diff --git a/public/app/core/utils/navBarItem-translations.ts b/public/app/core/utils/navBarItem-translations.ts
index 9a7dc478d30..5c53129ebfa 100644
--- a/public/app/core/utils/navBarItem-translations.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/utils/navBarItem-translations.ts
@@ -221,10 +221,7 @@ export function getNavSubTitle(navId: string | undefined) {
         'Upgrade your existing legacy alerts and notification channels to the new Grafana Alerting'
       );
     case 'alerting-admin':
-      return t(
-        'nav.alerting-admin.subtitle',
-        'Manage Alertmanager configurations and configure where alert instances generated from Grafana managed alert rules are sent'
-      );
+      return t('nav.alerting-admin.subtitle', 'Manage Alertmanager configurations');
     case 'alert-list':
       return t('nav.alerting-list.subtitle', 'Rules that determine whether an alert will fire');
     case 'receivers':
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.test.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.test.tsx
index 02a397fd35a..4aecd7844cd 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.test.tsx
@@ -147,6 +147,24 @@ describe('Alertmanager card', () => {
     render(cardWithStatus('inconclusive'));
     expect(screen.getByText(/Inconclusive/)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('should not render the enable / disable buttons or status when disabled', () => {
+    render(
+      <AlertmanagerCard
+        name="Foo"
+        receiving={true}
+        status="active"
+        showStatus={false}
+        onEditConfiguration={jest.fn()}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const enableButton = screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'Enable' });
+    expect(enableButton).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    // should also not show the status for external alertmanagers
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/Receiving/)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
 
 const cardWithStatus = (status: ConnectionStatus) => (
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.tsx
index 76ef9d9606a..926e2588fae 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/AlertmanagerCard.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { capitalize } from 'lodash';
 import React from 'react';
 
-import { Card, Badge, Button, Stack, Text, TextLink } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { Badge, Button, Card, Stack, Text, TextLink } from '@grafana/ui';
 
 import { ConnectionStatus } from '../../hooks/useExternalAmSelector';
 import { ProvisioningBadge } from '../Provisioning';
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ interface Props {
   logo?: string;
   provisioned?: boolean;
   readOnly?: boolean;
+  showStatus?: boolean;
   implementation?: string;
   receiving?: boolean;
   status?: ConnectionStatus;
   // functions
   onEditConfiguration: () => void;
-  onDisable: () => void;
-  onEnable: () => void;
+  onDisable?: () => void;
+  onEnable?: () => void;
 }
 
 export function AlertmanagerCard({
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ export function AlertmanagerCard({
   logo = 'public/app/plugins/datasource/alertmanager/img/logo.svg',
   provisioned = false,
   readOnly = provisioned,
+  showStatus = true,
   implementation,
   receiving = false,
   status = 'unknown',
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ export function AlertmanagerCard({
   onEnable,
   onDisable,
 }: Props) {
+  const showActions = !provisioned && Boolean(onEnable) && Boolean(onDisable);
+
   return (
     <Card data-testid={`alertmanager-card-${name}`}>
       <Card.Heading>
@@ -60,16 +64,21 @@ export function AlertmanagerCard({
             {implementation && capitalize(implementation)}
             {url && url}
           </Card.Meta>
-          {!receiving ? (
-            <Text variant="bodySmall">Not receiving Grafana managed alerts</Text>
-          ) : (
+          {/* if forwarding is diabled, still show status for the "canonical" Alertmanager */}
+          {showStatus ? (
             <>
-              {status === 'pending' && <Badge text="Activation in progress" color="orange" />}
-              {status === 'active' && <Badge text="Receiving Grafana-managed alerts" color="green" />}
-              {status === 'dropped' && <Badge text="Failed to adopt Alertmanager" color="red" />}
-              {status === 'inconclusive' && <Badge text="Inconclusive" color="orange" />}
+              {!receiving ? (
+                <Text variant="bodySmall">Not receiving Grafana managed alerts</Text>
+              ) : (
+                <>
+                  {status === 'pending' && <Badge text="Activation in progress" color="orange" />}
+                  {status === 'active' && <Badge text="Receiving Grafana-managed alerts" color="green" />}
+                  {status === 'dropped' && <Badge text="Failed to adopt Alertmanager" color="red" />}
+                  {status === 'inconclusive' && <Badge text="Inconclusive" color="orange" />}
+                </>
+              )}
             </>
-          )}
+          ) : null}
         </Stack>
       </Card.Meta>
 
