diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/lease_preferences.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/lease_preferences.go
index 0c4fa710ae67..53d969b24b21 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/lease_preferences.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/lease_preferences.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ func runLeasePreferences(
 	// https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/issues/105274
 	settings := install.MakeClusterSettings()
 	settings.ClusterSettings["server.span_stats.span_batch_limit"] = "4096"
+	settings.ClusterSettings["kv.enqueue_in_replicate_queue_on_span_config_update.enabled"] = "true"
 
 	startNodes := func(nodes ...int) {
 		for _, node := range nodes {
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_protectedts_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_protectedts_test.go
index a76965347732..62b5f7cac415 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_protectedts_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_protectedts_test.go
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ func TestProtectedTimestamps(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = conn.Exec("SET CLUSTER SETTING kv.closed_timestamp.target_duration = '100ms'") // speeds up the test
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	_, err = conn.Exec("SET CLUSTER SETTING kv.enqueue_in_replicate_queue_on_span_config_update.enabled = true") // speeds up the test
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
 	const tableRangeMaxBytes = 1 << 18
 	_, err = conn.Exec("ALTER TABLE foo CONFIGURE ZONE USING "+
 		"gc.ttlseconds = 1, range_max_bytes = $1, range_min_bytes = 1<<10;", tableRangeMaxBytes)
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replicate_queue.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replicate_queue.go
index fcf8c441b956..9ca60867e98f 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replicate_queue.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replicate_queue.go
@@ -80,6 +80,17 @@ var MinLeaseTransferInterval = settings.RegisterDurationSetting(
 	settings.NonNegativeDuration,
 )
 
+// EnqueueInReplicateQueueOnSpanConfigUpdateEnabled controls whether replicas
+// are enqueued into the replicate queue, following a span config update which
+// affects the replica.
+var EnqueueInReplicateQueueOnSpanConfigUpdateEnabled = settings.RegisterBoolSetting(
+	settings.SystemOnly,
+	"kv.enqueue_in_replicate_queue_on_span_config_update.enabled",
+	"controls whether replicas are enqueued into the replicate queue for "+
+		"processing, when a span config update occurs, which affects the replica",
+	false,
+)
+
 var (
 	metaReplicateQueueAddReplicaCount = metric.Metadata{
 		Name:        "queue.replicate.addreplica",
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
index 7c34e508b78d..31865a36d628 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
@@ -2381,6 +2381,12 @@ func (s *Store) onSpanConfigUpdate(ctx context.Context, updated roachpb.Span) {
 
 	now := s.cfg.Clock.NowAsClockTimestamp()
 
+	// The replicate queue has a relatively more expensive queue check
+	// (shouldQueue), because it scales with the number of stores, and
+	// performs more checks.
+	enqueueToReplicateQueueEnabled := EnqueueInReplicateQueueOnSpanConfigUpdateEnabled.Get(
+		&s.GetStoreConfig().Settings.SV)
+
 	s.mu.RLock()
 	defer s.mu.RUnlock()
 	if err := s.mu.replicasByKey.VisitKeyRange(ctx, sp.Key, sp.EndKey, AscendingKeyOrder,
@@ -2439,9 +2445,12 @@ func (s *Store) onSpanConfigUpdate(ctx context.Context, updated roachpb.Span) {
 			s.mergeQueue.Async(replCtx, "span config update", true /* wait */, func(ctx context.Context, h queueHelper) {
 				h.MaybeAdd(ctx, repl, now)
 			})
-			s.replicateQueue.Async(replCtx, "span config update", true /* wait */, func(ctx context.Context, h queueHelper) {
-				h.MaybeAdd(ctx, repl, now)
-			})
+
+			if enqueueToReplicateQueueEnabled {
+				s.replicateQueue.Async(replCtx, "span config update", true /* wait */, func(ctx context.Context, h queueHelper) {
+					h.MaybeAdd(ctx, repl, now)
+				})
+			}
 			return nil // more
 		},
 	); err != nil {