diff --git a/sentry_sdk/client.py b/sentry_sdk/client.py
index 24824e0050..219f69b404 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/client.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/client.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     get_before_send_log,
     get_before_send_metric,
     has_logs_enabled,
+    has_metrics_enabled,
 )
 from sentry_sdk.serializer import serialize
 from sentry_sdk.tracing import trace
@@ -374,7 +375,9 @@ def _capture_envelope(envelope):
 
                 self.log_batcher = LogBatcher(capture_func=_capture_envelope)
 
-            self.metrics_batcher = MetricsBatcher(capture_func=_capture_envelope)
+            self.metrics_batcher = None
+            if has_metrics_enabled(self.options):
+                self.metrics_batcher = MetricsBatcher(capture_func=_capture_envelope)
 
             max_request_body_size = ("always", "never", "small", "medium")
             if self.options["max_request_body_size"] not in max_request_body_size:
@@ -975,7 +978,7 @@ def _capture_log(self, log):
 
     def _capture_metric(self, metric):
         # type: (Optional[Metric]) -> None
-        if metric is None:
+        if not has_metrics_enabled(self.options) or metric is None:
             return
 
         current_scope = sentry_sdk.get_current_scope()
diff --git a/sentry_sdk/consts.py b/sentry_sdk/consts.py
index 33900acd50..a5975afb23 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/consts.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/consts.py
@@ -1005,6 +1005,7 @@ def __init__(
         enable_logs=False,  # type: bool
         before_send_log=None,  # type: Optional[Callable[[Log, Hint], Optional[Log]]]
         trace_ignore_status_codes=frozenset(),  # type: AbstractSet[int]
+        enable_metrics=True,  # type: bool
     ):
         # type: (...) -> None
         """Initialize the Sentry SDK with the given parameters. All parameters described here can be used in a call to `sentry_sdk.init()`.
diff --git a/sentry_sdk/utils.py b/sentry_sdk/utils.py
index 93c35cee8a..02e31ef375 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/utils.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/utils.py
@@ -2047,6 +2047,14 @@ def get_before_send_log(options):
     )
 
 
+def has_metrics_enabled(options):
+    # type: (Optional[dict[str, Any]]) -> bool
+    if options is None:
+        return False
+
+    return bool(options.get("enable_metrics", True))
+
+
 def get_before_send_metric(options):
     # type: (Optional[dict[str, Any]]) -> Optional[Callable[[Metric, Hint], Optional[Metric]]]
     if options is None:
diff --git a/tests/test_metrics.py b/tests/test_metrics.py
index 8026e17bb6..29b139c184 100644
--- a/tests/test_metrics.py
+++ b/tests/test_metrics.py
@@ -33,6 +33,18 @@ def envelopes_to_metrics(envelopes):
     return res
 
 
+def test_metrics_disabled(sentry_init, capture_envelopes):
+    sentry_init(enable_metrics=False)
+
+    envelopes = capture_envelopes()
+
+    sentry_sdk.metrics.count("test.counter", 1)
+    sentry_sdk.metrics.gauge("test.gauge", 42)
+    sentry_sdk.metrics.distribution("test.distribution", 200)
+
+    assert len(envelopes) == 0
+
+
 def test_metrics_basics(sentry_init, capture_envelopes):
     sentry_init()
     envelopes = capture_envelopes()