diff --git a/api/python/quilt3/packages.py b/api/python/quilt3/packages.py
index 4a83b55f74d..a6716e0988c 100644
--- a/api/python/quilt3/packages.py
+++ b/api/python/quilt3/packages.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import contextlib
 import gc
 import hashlib
 import inspect
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import pathlib
 import shutil
+import tempfile
 import textwrap
 import time
 import uuid
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@
 import jsonlines
 from tqdm import tqdm
 
-from . import workflows
+from . import util, workflows
 from .backends import get_package_registry
 from .data_transfer import (
     calculate_sha256,
@@ -218,7 +220,7 @@ def get_cached_path(self):
         """
         Returns a locally cached physical key, if available.
         """
-        if not self.physical_key.is_local():
+        if util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED and not self.physical_key.is_local():
             return ObjectPathCache.get(str(self.physical_key))
         return None
 
@@ -499,10 +501,11 @@ def install(cls, name, registry=None, top_hash=None, dest=None, dest_registry=No
             # Copy the datafiles in the package.
             physical_key = entry.physical_key
 
-            # Try a local cache.
-            cached_file = ObjectPathCache.get(str(physical_key))
-            if cached_file is not None:
-                physical_key = PhysicalKey.from_path(cached_file)
+            if util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED:
+                # Try a local cache.
+                cached_file = ObjectPathCache.get(str(physical_key))
+                if cached_file is not None:
+                    physical_key = PhysicalKey.from_path(cached_file)
 
             new_physical_key = dest_parsed.join(logical_key)
             if physical_key != new_physical_key:
@@ -512,7 +515,11 @@ def _maybe_add_to_cache(old: PhysicalKey, new: PhysicalKey, _):
             if not old.is_local() and new.is_local():
                 ObjectPathCache.set(str(old), new.path)
 
-        copy_file_list(file_list, callback=_maybe_add_to_cache, message="Copying objects")
+        copy_file_list(
+            file_list,
+            callback=_maybe_add_to_cache if util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED else None,
+            message="Copying objects",
+        )
 
         pkg._build(name, registry=dest_registry, message=message)
         if top_hash is None:
@@ -583,18 +590,30 @@ def _browse(cls, name, registry=None, top_hash=None):
             registry.resolve_top_hash(name, top_hash)
         )
         pkg_manifest = registry.manifest_pk(name, top_hash)
-        if pkg_manifest.is_local():
-            local_pkg_manifest = pkg_manifest.path
-        else:
-            local_pkg_manifest = CACHE_PATH / "manifest" / _filesystem_safe_encode(str(pkg_manifest))
-            if not local_pkg_manifest.exists():
-                # Copy to a temporary file first, to make sure we don't cache a truncated file
-                # if the download gets interrupted.
-                tmp_path = local_pkg_manifest.with_suffix('.tmp')
-                copy_file(pkg_manifest, PhysicalKey.from_path(tmp_path), message="Downloading manifest")
-                tmp_path.rename(local_pkg_manifest)
-
-        return cls._from_path(local_pkg_manifest)
+
+        def download_manifest(dst):
+            copy_file(pkg_manifest, PhysicalKey.from_path(dst), message="Downloading manifest")
+
+        with contextlib.ExitStack() as stack:
+            if pkg_manifest.is_local():
+                local_pkg_manifest = pkg_manifest.path
+            elif util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED:
+                local_pkg_manifest = CACHE_PATH / "manifest" / _filesystem_safe_encode(str(pkg_manifest))
+                if not local_pkg_manifest.exists():
+                    # Copy to a temporary file first, to make sure we don't cache a truncated file
+                    # if the download gets interrupted.
+                    tmp_path = local_pkg_manifest.with_suffix('.tmp')
+                    download_manifest(tmp_path)
+                    tmp_path.rename(local_pkg_manifest)
+            else:
+                # This tmp file has to closed before downloading, because on Windows it can't be
+                # opened for concurrent access.
+                with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False) as tmp_file:
+                    local_pkg_manifest = tmp_file.name
+                    stack.callback(os.unlink, local_pkg_manifest)
+                download_manifest(local_pkg_manifest)
+
+            return cls._from_path(local_pkg_manifest)
 
     @classmethod
     def _from_path(cls, path):
diff --git a/api/python/quilt3/util.py b/api/python/quilt3/util.py
index cc8730d23e9..25282a3baa3 100644
--- a/api/python/quilt3/util.py
+++ b/api/python/quilt3/util.py
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 import yaml
 from appdirs import user_cache_dir, user_data_dir
 
+
+def get_bool_from_env(var_name: str):
+    return os.getenv(var_name, '').lower() == 'true'
+
+
 APP_NAME = "Quilt"
 APP_AUTHOR = "QuiltData"
 BASE_DIR = user_data_dir(APP_NAME, APP_AUTHOR)
@@ -30,8 +35,10 @@
 OPEN_DATA_URL = "https://open.quiltdata.com"
 
