diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/schema.php b/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
index 2d048efbbf..b93fad35b4 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
@@ -519,6 +519,9 @@ function populate_options() {
 
 		// 4.9.6
 		'wp_page_for_privacy_policy'      => 0,
+
+		// 4.9.8
+		'show_comments_cookies_opt_in'    => 0,
 	);
 
 	// 3.3
diff --git a/wp-admin/options-discussion.php b/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
index 5f57819d4f..be8034f405 100644
--- a/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
+++ b/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ include( ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/admin-header.php' );
 ); ?>
 </label>
 <br />
+
+<label for="show_comments_cookies_opt_in">
+<input name="show_comments_cookies_opt_in" type="checkbox" id="show_comments_cookies_opt_in" value="1" <?php checked( '1', get_option( 'show_comments_cookies_opt_in' ) ); ?> />
+<?php _e( 'Show comments cookies opt-in checkbox.' ); ?>
+</label>
+<br />
+
 <label for="thread_comments">
 <input name="thread_comments" type="checkbox" id="thread_comments" value="1" <?php checked('1', get_option('thread_comments')); ?> />
 <?php
diff --git a/wp-admin/options.php b/wp-admin/options.php
index 611605259a..607fe81a4e 100644
--- a/wp-admin/options.php
+++ b/wp-admin/options.php
@@ -81,11 +81,70 @@ if ( is_multisite() && ! current_user_can( 'manage_network_options' ) && 'update
 }
 
 $whitelist_options = array(
-	'general' => array( 'blogname', 'blogdescription', 'gmt_offset', 'date_format', 'time_format', 'start_of_week', 'timezone_string', 'WPLANG', 'new_admin_email' ),
-	'discussion' => array( 'default_pingback_flag', 'default_ping_status', 'default_comment_status', 'comments_notify', 'moderation_notify', 'comment_moderation', 'require_name_email', 'comment_whitelist', 'comment_max_links', 'moderation_keys', 'blacklist_keys', 'show_avatars', 'avatar_rating', 'avatar_default', 'close_comments_for_old_posts', 'close_comments_days_old', 'thread_comments', 'thread_comments_depth', 'page_comments', 'comments_per_page', 'default_comments_page', 'comment_order', 'comment_registration' ),
-	'media' => array( 'thumbnail_size_w', 'thumbnail_size_h', 'thumbnail_crop', 'medium_size_w', 'medium_size_h', 'large_size_w', 'large_size_h', 'image_default_size', 'image_default_align', 'image_default_link_type' ),
-	'reading' => array( 'posts_per_page', 'posts_per_rss', 'rss_use_excerpt', 'show_on_front', 'page_on_front', 'page_for_posts', 'blog_public' ),
-	'writing' => array( 'default_category', 'default_email_category', 'default_link_category', 'default_post_format' )
+	'general' => array(
+		'blogname',
+		'blogdescription',
+		'gmt_offset',
+		'date_format',
+		'time_format',
+		'start_of_week',
+		'timezone_string',
+		'WPLANG',
+		'new_admin_email',
+	),
+	'discussion' => array(
+		'default_pingback_flag',
+		'default_ping_status',
+		'default_comment_status',
+		'comments_notify',
+		'moderation_notify',
+		'comment_moderation',
+		'require_name_email',
+		'comment_whitelist',
+		'comment_max_links',
+		'moderation_keys',
+		'blacklist_keys',
+		'show_avatars',
+		'avatar_rating',
+		'avatar_default',
+		'close_comments_for_old_posts',
+		'close_comments_days_old',
+		'thread_comments',
+		'thread_comments_depth',
+		'page_comments',
+		'comments_per_page',
+		'default_comments_page',
+		'comment_order',
+		'comment_registration',
+		'show_comments_cookies_opt_in',
+	),
+	'media' => array(
+		'thumbnail_size_w',
+		'thumbnail_size_h',
+		'thumbnail_crop',
+		'medium_size_w',
+		'medium_size_h',
+		'large_size_w',
+		'large_size_h',
+		'image_default_size',
+		'image_default_align',
+		'image_default_link_type',
+	),
+	'reading' => array(
+		'posts_per_page',
+		'posts_per_rss',
+		'rss_use_excerpt',
+		'show_on_front',
+		'page_on_front',
+		'page_for_posts',
+		'blog_public',
+	),
+	'writing' => array(
+		'default_category',
+		'default_email_category',
+		'default_link_category',
+		'default_post_format',
+	),
 );
 $whitelist_options['misc'] = $whitelist_options['options'] = $whitelist_options['privacy'] = array();
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/comment-template.php b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
index f24c68025b..661c82f891 100644
--- a/wp-includes/comment-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
@@ -2205,7 +2205,7 @@ function comment_form( $args = array(), $post_id = null ) {
 					 '<input id="url" name="url" ' . ( $html5 ? 'type="url"' : 'type="text"' ) . ' value="' . esc_attr( $commenter['comment_author_url'] ) . '" size="30" maxlength="200" /></p>',
 	);
 
-	if ( has_action( 'set_comment_cookies', 'wp_set_comment_cookies' ) ) {
+	if ( has_action( 'set_comment_cookies', 'wp_set_comment_cookies' ) && get_option( 'show_comments_cookies_opt_in' ) ) {
 		$consent           = empty( $commenter['comment_author_email'] ) ? '' : ' checked="checked"';
 		$fields['cookies'] = '<p class="comment-form-cookies-consent"><input id="wp-comment-cookies-consent" name="wp-comment-cookies-consent" type="checkbox" value="yes"' . $consent . ' />' .
 							 '<label for="wp-comment-cookies-consent">' . __( 'Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.' ) . '</label></p>';
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index b6b5d637ab..05e068dcfd 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.9.8-alpha-43468';
+$wp_version = '4.9.8-alpha-43470';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.