@@ -80,7 +89,7 @@ export function AlertmanagerCard({
           <Button onClick={onEditConfiguration} icon={readOnly ? 'eye' : 'edit'} variant="secondary" fill="outline">
             {readOnly ? 'View configuration' : 'Edit configuration'}
           </Button>
-          {provisioned ? null : (
+          {showActions ? (
             <>
               {receiving ? (
                 <Button icon="times" variant="destructive" fill="outline" onClick={onDisable}>
@@ -92,7 +101,7 @@ export function AlertmanagerCard({
                 </Button>
               )}
             </>
-          )}
+          ) : null}
         </Stack>
       </Card.Tags>
     </Card>
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/ExternalAlertmanagers.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/ExternalAlertmanagers.tsx
index f9f0541ca43..f39dff4e469 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/ExternalAlertmanagers.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/ExternalAlertmanagers.tsx
@@ -20,8 +20,13 @@ interface Props {
 }
 
 export const ExternalAlertmanagers = ({ onEditConfiguration }: Props) => {
-  const { externalAlertmanagerDataSourcesWithStatus, configuration, enableAlertmanager, disableAlertmanager } =
-    useSettings();
+  const {
+    externalAlertmanagerDataSourcesWithStatus,
+    configuration,
+    enableAlertmanager,
+    disableAlertmanager,
+    forwardingDisabled,
+  } = useSettings();
 
   // determine if the alertmanger is receiving alerts
   // this is true if Grafana is configured to send to either "both" or "external" and the Alertmanager datasource _wants_ to receive alerts.
@@ -51,6 +56,8 @@ export const ExternalAlertmanagers = ({ onEditConfiguration }: Props) => {
         const detailHref = createUrl(DATASOURCES_ROUTES.Edit.replace(/:uid/gi, uid));
 
         const handleEditConfiguration = () => onEditConfiguration(name);
+        const handleEnable = forwardingDisabled ? undefined : () => enableAlertmanager(uid);
+        const handleDisable = forwardingDisabled ? undefined : () => disableAlertmanager(uid);
 
         return (
           <AlertmanagerCard
@@ -60,12 +67,13 @@ export const ExternalAlertmanagers = ({ onEditConfiguration }: Props) => {
             url={url}
             provisioned={isProvisioned}
             readOnly={isReadOnly}
+            showStatus={!forwardingDisabled}
             implementation={jsonData.implementation ?? 'Prometheus'}
             receiving={isReceiving}
             status={status}
             onEditConfiguration={handleEditConfiguration}
-            onDisable={() => disableAlertmanager(uid)}
-            onEnable={() => enableAlertmanager(uid)}
+            onDisable={handleDisable}
+            onEnable={handleEnable}
           />
         );
       })}
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/InternalAlertmanager.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/InternalAlertmanager.tsx
index 9c0275df305..cea3396cadb 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/InternalAlertmanager.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/InternalAlertmanager.tsx
@@ -11,22 +11,27 @@ interface Props {
   onEditConfiguration: (dataSourceName: string) => void;
 }
 
+const BUILTIN_ALERTMANAGER_NAME = 'Grafana built-in';
+
 export default function InternalAlertmanager({ onEditConfiguration }: Props) {
-  const { configuration, enableAlertmanager, disableAlertmanager } = useSettings();
+  const { configuration, enableAlertmanager, disableAlertmanager, forwardingDisabled } = useSettings();
 
   const isReceiving = isInternalAlertmanagerInterestedInAlerts(configuration);
   const status: ConnectionStatus = isReceiving ? 'active' : 'uninterested';
+
   const handleEditConfiguration = () => onEditConfiguration(GRAFANA_RULES_SOURCE_NAME);
+  const handleEnable = forwardingDisabled ? undefined : () => enableAlertmanager(GRAFANA_RULES_SOURCE_NAME);
+  const handleDisable = forwardingDisabled ? undefined : () => disableAlertmanager(GRAFANA_RULES_SOURCE_NAME);
 
