diff --git a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/App.java b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/App.java
index 8c78e8ac..9c40f02c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/App.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/App.java
@@ -133,7 +133,10 @@ public App(final AppConfig appConfig) {
         }
         this.configs = getConfigs(this.appConfig);
 
-        this.initTelemetryBean();
+        if (this.appConfig.getJmxfetchTelemetry()) {
+            log.info("Enabling JMX Fetch Telemetry");
+            this.initTelemetryBean();
+        }
     }
 
     private ObjectName getAppTelemetryBeanName() {
@@ -176,6 +179,9 @@ private void initTelemetryBean() {
     }
 
     private void teardownTelemetry() {
+        if (!this.appConfig.getJmxfetchTelemetry()) {
+            return;
+        }
         MBeanServer mbs =  ManagementFactory.getPlatformMBeanServer();
         ObjectName appTelemetryBeanName = getAppTelemetryBeanName();
         if (appTelemetryBeanName == null) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/TestApp.java b/src/test/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/TestApp.java
index 5fec8d25..a46b0c26 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/TestApp.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/datadog/jmxfetch/TestApp.java
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ public class TestApp extends TestCommon {
     /** Tag metrics with MBean parameters based on user supplied regex */
     @Test
     public void testBeanRegexTags() throws Exception {
+        // When we enable JMXFetch telemetry
+        when(appConfig.getJmxfetchTelemetry()).thenReturn(true);
+
         // We expose a few metrics through JMX
         registerMBean(
                 new SimpleTestJavaApp(),
@@ -53,6 +56,9 @@ public void testBeanRegexTags() throws Exception {
     /** Tag metrics with MBeans parameters. */
     @Test
     public void testBeanTags() throws Exception {
+        // When we enable JMXFetch telemetry
+        when(appConfig.getJmxfetchTelemetry()).thenReturn(true);
+
         // We expose a few metrics through JMX
         registerMBean(
                 new SimpleTestJavaApp(),