 PACKAGE_NAME_FORMAT = r"([\w-]+/[\w-]+)(?:/(.+))?$"
-DISABLE_TQDM = os.getenv('QUILT_MINIMIZE_STDOUT', '').lower() == 'true'
+DISABLE_TQDM = get_bool_from_env('QUILT_MINIMIZE_STDOUT')
 PACKAGE_UPDATE_POLICY = {'incoming', 'existing'}
+IS_CACHE_ENABLED = not get_bool_from_env('QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE')
+
 
 # CONFIG_TEMPLATE
 # Must contain every permitted config key, as well as their default values (which can be 'null'/None).
diff --git a/api/python/tests/integration/test_packages.py b/api/python/tests/integration/test_packages.py
index 15fb0d9707c..db86d4ced9a 100644
--- a/api/python/tests/integration/test_packages.py
+++ b/api/python/tests/integration/test_packages.py
@@ -1387,6 +1387,45 @@ def test_install(self):
                 'test/foo/foo',
             )))
 
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures('isolate_packages_cache')
+    @patch('quilt3.util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED', False)
+    @patch('quilt3.packages.ObjectPathCache')
+    def test_install_disabled_cache(self, object_path_cache_mock):
+        registry = 's3://my-test-bucket'
+        pkg_registry = self.S3PackageRegistryDefault(PhysicalKey.from_url(registry))
+        pkg_name = 'Quilt/Foo'
+
+        # Install a package twice and make sure cache functions weren't called.
+        for x in range(2):
+            self.setup_s3_stubber_pkg_install(
+                pkg_registry, pkg_name, manifest=REMOTE_MANIFEST.read_bytes(),
+                entries=(
+                    ('s3://my_bucket/my_data_pkg/bar.csv', b'a,b,c'),
+                    ('s3://my_bucket/my_data_pkg/baz/bat', b'Hello World!'),
+                    ('s3://my_bucket/my_data_pkg/foo', '💩'.encode()),
+                ),
+            )
+            with patch('quilt3.data_transfer.MAX_CONCURRENCY', 1):
+                Package.install(pkg_name, registry=registry, dest='package')
+            object_path_cache_mock.get.assert_not_called()
+            object_path_cache_mock.set.assert_not_called()
+
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures('isolate_packages_cache')
+    @patch('quilt3.util.IS_CACHE_ENABLED', False)
+    @patch('quilt3.packages.ObjectPathCache')
+    def test_package_entry_disabled_cache(self, object_path_cache_mock):
+        registry = 's3://my-test-bucket'
+        pkg_registry = self.S3PackageRegistryDefault(PhysicalKey.from_url(registry))
+        pkg_name = 'Quilt/Foo'
+
+        self.setup_s3_stubber_pkg_install(
+            pkg_registry, pkg_name, manifest=REMOTE_MANIFEST.read_bytes(),
+        )
+        pkg = Package.browse(pkg_name, registry=registry)
+        for lk, entry in pkg.walk():
+            assert entry.get_cached_path() is None
+            object_path_cache_mock.get.assert_not_called()
+
     def test_install_subpackage_deprecated_and_new(self):
         pkg_name = 'Quilt/Foo'
         bucket = 'my-test-bucket'
diff --git a/docs/API Reference/cli.md b/docs/API Reference/cli.md
index 7541c2a8633..92011b73fe2 100644
--- a/docs/API Reference/cli.md	
+++ b/docs/API Reference/cli.md	
@@ -189,7 +189,11 @@ Turn off TQDM progress bars for log files. Defaults to `False`
 ```
 $ export QUILT_MINIMIZE_STDOUT=true
 ```
-
+### `QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE`
+Turn off cache. Defaults to `False`.
+```
+$ export QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE=true
+```
 ### `QUILT_TRANSFER_MAX_CONCURRENCY`
 Number of threads for file transfers. Defaults to `10`.
 
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index f6c4a779666..b444d6446b9 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 # unreleased - YYYY-MM-DD
 ## Python API
 * [Added] `QUILT_TRANSFER_MAX_CONCURRENCY` environment variable ([#2092](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/pull/2092))
+* [Added] `QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE` environment variable ([#2091](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/pull/2091))
 * [Changed] Removed unused dependency on `packaging` ([#2090](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/pull/2090))
 * [Fixed] Possible downloading of truncated manifests ([#1977](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/pull/1977))
 
diff --git a/gendocs/env_constants.md b/gendocs/env_constants.md
index a87196764cf..ac1f3754bf9 100644
--- a/gendocs/env_constants.md
+++ b/gendocs/env_constants.md
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ Turn off TQDM progress bars for log files. Defaults to `False`
 ```
 $ export QUILT_MINIMIZE_STDOUT=true
 ```
-
+### `QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE`
+Turn off cache. Defaults to `False`.
+```
+$ export QUILT_DISABLE_CACHE=true
+```
 ### `QUILT_TRANSFER_MAX_CONCURRENCY`
 Number of threads for file transfers. Defaults to `10`.