diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ec6eb5e9..2e9c2485 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@ pipeline {
 }
 ```
 
+## Disable fingerprinting
+
+Recording fingerprints are great, but for large Jenkins instances it can become a scalability and performance issue.
+It is possible to disable recording of fingerprints by setting the system property
+<code>org.jenkinsci.plugins.docker.commons.fingerprint.DockerFingerprints.DISABLE</code> equal to true. This will
+not remove old fingerprints but will prevent new fingerprints from being recorded.
+
 ## License
 
 [MIT License](http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/docker/commons/fingerprint/DockerFingerprints.java b/src/main/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/docker/commons/fingerprint/DockerFingerprints.java
index 442cf07b..48d04d5a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/docker/commons/fingerprint/DockerFingerprints.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/docker/commons/fingerprint/DockerFingerprints.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
  */
 package org.jenkinsci.plugins.docker.commons.fingerprint;
 
+import edu.umd.cs.findbugs.annotations.SuppressFBWarnings;
 import hudson.BulkChange;
 import hudson.model.Fingerprint;
 import hudson.model.Run;
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import jenkins.model.FingerprintFacet;
 import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
+import org.kohsuke.accmod.Restricted;
+import org.kohsuke.accmod.restrictions.NoExternalUse;
 
 /**
  * Entry point into fingerprint related functionalities in Docker.
@@ -47,7 +50,15 @@
 public class DockerFingerprints {
     
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(DockerFingerprints.class.getName());
-    
+
+    /**
+     * System property, which, when set to true (default false), disables
+     * recording of new fingerprints.
+     */
+    @SuppressFBWarnings(value="MS_SHOULD_BE_FINAL", justification="mutable for scripts")
+    @Restricted(NoExternalUse.class)
+    public static boolean DISABLE = Boolean.getBoolean(DockerFingerprints.class.getName() + ".DISABLE");
+
     private DockerFingerprints() {} // no instantiation
  
     /**
@@ -221,6 +232,10 @@ private DockerFingerprints() {} // no instantiation
      * Adds a new {@link ContainerRecord} for the specified image, creating necessary intermediate objects as it goes.
      */
     public static void addRunFacet(@Nonnull ContainerRecord record, @Nonnull Run<?,?> run) throws IOException {
+        if (DISABLE) {
+            LOGGER.info("Recording of fingerprints is disabled, no RUN fingerprint record will be made.");
+            return;
+        }
         String imageId = record.getImageId();
         Fingerprint f = forImage(run, imageId);
         synchronized (f) {
@@ -256,6 +271,10 @@ public static void addRunFacet(@Nonnull ContainerRecord record, @Nonnull Run<?,?
      * @param run the build in which the image building occurred
      */
     public static void addFromFacet(@CheckForNull String ancestorImageId, @Nonnull String descendantImageId, @Nonnull Run<?,?> run) throws IOException {
+        if (DISABLE) {
+            LOGGER.info("Recording of fingerprints is disabled, no FROM fingerprint record will be made.");
+            return;
+        }
         long timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
         if (ancestorImageId != null) {
             Fingerprint f = forImage(run, ancestorImageId);
@@ -311,4 +330,13 @@ public static void addFromFacet(@CheckForNull String ancestorImageId, @Nonnull S
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Indicates whether recording of new fingerprints are disabled.
+     *
+     * @return true if fingerprint recording is disabled, otherwise false.
+     */
+    public static boolean isFingerprintsDisabled() {
+        return DISABLE;
+    }
+
 }