diff --git a/build-cran-package.sh b/build-cran-package.sh
index 02342daf389..f49b7155563 100755
--- a/build-cran-package.sh
+++ b/build-cran-package.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 set -e
 
 # Default values of arguments
-BUILD_VIGNETTES=true
+BUILD_VIGNETTES=false
 LGB_R_EXECUTABLE=R
 
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
diff --git a/build_r.R b/build_r.R
index 64ca29989db..6d197cb091e 100644
--- a/build_r.R
+++ b/build_r.R
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ TEMP_SOURCE_DIR <- file.path(TEMP_R_DIR, "src")
 }
 parsed_args <- .parse_args(args)
 
-SKIP_VIGNETTES <- "--no-build-vignettes" %in% parsed_args[["flags"]]
+SKIP_VIGNETTES <- TRUE
 USING_GPU <- "--use-gpu" %in% parsed_args[["flags"]]
 USING_MINGW <- "--use-mingw" %in% parsed_args[["flags"]]
 USING_MSYS2 <- "--use-msys2" %in% parsed_args[["flags"]]