diff --git a/app/models/environment.rb b/app/models/environment.rb
index 321551d..13912e7 100644
--- a/app/models/environment.rb
+++ b/app/models/environment.rb
@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@ class Environment < ActiveRecord::Base
   # store the Environment settings as YAML-serialized Hash.
   acts_as_having_settings :field => :settings
 
+  # introduce and explain to users something about the signup
+  settings_items :signup_intro, :type => String
+
   # the environment's terms of use: every user must accept them before registering.
   settings_items :terms_of_use, :type => String
 
diff --git a/app/views/account/signup.html.erb b/app/views/account/signup.html.erb
index b1c388e..bd0b207 100644
--- a/app/views/account/signup.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/account/signup.html.erb
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
 <h1><%= _('Sign up for %s!') % environment.name %></h1>
+
+<div id='signup-intro'>
+  <%= environment.signup_intro %>
+</div>
+
 <%= render :partial => 'signup_form' %>
diff --git a/app/views/admin_panel/_signup_intro.html.erb b/app/views/admin_panel/_signup_intro.html.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e60c905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/admin_panel/_signup_intro.html.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<div class='description'>
+  <%= _('This text will be shown to the user on the top of the sign up form.') %>
+</div>
+
+<%= labelled_form_field(_('Body'), text_area(:environment, :signup_intro, :cols => 40, :style => 'width: 100%', :class => 'mceEditor')) %>
diff --git a/app/views/admin_panel/site_info.html.erb b/app/views/admin_panel/site_info.html.erb
index 4de18ca..54d3ea8 100644
--- a/app/views/admin_panel/site_info.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/admin_panel/site_info.html.erb
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
     :content => (render :partial => 'signup_welcome_text', :locals => {:f => f})} %>
   <% tabs << {:title => _('Signup welcome page'), :id => 'signup-welcome-message',
     :content => (render :partial => 'signup_welcome_screen', :locals => {:f => f}) }%>
+  <% tabs << {:title => _('Signup introduction text'), :id => 'signup-intro',
+    :content => (render :partial => 'signup_intro', :locals => {:f => f})} %>
   <%= render_tabs(tabs) %>
   <% button_bar do %>
     <%= submit_button(:save, _('Save'), :cancel => {:action => 'index'}) %>
--
libgit2 0.21.2