diff --git a/code/model/Blog.php b/code/model/Blog.php
index 2d07901..b445f18 100644
--- a/code/model/Blog.php
+++ b/code/model/Blog.php
@@ -360,7 +360,9 @@ class Blog extends Page implements PermissionProvider {
 	 */
 	protected function getCandidateUsers() {
 		if($this->config()->grant_user_access) {
-			return Member::get();
+			$list = Member::get();
+			$this->extend('updateCandidateUsers', $list);
+   			return $list;
 		} else {
 			return Permission::get_members_by_permission(
 				$this->config()->grant_user_permission
diff --git a/code/model/BlogPost.php b/code/model/BlogPost.php
index b196809..b7b126f 100644
--- a/code/model/BlogPost.php
+++ b/code/model/BlogPost.php
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
  * @property int $ParentID
  */
 class BlogPost extends Page {
+
+	/**
+	 * Same as above, but for list of users that can be
+	 * given credit in the author field for blog posts
+	 * @var string|bool false or group code
+	 */
+	private static $restrict_authors_to_group = false;
+
 	/**
 	 * @var array
 	 */
@@ -205,7 +213,7 @@ class BlogPost extends Page {
 			$authorField = ListboxField::create(
 				'Authors',
 				_t('BlogPost.Authors', 'Authors'),
-				Member::get()->map()->toArray()
+				$this->getCandidateAuthors()->map()->toArray()
 			)->setMultiple(true);
 
 			$authorNames = TextField::create(
@@ -274,6 +282,21 @@ class BlogPost extends Page {
 		return $fields;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Gets the list of author candidates to be assigned as authors of this blog post.
+	 *
+	 * @return SS_List
+	 */
+	public function getCandidateAuthors() {
+		if($this->config()->restrict_authors_to_group) {
+			return Group::get()->filter('Code', $this->config()->restrict_authors_to_group)->first()->Members();
+		} else {
+			$list = Member::get();
+			$this->extend('updateCandidateAuthors', $list);
+			return $list;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Determine if this user can edit the authors list.
 	 *
diff --git a/docs/en/configuring-large-websites.md b/docs/en/configuring-large-websites.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf98ea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/en/configuring-large-websites.md
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# Configuring Blog for large user bases
+
+By default the blog module user and author selection form fields include all users in your website as 
+candidates for writers, editors and contributors. Additionally, when adding a blog post, again all users are selectable.
+This can cause issue with websites that store a large number of users in the database.
+
+In this case you may need to restrict the number of user accounts that are elegable to be selected. 
+The module has some useful configuration options for this that can be added to your projects config.yml
+
+## Restricting blog managers to a permission setting
+Default is to list all users and when one is selected, they are added to a `blog-users` group with `CMS_ACCESS_CMSMain` permissions.
+To only include those already having these permissions you can set in your `config.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+Blog:
+  grant_user_access: false
+```
+
+Note: depending on the incusion order of your config.yml you may need to clear the condifg setting 
+before updating it. In this case use the folling in yout `mysite/_config.php`:
+
+```php
+Config::inst()->remove('Blog', 'grant_user_access');
+```
+
+If you create your own permission and want to ensure the pool of possible selectable users includes 
+those with this permission you can set the checked permission in `config.yml` with:
+
+```yaml
+Blog:
+  grant_user_permission: SOME_PERMISSION_here
+```
+
+## Restricting blog post authors selection to a known group
+In a blog post when selecting an author it will default to you (the logged in person creating the post), 
+however you may be posting on behalf of another person. In this case the slection form field will offer 
+all users as potential blog authors. Again for large websites with many thousands of users this can cause 
+the site to be slow or non-responsive. We can turn on a filter so that authors need to be in a defined 
+user group to be able to be selected as an author.
+
+Enable this in your `config.yml` by adding a group code:
+
+```yaml
+BlogPost:
+  restrict_authors_to_group: 'group_code'
+```
+
+## Extension points in Blog and BlogPost users and how to use
+Both Blog and BlogPost have methods which return the list of candidate users or authors. If the previously 
+mentioned mothods of reducing this list are not suitable or you wish to roll your own, you can utilise a 
+DataExtension to get the controll you require.
+
+For example in BlogPost:
+
+```php
+protected function getCandidateAuthors() {
+		if($this->config()->restrict_authors_to_group) {
+			return Group::get()->filter('Code', $this->config()->restrict_authors_to_group)->first()->Members();
+		} else {
+			$list = Member::get();
+			$this->extend('updateCandidateAuthors', $list);
+			return $list;
+		}
+	}
+```
+
+Note the line `$this->extend('updateCandidateAuthors', $list);` which allows you to call a 
+`updateCandidateAuthors` method in a DataExtension to the Blog Post class if you have not set a `restrict_authors_to_group` config, further filter the passed 
+in Member list before it gets sent back to the form field.
+
+See the documentation on [DataExtension](https://docs.silverstripe.org/en/developer_guides/extending/extensions/) for further implementation notes.
+
diff --git a/tests/BlogPostTest.php b/tests/BlogPostTest.php
index c4e9100..7e02336 100644
--- a/tests/BlogPostTest.php
+++ b/tests/BlogPostTest.php
@@ -63,4 +63,17 @@ class BlogPostTest extends SapphireTest {
 			array($somePastDate, 'Writer', 'FirstBlogPost', false),
 		);
 	}
+
+	public function testCandidateAuthors() {
+		$blogpost = $this->objFromFixture('BlogPost', 'PostC');
+
+		$this->assertEquals(7, $blogpost->getCandidateAuthors()->count());
+
+		//Set the group to draw Members from
+		Config::inst()->update('BlogPost', 'restrict_authors_to_group','BlogUsers');
+
+		$this->assertEquals(3, $blogpost->getCandidateAuthors()->count());
+
+
+	}
 }