diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/configs_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/configs_controller.rb
index 43c5a671..b3b51daa 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/configs_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/configs_controller.rb
@@ -41,9 +41,14 @@ class Admin::ConfigsController < Admin::BaseController
   def parse_recurring_selects!(config)
     if config
       for k in [:pickup, :ends] do
-        if config[k] && config[k][:recurr]
-          config[k][:recurr] = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(config[k][:recurr])
-          config[k][:recurr] = FoodsoftDateUtil.rule_from(config[k][:recurr]).to_ical if config[k][:recurr]
+        if config[k]
+          # allow clearing it using dummy value '{}' ('' would break recurring_select)
+          if config[k][:recurr].present? && config[k][:recurr] != '{}'
+            config[k][:recurr] = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(config[k][:recurr])
+            config[k][:recurr] = FoodsoftDateUtil.rule_from(config[k][:recurr]).to_ical if config[k][:recurr]
+          else
+            config[k] = nil
+          end
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/app/helpers/admin/configs_helper.rb b/app/helpers/admin/configs_helper.rb
index 4e100751..6981913c 100644
--- a/app/helpers/admin/configs_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/admin/configs_helper.rb
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ module Admin::ConfigsHelper
       options[:value] = FoodsoftDateUtil.rule_from(options[:value])
       options[:rules] ||= []
       options[:rules].unshift options[:value] unless options[:value].blank?
+      options[:rules].push [I18n.t('recurring_select.not_recurring'), '{}'] if options.delete(:allow_blank) # blank after current value
       form.select_recurring key, options.delete(:rules).uniq, options
     else
       form.input_field key, options
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ module Admin::ConfigsHelper
     head = content_tag :label do
      lbl = options[:label] || config_input_label(form, key)
      field = config_input_field(form, key, as: :boolean, boolean_style: :inline,
-                                data: {toggle: 'collapse', target: "##{key}-fields"}) 
+                                data: {toggle: 'collapse', target: "##{key}-fields"})
      content_tag :h4 do
        # put in span to keep space for tooltip at right
        content_tag :span, (lbl + field).html_safe, config_input_tooltip_options(form, key, {})
diff --git a/app/views/admin/configs/_tab_payment.html.haml b/app/views/admin/configs/_tab_payment.html.haml
index 5c86acfb..0dae9e1e 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/configs/_tab_payment.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/configs/_tab_payment.html.haml
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
 = form.simple_fields_for :order_schedule do |fields|
   = fields.simple_fields_for 'ends' do |fields|
     .fold-line
-      = config_input fields, 'recurr', as: :select_recurring, input_html: {class: 'input-xlarge'}
+      = config_input fields, 'recurr', as: :select_recurring, input_html: {class: 'input-xlarge'}, allow_blank: true
       = config_input fields, 'time', input_html: {class: 'input-mini'}
diff --git a/lib/foodsoft_date_util.rb b/lib/foodsoft_date_util.rb
index 9b7ba6ac..7cb069d2 100644
--- a/lib/foodsoft_date_util.rb
+++ b/lib/foodsoft_date_util.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 module FoodsoftDateUtil
   # find next occurence given a recurring ical string and time
   def self.next_occurrence(start=Time.now, from=start, options={})
-    if options[:recurr]
+    occ = nil
+    if options && options[:recurr]
       schedule = IceCube::Schedule.new(start)
       schedule.add_recurrence_rule rule_from(options[:recurr])
       # @todo handle ical parse errors
       occ = (schedule.next_occurrence(from).to_time rescue nil)
     end
-    if occ && options[:time]
+    if options && options[:time] && occ
       occ = occ.beginning_of_day.advance(seconds: Time.parse(options[:time]).seconds_since_midnight)
     end
     occ