diff --git a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/args/args.go b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/args/args.go
index 7cd8122d52..265b4e40ae 100644
--- a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/args/args.go
+++ b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/args/args.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type CustomArgs struct {
 	ListersPackage                   string
 	ForceKinds                       string
 	ListerHasPointerElem             bool
+	DisableInformerInit              bool
 }
 
 // NewDefaults returns default arguments for the generator.
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ func (ca *CustomArgs) AddFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 
 	fs.BoolVar(&ca.ListerHasPointerElem, "lister-has-pointer-elem", false, "")
 	fs.MarkDeprecated("lister-has-pointer-elem", "this flag has no effect")
+
+	fs.BoolVar(&ca.DisableInformerInit, "disable-informer-init", false, "disable generating the init function for the informer")
 }
 
 // Validate checks the given arguments.
diff --git a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/informer.go b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/informer.go
index c4fb215f1d..c0b3bf3eaf 100644
--- a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/informer.go
+++ b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/informer.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type injectionGenerator struct {
 	imports                     namer.ImportTracker
 	typedInformerPackage        string
 	groupInformerFactoryPackage string
+	disableInformerInit         bool
 }
 
 var _ generator.Generator = (*injectionGenerator)(nil)
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ func (g *injectionGenerator) GenerateType(c *generator.Context, t *types.Type, w
 			Package: "context",
 			Name:    "WithValue",
 		}),
+		"disableInformerInit": g.disableInformerInit,
 	}
 
 	sw.Do(injectionInformer, m)
@@ -106,14 +108,16 @@ func (g *injectionGenerator) GenerateType(c *generator.Context, t *types.Type, w
 }
 
 var injectionInformer = `
+{{ if not .disableInformerInit }}
 func init() {
 	{{.injectionRegisterInformer|raw}}(withInformer)
 }
+{{ end }}
 
 // Key is used for associating the Informer inside the context.Context.
 type Key struct{}
 
-func withInformer(ctx {{.contextContext|raw}}) ({{.contextContext|raw}}, {{.controllerInformer|raw}}) {
+{{ if .disableInformerInit }} func WithInformer {{ else }} func withInformer {{ end }} (ctx {{.contextContext|raw}}) ({{.contextContext|raw}}, {{.controllerInformer|raw}}) {
 	f := {{.factoryGet|raw}}(ctx)
 	inf := f.{{.groupGoName}}().{{.versionGoName}}().{{.type|publicPlural}}()
 	return {{ .contextWithValue|raw }}(ctx, Key{}, inf), inf.Informer()
diff --git a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/packages.go b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/packages.go
index 43768927a5..f0ca43f2bf 100644
--- a/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/packages.go
+++ b/codegen/cmd/injection-gen/generators/packages.go
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ func versionInformerPackages(basePackage string, groupPkgName string, gv clientg
 					imports:                     generator.NewImportTracker(),
 					typedInformerPackage:        typedInformerPackage,
 					groupInformerFactoryPackage: factoryPackagePath,
+					disableInformerInit:         customArgs.DisableInformerInit,
 				})
 				return generators
 			},