diff --git a/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/arrow.py b/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/arrow.py
index d87bae2928e..12256e97f05 100644
--- a/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/arrow.py
+++ b/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/arrow.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ def _write_partitioned(
     pandas_to_arrow_table,
     preserve_index,
     index_cols=(),
+    return_metadata=True,
     **kwargs,
 ):
     """Write table to a partitioned dataset with pyarrow.
@@ -119,8 +120,14 @@ def _write_partitioned(
         fs.mkdirs(prefix, exist_ok=True)
         full_path = fs.sep.join([prefix, filename])
         with fs.open(full_path, "wb") as f:
-            pq.write_table(subtable, f, metadata_collector=md_list, **kwargs)
-        md_list[-1].set_file_path(fs.sep.join([subdir, filename]))
+            pq.write_table(
+                subtable,
+                f,
+                metadata_collector=md_list if return_metadata else None,
+                **kwargs,
+            )
+        if return_metadata:
+            md_list[-1].set_file_path(fs.sep.join([subdir, filename]))
 
     return md_list
 
@@ -680,6 +687,7 @@ def write_partition(
                 preserve_index,
                 index_cols=index_cols,
                 compression=compression,
+                return_metadata=return_metadata,
                 **kwargs,
             )
             if md_list:
@@ -693,7 +701,7 @@ def write_partition(
                     t,
                     fil,
                     compression=compression,
-                    metadata_collector=md_list,
+                    metadata_collector=md_list if return_metadata else None,
                     **kwargs,
                 )
             if md_list:
diff --git a/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/core.py b/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/core.py
index 04837494e12..a82245b4790 100644
--- a/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/core.py
+++ b/dask/dataframe/io/parquet/core.py
@@ -808,10 +808,10 @@ def to_parquet(
 
     # Collect metadata and write _metadata.
     # TODO: Use tree-reduction layer (when available)
-    meta_name = "metadata-" + data_write._name
     if write_metadata_file:
+        final_name = "metadata-" + data_write._name
         dsk = {
-            (meta_name, 0): (
+            (final_name, 0): (
                 apply,
                 engine.write_metadata,
                 [
@@ -824,16 +824,22 @@ def to_parquet(
             )
         }
     else:
-        dsk = {(meta_name, 0): (lambda x: None, data_write.__dask_keys__())}
+        # NOTE: We still define a single task to tie everything together
+        # when we are not writing a _metadata file. We do not want to
+        # return `data_write` (or a `data_write.to_bag()`), because calling
+        # `compute()` on a multi-partition collection requires the overhead
+        # of trying to concatenate results on the client.
+        final_name = "store-" + data_write._name
+        dsk = {(final_name, 0): (lambda x: None, data_write.__dask_keys__())}
 
     # Convert data_write + dsk to computable collection
-    graph = HighLevelGraph.from_collections(meta_name, dsk, dependencies=(data_write,))
+    graph = HighLevelGraph.from_collections(final_name, dsk, dependencies=(data_write,))
     if compute:
         return compute_as_if_collection(
-            Scalar, graph, [(meta_name, 0)], **compute_kwargs
+            Scalar, graph, [(final_name, 0)], **compute_kwargs
         )
     else:
-        return Scalar(graph, meta_name, "")
+        return Scalar(graph, final_name, "")
 
 
 def create_metadata_file(