diff --git a/env.tpl b/env.tpl
index d7998cc..41d7567 100644
--- a/env.tpl
+++ b/env.tpl
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 STREAM_JSON_LOCATION=/data/streams/json
 STREAM_MEDIA_LOCATION=/data/streams/media
+PUBLIC_TAG_INTENSITY=true
diff --git a/src/lib/components/WeightedTags.svelte b/src/lib/components/WeightedTags.svelte
index 8660fba..f8a59a7 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/WeightedTags.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/WeightedTags.svelte
@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-    import { TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
+    import { TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES, TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
     import type { TagWeights } from '$lib/types';
 
     let { tags, highlighted = {} }: { tags: TagWeights; highlighted?: Record<string, number> } =
         $props();
 
-    let sorted = $derived(Object.entries(tags).sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1]));
+    let sorted = $derived(
+        TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED
+            ? Object.entries(tags).sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1])
+            : Object.entries(tags)
+    );
 </script>
 
 {#each sorted as [tag, weight], i}{i ? ', ' : ''}<span
-        class="weight-{weight}"
+        class="weight-{TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED ? weight : 1}"
         class:highlighted={tag in highlighted}
-        >{tag}<span class="screen-reader-only"> ({TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES[weight]})</span></span
+        >{tag}{#if TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED}<span class="screen-reader-only">
+                ({TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES[weight]})</span
+            >{/if}</span
     >{/each}
 
 <style>
diff --git a/src/lib/stores.svelte.ts b/src/lib/stores.svelte.ts
index 3396684..80c0827 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores.svelte.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { SvelteSet } from 'svelte/reactivity';
+import { env } from '$env/dynamic/public';
 import { readStored, writeStored } from './utils.ts';
 
 export const favoritedStreams = new SvelteSet<string>(readStored('favoritedStreams', []));
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ $effect.root(() => {
 
 export const MAX_TAG_WEIGHT = 3;
 export const TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES = ['off', 'light', 'medium', 'heavy'];
+export const TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED = env.PUBLIC_TAG_INTENSITY !== 'false';
 
 export const tagList = [
     'acoustic',
diff --git a/src/routes/streams/Sidebar.svelte b/src/routes/streams/Sidebar.svelte
index 7e553e0..cd6f868 100644
--- a/src/routes/streams/Sidebar.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/streams/Sidebar.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 <script lang="ts">
     import { onMount } from 'svelte';
     import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
-    import { favoritedStreams, tagList, MAX_TAG_WEIGHT } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
+    import {
+        favoritedStreams,
+        tagList,
+        MAX_TAG_WEIGHT,
+        TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED
+    } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
     import * as streamCache from '$lib/streamCache.svelte.ts';
     import { getStreamContext } from '$lib/streamContext.svelte.ts';
     import type { StreamSummary } from '$lib/types';
@@ -62,13 +67,13 @@
         return new Set(ctx.streams.filter((stream) => matchesFilter(stream, filteredTags)));
     }
 
-    // how many of these streams have the tag at weight 1+, 2+ and 3+
+    // count streams at each enabled minimum weight
     // e.g. dark at weights [1, 3, 3, None] on four streams gives [3, 2, 2]
     function weightCounts(streams: Iterable<StreamSummary>, tag: string) {
-        const counts = new Array(MAX_TAG_WEIGHT).fill(0);
+        const counts = new Array(TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED ? MAX_TAG_WEIGHT : 1).fill(0);
         for (const stream of streams) {
             const weight = stream.tags[tag] ?? 0;
-            for (let i = 0; i < weight; i++) counts[i]++;
+            for (let i = 0; i < Math.min(weight, counts.length); i++) counts[i]++;
         }
         return counts;
     }
diff --git a/src/routes/streams/TagSelect.svelte b/src/routes/streams/TagSelect.svelte
index 86cf0c4..ea92555 100644
--- a/src/routes/streams/TagSelect.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/streams/TagSelect.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 <script lang="ts">
     import Select from 'svelte-select';
-    import { tagList, MAX_TAG_WEIGHT, TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
+    import {
+        tagList,
+        MAX_TAG_WEIGHT,
+        TAG_WEIGHT_NAMES,
+        TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED
+    } from '$lib/stores.svelte.ts';
 
     // type not exported in the lib itself
     type SelectItem = Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -109,7 +114,7 @@
 
     {#snippet selection({ selection }: { selection: SelectItem })}
         {@const tag = selection.value as string}
-        {#if tag in checked}
+        {#if tag in checked && TAG_INTENSITY_ENABLED}
             {@const min = checked[tag]}
             {@const ceiling = ceilingOf(tag)}
             <button