diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/etcd.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/etcd.go
index 16e2626de4800..ef9883267495b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/etcd.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/etcd.go
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ func (s *EtcdOptions) AddFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 
 	fs.StringVar(&s.EncryptionProviderConfigFilepath, "experimental-encryption-provider-config", s.EncryptionProviderConfigFilepath,
 		"The file containing configuration for encryption providers to be used for storing secrets in etcd")
+
+	fs.BoolVar(&s.StorageConfig.DisableCompaction, "etcd-disable-compaction", s.StorageConfig.DisableCompaction,
+		"If true, disable issuing compaction request from apiserver.")
+
 }
 
 func (s *EtcdOptions) ApplyTo(c *server.Config) error {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/config.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/config.go
index 2a88ddf745302..0171b90ec4bf8 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/config.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/config.go
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	Copier runtime.ObjectCopier
 	// Transformer allows the value to be transformed prior to persisting into etcd.
 	Transformer value.Transformer
+
+	// DisableCompaction is a flag to turn off requesting compaction from apiserver.
+	DisableCompaction bool
 }
 
 func NewDefaultConfig(prefix string, copier runtime.ObjectCopier, codec runtime.Codec) *Config {
@@ -58,7 +61,8 @@ func NewDefaultConfig(prefix string, copier runtime.ObjectCopier, codec runtime.
 		// Default cache size to 0 - if unset, its size will be set based on target
 		// memory usage.
 		DeserializationCacheSize: 0,
-		Copier: copier,
-		Codec:  codec,
+		Copier:            copier,
+		Codec:             codec,
+		DisableCompaction: false,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/factory/etcd3.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/factory/etcd3.go
index 2c838a09ce746..460ef40d33e89 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/factory/etcd3.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/storagebackend/factory/etcd3.go
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ func newETCD3Storage(c storagebackend.Config) (storage.Interface, DestroyFunc, e
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	etcd3.StartCompactor(ctx, client)
+	if !c.DisableCompaction {
+		etcd3.StartCompactor(ctx, client)
+	}
 	destroyFunc := func() {
 		cancel()
 		client.Close()