diff --git a/Documentation/config/gvfs.txt b/Documentation/config/gvfs.txt
index 6ab221ded36c91..7224939ac0b270 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/gvfs.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/gvfs.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,8 @@ gvfs.cache-server::
 
 gvfs.sharedcache::
 	TODO
+
+gvfs.fallback::
+	If set to `false`, then never fallback to the origin server when the cache
+	server fails to connect. This will alert users to failures with the cache
+	server, but avoid causing throttling on the origin server.
diff --git a/gvfs-helper-client.c b/gvfs-helper-client.c
index 88217d81f7a6c3..67a56fc91d2fe8 100644
--- a/gvfs-helper-client.c
+++ b/gvfs-helper-client.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "pkt-line.h"
 #include "quote.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
+#include "config.h"
 
 static struct oidset gh_client__oidset_queued = OIDSET_INIT;
 static unsigned long gh_client__oidset_count;
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ static struct gh_server__process *gh_client__find_long_running_process(
 	struct gh_server__process *entry;
 	struct strvec argv = STRVEC_INIT;
 	struct strbuf quoted = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int fallback;
 
 	gh_client__choose_odb();
 
@@ -344,10 +346,17 @@ static struct gh_server__process *gh_client__find_long_running_process(
 	 * TODO decide what defaults we want.
 	 */
 	strvec_push(&argv, "gvfs-helper");
-	strvec_push(&argv, "--fallback");
 	strvec_push(&argv, "--cache-server=trust");
 	strvec_pushf(&argv, "--shared-cache=%s",
 			 gh_client__chosen_odb->path);
+
+	/* If gvfs.fallback=false, then don't add --fallback. */
+	if (!git_config_get_bool("gvfs.fallback", &fallback) &&
+	    !fallback)
+		strvec_push(&argv, "--no-fallback");
+	else
+		strvec_push(&argv, "--fallback");
+
 	strvec_push(&argv, "server");
 
 	sq_quote_argv_pretty(&quoted, argv.v);