diff --git a/python/activator/activator.py b/python/activator/activator.py
index addd3b54..d5277248 100644
--- a/python/activator/activator.py
+++ b/python/activator/activator.py
@@ -241,6 +241,10 @@ def next_visit_handler() -> Tuple[str, int]:
             return f"Bad Request: {msg}", 400
         assert expected_visit.instrument == instrument_name, \
             f"Expected {instrument_name}, received {expected_visit.instrument}."
+        if pipelines.get_pipeline_file(expected_visit) is None:
+            _log.info(f"No pipeline configured for {expected_visit}, skipping.")
+            return "No pipeline configured for the received visit.", 422
+
         expid_set = set()
 
         # Create a fresh MiddlewareInterface object to avoid accidental
diff --git a/python/activator/config.py b/python/activator/config.py
index dd38b8dd..0fd51d46 100644
--- a/python/activator/config.py
+++ b/python/activator/config.py
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ class PipelinesConfig:
         A string describing pipeline selection criteria. The current format is
         a space-delimited list of mappings, each of which has the format
         ``(survey="<survey>")=<pipeline>``. The pipeline path may contain
-        environment variables. No key or value may contain the "=" character.
+        environment variables, or may be the keyword "None" to mean no pipeline
+        should be run. No key or value may contain the "=" character.
         See examples below.
 
     Notes
@@ -68,6 +69,12 @@ class PipelinesConfig:
     ...                 '(survey="")=${AP_PIPE_DIR}/pipelines/LSSTComCam/Isr.yaml ')
     ... # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
     <config.PipelinesConfig object at 0x...>
+
+    A config that omits a pipeline for non-sky data:
+
+    >>> PipelinesConfig('(survey="TestSurvey")=/etc/pipelines/ApPipe.yaml '
+    ...                 '(survey="Dome Flats")=None ')  # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
+    <config.PipelinesConfig object at 0x...>
     """
 
     def __init__(self, config: str):
@@ -86,12 +93,13 @@ def _parse_config(config: str) -> collections.abc.Mapping:
             A string describing pipeline selection criteria. The current format
             is a space-delimited list of mappings, each of which has the format
             '(survey="<survey>")=<pipeline>'. The pipeline path may contain
-            environment variables. No key or value may contain the "="
+            environment variables, or may be the keyword "None" to mean no
+            pipeline should be run. No key or value may contain the "="
             character.
 
         Returns
         -------
-        config : mapping [`str`, `str`]
+        config : mapping [`str`, `str` or `None`]
             A mapping from the survey type to the pipeline to run for that
             survey. A more complex key or container type may be needed in the
             future, if other pipeline selection criteria are added.
@@ -109,7 +117,7 @@ def _parse_config(config: str) -> collections.abc.Mapping:
         pos = 0
         match = node.match(config, pos)
         while match:
-            items[match['survey']] = match['filename']
+            items[match['survey']] = match['filename'] if match['filename'].lower() != "none" else None
 
             pos = match.end()
             match = node.match(config, pos)
@@ -128,10 +136,15 @@ def get_pipeline_file(self, visit: FannedOutVisit) -> str:
 
         Returns
         -------
-        pipeline : `str`
-            A path to a configured pipeline file.
+        pipeline : `str` or `None`
+            A path to a configured pipeline file. A value of `None` means that
+            *no* pipeline should be run on this visit.
         """
         try:
-            return os.path.expandvars(self._mapping[visit.survey])
+            value = self._mapping[visit.survey]
         except KeyError as e:
             raise RuntimeError(f"Unsupported survey: {visit.survey}") from e
+        if value is not None:
+            return os.path.expandvars(value)
+        else:
+            return value
diff --git a/python/activator/visit.py b/python/activator/visit.py
index 3ab1cd14..33602dae 100644
--- a/python/activator/visit.py
+++ b/python/activator/visit.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def __str__(self):
         """Return a short string that represents the visit but does not
         include complete metadata.
         """
-        return f"(groupId={self.groupId}, salIndex={self.salIndex})"
+        return f"(groupId={self.groupId}, survey={self.survey}, salIndex={self.salIndex})"
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True, kw_only=True)
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ def __str__(self):
         """Return a short string that disambiguates the visit but does not
         include "metadata" fields.
         """
-        return f"(instrument={self.instrument}, groupId={self.groupId}, detector={self.detector})"
+        return f"(instrument={self.instrument}, groupId={self.groupId}, survey={self.survey} " \
+               f"detector={self.detector})"
 
     def get_bare_visit(self):
         """Return visit-level info as a dict"""
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index b5dae730..06124ab4 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -108,6 +108,16 @@ def test_space(self):
             os.path.normpath(os.path.join(getPackageDir("ap_pipe"), "pipe lines", "Isr.yaml"))
         )
 
+    def test_none(self):
+        config = PipelinesConfig('(survey="TestSurvey")=None shall pass/pipelines/SingleFrame.yaml '
+                                 '(survey="Camera Test")=None '
+                                 )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            config.get_pipeline_file(self.visit),
+            os.path.normpath(os.path.join("None shall pass", "pipelines", "SingleFrame.yaml"))
+        )
+        self.assertIsNone(config.get_pipeline_file(dataclasses.replace(self.visit, survey="Camera Test")))
+
     def test_nomatch(self):
         config = PipelinesConfig('(survey="TestSurvey")=/etc/pipelines/SingleFrame.yaml '
                                  '(survey="CameraTest")=${AP_PIPE_DIR}/pipelines/Isr.yaml '
diff --git a/tests/test_middleware_interface.py b/tests/test_middleware_interface.py
index 05f63b64..438693ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_middleware_interface.py
+++ b/tests/test_middleware_interface.py
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ def test_export_outputs(self):
         self.second_interface.export_outputs({self.second_data_id["exposure"]})
 
         central_butler = Butler(self.central_repo.name, writeable=False)
-        date = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc)
+        date = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone(datetime.timedelta(hours=-12)))
         export_collection = f"{instname}/prompt/output-{date.year:04d}-{date.month:02d}-{date.day:02d}" \
                             "/ApPipe/prompt-proto-service-042"
         self.assertEqual(self._count_datasets(central_butler, "calexp", export_collection), 2)
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ def test_export_outputs_retry(self):
         self.second_interface.export_outputs({self.second_data_id["exposure"]})
 
         central_butler = Butler(self.central_repo.name, writeable=False)
-        date = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc)
+        date = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone(datetime.timedelta(hours=-12)))
         export_collection = f"{instname}/prompt/output-{date.year:04d}-{date.month:02d}-{date.day:02d}" \
                             "/ApPipe/prompt-proto-service-042"
         self.assertEqual(self._count_datasets(central_butler, "calexp", export_collection), 2)