diff --git a/elasticapm/instrumentation/packages/base.py b/elasticapm/instrumentation/packages/base.py
index b95b58c3a..7826921a9 100644
--- a/elasticapm/instrumentation/packages/base.py
+++ b/elasticapm/instrumentation/packages/base.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import functools
 import logging
+import os
 
 from elasticapm.traces import get_transaction
 from elasticapm.utils import wrapt
@@ -169,6 +170,11 @@ def instrument(self):
         if self.instrumented:
             return
 
+        skip_env_var = 'SKIP_INSTRUMENT_' + str(self.name.upper())
+        if skip_env_var in os.environ:
+            logger.debug("Skipping instrumentation of %s. %s is set.",
+                         self.name, skip_env_var)
+            return
         try:
             instrument_list = self.get_instrument_list()
             skipped_modules = set()
diff --git a/tests/instrumentation/base_tests.py b/tests/instrumentation/base_tests.py
index ece5ec6ea..89f1b02d0 100644
--- a/tests/instrumentation/base_tests.py
+++ b/tests/instrumentation/base_tests.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import types
 
+import mock
 import pytest
 
 from elasticapm.instrumentation.packages.base import (AbstractInstrumentedModule,
@@ -71,3 +72,10 @@ def test_uninstrument_py3():
     instrumentation.uninstrument()
     assert Dummy.dummy is original
     assert not isinstance(Dummy.dummy, OriginalNamesBoundFunctionWrapper)
+
+
+def test_skip_instrument_env_var():
+    instrumentation = _TestDummyInstrumentation()
+    with mock.patch.dict('os.environ', {'SKIP_INSTRUMENT_TEST_DUMMY_INSTRUMENT': 'foo'}):
+        instrumentation.instrument()
+    assert not instrumentation.instrumented