diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/pom.xml b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/pom.xml
index 6b0c86cabc8..b7dc435d3cc 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/pom.xml
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@
 			<artifactId>h2</artifactId>
 			<scope>provided</scope>
 		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>com.jayway.jsonpath</groupId>
+			<artifactId>json-path</artifactId>
+			<scope>provided</scope>
+		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>junit</groupId>
 			<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
@@ -81,6 +86,12 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.springframework.hateoas</groupId>
 			<artifactId>spring-hateoas</artifactId>
+			<scope>provided</scope>
+		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>org.springframework.plugin</groupId>
+			<artifactId>spring-plugin-core</artifactId>
+			<scope>provided</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.springframework.restdocs</groupId>
diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/main/asciidoc/index.adoc b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/main/asciidoc/index.adoc
index 0dc1aa09bcd..cec828cf48b 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/main/asciidoc/index.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/main/asciidoc/index.adoc
@@ -57,13 +57,15 @@ HAL browser is not active).
 
 
 == Hypermedia Support
-If https://projects.spring.io/spring-hateoas[Spring HATEOAS] is enabled  (i.e. if it is
-on the classpath by default) then the Actuator endpoint responses are enhanced with
-hypermedia in the form of "links". The default media type for responses is
-http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html[HAL], resulting in each resource having an
-extra property called "_links". You can change the media type to another one supported by
-Spring HATEOAS by providing your own `@EnableHypermedia` annotation and custom providers
-as necessary.
+If `endpoints.hypermedia.enabled` is set to `true` and
+https://projects.spring.io/spring-hateoas[Spring HATEOAS] is on the classpath  (e.g.
+through the `spring-boot-starter-hateoas` or if you are using
+http://projects.spring.io/spring-data-rest[Spring Data REST]) then the Actuator endpoint
+responses are enhanced with hypermedia in the form of "links". The default media type for
+responses is http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html[HAL], resulting in each resource
+having an extra property called "_links". You can change the media type to another one
+supported by Spring HATEOAS by providing your own `@EnableHypermedia` annotation and
+custom providers as necessary.
 
 Example enhanced "/metrics" endpoint with additional "_links":
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/restdoc/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/hypermedia/HypermediaEndpointDocumentation.java b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/restdoc/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/hypermedia/HypermediaEndpointDocumentation.java
index 4c2b7a43e7f..00b6e7852d9 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/restdoc/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/hypermedia/HypermediaEndpointDocumentation.java
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator-docs/src/restdoc/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/hypermedia/HypermediaEndpointDocumentation.java
@@ -33,12 +33,14 @@ import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc;
 
 import static org.springframework.restdocs.mockmvc.MockMvcRestDocumentation.document;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.get;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.jsonPath;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.status;
 
 @RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
 @ContextConfiguration(classes = SpringBootHypermediaApplication.class, loader = SpringBootContextLoader.class)
 @WebAppConfiguration
-@TestPropertySource(properties = "spring.jackson.serialization.indent_output=true")
+@TestPropertySource(properties = { "spring.jackson.serialization.indent_output=true",
+		"endpoints.hypermedia.enabled=true" })
 @DirtiesContext
 @AutoConfigureMockMvc
 @AutoConfigureRestDocs("target/generated-snippets")
@@ -56,7 +58,10 @@ public class HypermediaEndpointDocumentation {
 	@Test
 	public void metrics() throws Exception {
 		this.mockMvc.perform(get("/metrics").accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
-				.andExpect(status().isOk()).andDo(document("metrics/hypermedia"));
+				.andExpect(status().isOk())
+				.andExpect(jsonPath("$._links.self.href")
+						.value("http://localhost:8080/metrics"))
+				.andDo(document("metrics/hypermedia"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/resources/META-INF/additional-spring-configuration-metadata.json b/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/resources/META-INF/additional-spring-configuration-metadata.json
index 8ce47a4b0bc..c9a68e36517 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/resources/META-INF/additional-spring-configuration-metadata.json
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/resources/META-INF/additional-spring-configuration-metadata.json
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@
       "vcap_services"
     ]
   },
+  {
+    "name": "endpoints.hypermedia.enabled",
+    "type": "java.lang.Boolean",
+    "description": "Enable hypermedia support for endpoints.",
+    "defaultValue": false
+  },
   {
     "name": "endpoints.info.path",
     "type": "java.lang.String",
diff --git a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
index 3d035e5413a..9e982f6e619 100644
--- a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
@@ -946,6 +946,7 @@ content into your application; rather pick only the properties that you need.
 	endpoints.heapdump.enabled= # Enable the endpoint.
 	endpoints.heapdump.path= # Endpoint path.
 	endpoints.heapdump.sensitive= # Mark if the endpoint exposes sensitive information.
+	endpoints.hypermedia.enabled=false # Enable hypermedia support for endpoints.
 	endpoints.info.enabled= # Enable the endpoint.
 	endpoints.info.id= # Endpoint identifier.
 	endpoints.info.path= # Endpoint path.
diff --git a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/production-ready-features.adoc b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/production-ready-features.adoc
index 5e47bb167c5..8f2c11e7042 100644
--- a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/production-ready-features.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/production-ready-features.adoc
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ For example, to mark _all_ endpoints as sensitive except `info`:
 
 [[production-ready-endpoint-hypermedia]]
 === Hypermedia for actuator MVC endpoints
-If http://projects.spring.io/spring-hateoas[Spring HATEOAS] is on the classpath (e.g.
+If `endpoints.hypermedia.enabled` is set to `true` and
+http://projects.spring.io/spring-hateoas[Spring HATEOAS] is on the classpath (e.g.
 through the `spring-boot-starter-hateoas` or if you are using
 http://projects.spring.io/spring-data-rest[Spring Data REST]) then the HTTP endpoints
 from the Actuator are enhanced with hypermedia links, and a "`discovery page`" is added