diff --git a/datasrc/countryflags/index.json b/datasrc/countryflags/index.json
index 601690480..dd10f6e3e 100644
--- a/datasrc/countryflags/index.json
+++ b/datasrc/countryflags/index.json
@@ -22,19 +22,23 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"id": "XBZ",
-			"code": 950
+			"code": 950,
+			"blocked": true
 		},
 		{
 			"id": "XCA",
-			"code": 951
+			"code": 951,
+			"blocked": true
 		},
 		{
 			"id": "XES",
-			"code": 952
+			"code": 952,
+			"blovked": true
 		},
 		{
 			"id": "XGA",
-			"code": 953
+			"code": 953,
+			"blocked": true
 		},
 		{
 			"id": "default",
diff --git a/src/game/client/components/countryflags.cpp b/src/game/client/components/countryflags.cpp
index 2182d890b..cb1936f24 100644
--- a/src/game/client/components/countryflags.cpp
+++ b/src/game/client/components/countryflags.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ void CCountryFlags::LoadCountryflagsIndexfile()
 						CountryFlag.m_Texture = Graphics()->LoadTextureRaw(Info.m_Width, Info.m_Height, Info.m_Format, Info.m_pData, Info.m_Format, 0);
 						mem_free(Info.m_pData);
 					}
+					// blocked?
+					CountryFlag.m_Blocked = false;
+					const json_value Check = rStart[i]["blocked"];
+					if(Check.type == json_boolean && Check)
+						CountryFlag.m_Blocked = true;
 					m_aCountryFlags.add_unsorted(CountryFlag);
 
 					// print message
@@ -134,6 +139,7 @@ void CCountryFlags::OnInit()
 		Console()->Print(IConsole::OUTPUT_LEVEL_STANDARD, "countryflags", "failed to load country flags. folder='countryflags/'");
 		CCountryFlag DummyEntry;
 		DummyEntry.m_CountryCode = -1;
+		DummyEntry.m_Blocked = false;
 		mem_zero(DummyEntry.m_aCountryCodeString, sizeof(DummyEntry.m_aCountryCodeString));
 		m_aCountryFlags.add(DummyEntry);
 	}
@@ -154,9 +160,11 @@ const CCountryFlags::CCountryFlag *CCountryFlags::GetByIndex(int Index) const
 	return &m_aCountryFlags[max(0, Index%m_aCountryFlags.size())];
 }
 
-void CCountryFlags::Render(int CountryCode, const vec4 *pColor, float x, float y, float w, float h)
+void CCountryFlags::Render(int CountryCode, const vec4 *pColor, float x, float y, float w, float h, bool AllowBlocked)
 {
 	const CCountryFlag *pFlag = GetByCountryCode(CountryCode);
+	if(!AllowBlocked && pFlag->m_Blocked)
+		pFlag = GetByCountryCode(-1);
 	if(pFlag->m_Texture.IsValid())
 	{
 		Graphics()->TextureSet(pFlag->m_Texture);
diff --git a/src/game/client/components/countryflags.h b/src/game/client/components/countryflags.h
index 3d21cd8ea..2ac57c959 100644
--- a/src/game/client/components/countryflags.h
+++ b/src/game/client/components/countryflags.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public:
 	{
 		int m_CountryCode;
 		char m_aCountryCodeString[8];
+		bool m_Blocked;
 		IGraphics::CTextureHandle m_Texture;
 
 		bool operator<(const CCountryFlag &Other) { return str_comp(m_aCountryCodeString, Other.m_aCountryCodeString) < 0; }
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ public:
 	int Num() const;
 	const CCountryFlag *GetByCountryCode(int CountryCode) const;
 	const CCountryFlag *GetByIndex(int Index) const;
-	void Render(int CountryCode, const vec4 *pColor, float x, float y, float w, float h);
+	void Render(int CountryCode, const vec4 *pColor, float x, float y, float w, float h, bool AllowBlocked=false);
 
 private:
 	enum
diff --git a/src/game/client/components/menus.cpp b/src/game/client/components/menus.cpp
index 38708c6dc..28c203e00 100644
--- a/src/game/client/components/menus.cpp
+++ b/src/game/client/components/menus.cpp
@@ -1999,6 +1999,8 @@ int CMenus::Render()
 			for(int i = 0; i < m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->Num(); ++i)
 			{
 				const CCountryFlags::CCountryFlag *pEntry = m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->GetByIndex(i);
+				if(pEntry->m_Blocked)
+					continue;
 				if(pEntry->m_CountryCode == ActSelection)
 					OldSelected = i;
 
diff --git a/src/game/client/components/menus_settings.cpp b/src/game/client/components/menus_settings.cpp
index 2568db611..dea680ea6 100644
--- a/src/game/client/components/menus_settings.cpp
+++ b/src/game/client/components/menus_settings.cpp
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ void CMenus::RenderLanguageSelection(CUIRect MainView, bool Header)
 			Rect.VMargin(6.0f, &Rect);
 			Rect.HMargin(3.0f, &Rect);
 			vec4 Color(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
-			m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->Render(r.front().m_CountryCode, &Color, Rect.x, Rect.y, Rect.w, Rect.h);
+			m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->Render(r.front().m_CountryCode, &Color, Rect.x, Rect.y, Rect.w, Rect.h, true);
 			Item.m_Rect.y += 2.0f;
 			if(s_SelectedLanguage != -1 && !str_comp(s_Languages[s_SelectedLanguage].m_Name, r.front().m_Name))
 			{
@@ -1149,6 +1149,8 @@ void CMenus::RenderSettingsPlayer(CUIRect MainView)
 	for(int i = 0; i < m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->Num(); ++i)
 	{
 		const CCountryFlags::CCountryFlag *pEntry = m_pClient->m_pCountryFlags->GetByIndex(i);
+		if(pEntry->m_Blocked)
+			continue;
 		if(pEntry->m_CountryCode == g_Config.m_PlayerCountry)
 			OldSelected = i;