diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index edca53f..f866a43 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	flagEnableAdoptedResourceReconciler = "enable-adopted-resource-reconciler"
+	flagEnableFieldExportReconciler     = "enable-field-export-reconciler"
 	flagEnableLeaderElection            = "enable-leader-election"
 	flagLeaderElectionNamespace         = "leader-election-namespace"
 	flagMetricAddr                      = "metrics-addr"
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	HealthzAddr                     string
 	EnableLeaderElection            bool
 	EnableAdoptedResourceReconciler bool
+	EnableFieldExportReconciler     bool
 	LeaderElectionNamespace         string
 	EnableDevelopmentLogging        bool
 	AccountID                       string
@@ -144,6 +146,11 @@ func (cfg *Config) BindFlags() {
 		true,
 		"Enable the AdoptedResource reconciler.",
 	)
+	flag.BoolVar(
+		&cfg.EnableFieldExportReconciler, flagEnableFieldExportReconciler,
+		true,
+		"Enable the FieldExport reconciler.",
+	)
 	flag.StringVar(
 		// In the context of the controller-runtime library, if the LeaderElectionNamespace parametere is not
 		//  explicitly set, the library will automatically default its value to the content of the file
diff --git a/pkg/runtime/service_controller.go b/pkg/runtime/service_controller.go
index 7488c12..61f0ba3 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/service_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/service_controller.go
@@ -258,18 +258,22 @@ func (c *serviceController) BindControllerManager(mgr ctrlrt.Manager, cfg ackcfg
 		}
 	}
 
-	exporterInstalled, err := c.GetFieldExportInstalled(mgr)
+	exporterInstalled := false
 	exporterLogger := c.log.WithName("exporter")
-	if err != nil {
-		exporterLogger.Error(err, "unable to determine if the FieldExport CRD is installed in the cluster")
-	} else if !exporterInstalled {
-		exporterLogger.Info("FieldExport CRD not installed. The field export reconciler will not be started")
-	} else {
-		rec := NewFieldExportReconcilerForFieldExport(c, exporterLogger, cfg, c.metrics, cache)
-		if err := rec.BindControllerManager(mgr); err != nil {
-			return err
+	
+	if cfg.EnableFieldExportReconciler {
+		exporterInstalled, err := c.GetFieldExportInstalled(mgr)
+		if err != nil {
+			exporterLogger.Error(err, "unable to determine if the FieldExport CRD is installed in the cluster")
+		} else if !exporterInstalled {
+			exporterLogger.Info("FieldExport CRD not installed. The field export reconciler will not be started")
+		} else {
+			rec := NewFieldExportReconcilerForFieldExport(c, exporterLogger, cfg, c.metrics, cache)
+			if err := rec.BindControllerManager(mgr); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			c.fieldExportReconciler = rec
 		}
-		c.fieldExportReconciler = rec
 	}
 
 	// Get the list of resources to reconcile from the config
@@ -305,7 +309,7 @@ func (c *serviceController) BindControllerManager(mgr ctrlrt.Manager, cfg ackcfg
 		}
 		c.reconcilers = append(c.reconcilers, rec)
 
-		if exporterInstalled {
+		if cfg.EnableFieldExportReconciler && exporterInstalled {
 			rd := rmf.ResourceDescriptor()
 			feRec := NewFieldExportReconcilerForAWSResource(c, exporterLogger, cfg, c.metrics, cache, rd)
 			if err := feRec.BindControllerManager(mgr); err != nil {