   return (
     <AlertmanagerCard
-      name="Grafana built-in"
+      name={BUILTIN_ALERTMANAGER_NAME}
       logo="public/img/grafana_icon.svg"
       status={status}
       receiving={isReceiving}
       onEditConfiguration={handleEditConfiguration}
-      onEnable={() => enableAlertmanager(GRAFANA_RULES_SOURCE_NAME)}
-      onDisable={() => disableAlertmanager(GRAFANA_RULES_SOURCE_NAME)}
+      onEnable={handleEnable}
+      onDisable={handleDisable}
     />
   );
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/SettingsContext.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/SettingsContext.tsx
index e69a6c71316..20ff037adf8 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/SettingsContext.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/settings/SettingsContext.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { union, without, debounce } from 'lodash';
+import { debounce, union, without } from 'lodash';
 import React, { PropsWithChildren, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 
 import { AppEvents } from '@grafana/data';
-import { getAppEvents } from '@grafana/runtime';
+import { config, getAppEvents } from '@grafana/runtime';
 import { AlertmanagerChoice, GrafanaAlertingConfiguration } from 'app/plugins/datasource/alertmanager/types';
 import { dispatch } from 'app/store/store';
 
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ interface Context {
   // for updating or resetting the configuration for an Alertmanager
   updateAlertmanagerSettings: (name: string, oldConfig: string, newConfig: string) => void;
   resetAlertmanagerSettings: (name: string) => void;
+
+  // this feature toggle is for disabling the "send to external Alertmanagers" feature
+  forwardingDisabled: boolean;
 }
 
 const SettingsContext = React.createContext<Context | undefined>(undefined);
@@ -44,6 +47,8 @@ export const SettingsProvider = (props: PropsWithChildren) => {
   // this will be used to infer the correct "delivery mode" and update the correct list of datasources with "wantsAlertsReceived"
   let interestedAlertmanagers: string[] = [];
 
+  const forwardingDisabled = config.featureToggles.alertingDisableSendAlertsExternal === true;
+
   const { currentData: configuration, isLoading: isLoadingConfiguration } =
     alertmanagerApi.endpoints.getGrafanaAlertingConfiguration.useQuery();
 
@@ -115,9 +120,12 @@ export const SettingsProvider = (props: PropsWithChildren) => {
 
   const value: Context = {
     configuration,
+    forwardingDisabled,
     externalAlertmanagerDataSourcesWithStatus: externalAlertmanagersWithStatus,
+
     enableAlertmanager,
     disableAlertmanager,
+
     isLoading: isLoadingConfiguration,
     isUpdating: updateConfigurationState.isLoading || enableOrDisableHandlingGrafanaManagedAlertsState.isLoading,
 
diff --git a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
index ed87ba04fed..b0e163a7deb 100644
--- a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
+++ b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@
       "title": "Alerting"
     },
     "alerting-admin": {
-      "subtitle": "Manage Alertmanager configurations and configure where alert instances generated from Grafana managed alert rules are sent",
+      "subtitle": "Manage Alertmanager configurations",
       "title": "Settings"
     },
     "alerting-am-routes": {
diff --git a/public/locales/pseudo-LOCALE/grafana.json b/public/locales/pseudo-LOCALE/grafana.json
index 492ed9100a4..33b61703f2e 100644
--- a/public/locales/pseudo-LOCALE/grafana.json
+++ b/public/locales/pseudo-LOCALE/grafana.json
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@
       "title": "Åľęřŧįʼnģ"
     },
     "alerting-admin": {
-      "subtitle": "Mäʼnäģę Åľęřŧmäʼnäģęř čőʼnƒįģūřäŧįőʼnş äʼnđ čőʼnƒįģūřę ŵĥęřę äľęřŧ įʼnşŧäʼnčęş ģęʼnęřäŧęđ ƒřőm Ğřäƒäʼnä mäʼnäģęđ äľęřŧ řūľęş äřę şęʼnŧ",
+      "subtitle": "Mäʼnäģę Åľęřŧmäʼnäģęř čőʼnƒįģūřäŧįőʼnş",
       "title": "Ŝęŧŧįʼnģş"
     },
     "alerting-am-routes": {