diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
index 22b0d842a4..0930ab3165 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, conceal_vst2_if_vst3_exists, "conceal-vst2-if-vst3-exists
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, show_vst3_micro_edit_inline, "show-vst3-micro-edit-inline", true)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, ask_replace_instrument, "ask-replace-instrument", true)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, ask_setup_instrument, "ask-setup-instrument", true)
+CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, setup_sidechain, "setup-sidechain", false)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, plugin_scan_timeout, "plugin-scan-timeout", 150) /* deci-seconds */
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, limit_n_automatables, "limit-n-automatables", 512)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, plugin_cache_version, "plugin-cache-version", 0)
diff --git a/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc b/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
index 8d27e8704e..deb1a0502b 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ PluginInsert::PluginInsert (Session& s, Temporal::TimeDomain td, boost::shared_p
 		add_plugin (plug);
 		create_automatable_parameters ();
 		const ChanCount& sc (sidechain_input_pins ());
-		if (sc.n_audio () > 0 || sc.n_midi () > 0) {
+		if ((sc.n_audio () > 0 || sc.n_midi () > 0) && Config->get_setup_sidechain ()) {
 			add_sidechain (sc.n_audio (), sc.n_midi ());
 		}
 	}