remove_old_hashtags(base_dir, 3)
         actor = local_actor_url(http_prefix, nickname, domain_full)
-        new_swarm_str = html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir, actor, translate)
+        new_swarm_str = html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir, actor, translate,
+                                            show_categories)
         if new_swarm_str:
             if save_string(new_swarm_str, cached_hashtag_swarm_filename,
                            'EX: unable to write cached hashtag swarm ' +
diff --git a/src/webapp_search.py b/src/webapp_search.py
index 3a184c114..dcba8ff6b 100644
--- a/src/webapp_search.py
+++ b/src/webapp_search.py
@@ -522,9 +522,9 @@ def html_search(translate: {}, base_dir: str, path: str, domain: str,
         translate['Search'] + '</button>\n'
     follow_str += '  </form>\n'
 
-    cached_hashtag_swarm_filename: str = \
-        acct_dir(base_dir, search_nickname, domain) + '/.hashtagSwarm'
     swarm_str: str = ''
+    account_dir = acct_dir(base_dir, search_nickname, domain)
+    cached_hashtag_swarm_filename: str = account_dir + '/.hashtagSwarm'
     if is_a_file(cached_hashtag_swarm_filename):
         swarm_str = \
             load_string(cached_hashtag_swarm_filename,
@@ -534,7 +534,10 @@ def html_search(translate: {}, base_dir: str, path: str, domain: str,
         if swarm_str is None:
             swarm_str: str = ''
     if not swarm_str:
-        swarm_str = html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir, actor, translate)
+        show_categories_filename: str = account_dir + '/.showCategories'
+        show_categories = is_a_file(show_categories_filename)
+        swarm_str = html_hash_tag_swarm(base_dir, actor, translate,
+                                        show_categories)
         if swarm_str:
             save_string(swarm_str, cached_hashtag_swarm_filename,
                         'EX: ' +