diff --git a/source/code/go/src/plugins/telemetry.go b/source/code/go/src/plugins/telemetry.go
index 82f970d3a..a64ca2218 100644
--- a/source/code/go/src/plugins/telemetry.go
+++ b/source/code/go/src/plugins/telemetry.go
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ func InitializeTelemetryClient(agentVersion string) (int, error) {
 	}
 
 	TelemetryClient = appinsights.NewTelemetryClient(string(decIkey))
+	telemetryOffSwitch := os.Getenv("DISABLE_TELEMETRY")
+	if strings.Compare(strings.ToLower(telemetryOffSwitch), "true") == 0 {
+		Log("Appinsights telemetry is disabled \n")
+		TelemetryClient.SetIsEnabled(false)
+	}
 
 	CommonProperties = make(map[string]string)
 	CommonProperties["Computer"] = Computer
diff --git a/source/code/plugin/ApplicationInsightsUtility.rb b/source/code/plugin/ApplicationInsightsUtility.rb
index 27660d708..683be0db4 100644
--- a/source/code/plugin/ApplicationInsightsUtility.rb
+++ b/source/code/plugin/ApplicationInsightsUtility.rb
@@ -61,9 +61,16 @@ def initializeUtility()
                 @@CustomProperties['AgentVersion'] = ENV[@@EnvAgentVersion]
                 @@CustomProperties['ControllerType'] = ENV[@@EnvControllerType]
                 encodedAppInsightsKey = ENV[@@EnvApplicationInsightsKey]
-                if !encodedAppInsightsKey.nil?
+
+                #Check if telemetry is turned off
+                telemetryOffSwitch = ENV['DISABLE_TELEMETRY']
+                if telemetryOffSwitch && !telemetryOffSwitch.nil? && !telemetryOffSwitch.empty? && telemetryOffSwitch.downcase == "true".downcase
+                    $log.warn("AppInsightsUtility: Telemetry is disabled")
+                    @@Tc = ApplicationInsights::TelemetryClient.new
+                elsif !encodedAppInsightsKey.nil?
                     decodedAppInsightsKey = Base64.decode64(encodedAppInsightsKey)
                     @@Tc = ApplicationInsights::TelemetryClient.new decodedAppInsightsKey
+                  
                 end
             rescue => errorStr
                 $log.warn("Exception in AppInsightsUtility: initilizeUtility - error: #{errorStr}")