diff --git a/.readme-partials.yaml b/.readme-partials.yaml
index 748464e..84db7ec 100644
--- a/.readme-partials.yaml
+++ b/.readme-partials.yaml
@@ -58,11 +58,20 @@ body: |-
 
   ### Environment variables
 
-  * GCE_METADATA_HOST: provide an alternate host or IP to perform lookup against (useful, for example, you're connecting through a custom proxy server).
+  * `GCE_METADATA_HOST`: provide an alternate host or IP to perform lookup against (useful, for example, you're connecting through a custom proxy server).
 
-  For example:
-  ```
-  export GCE_METADATA_HOST = '169.254.169.254'
-  ```
+    For example:
+    ```
+    export GCE_METADATA_HOST = '169.254.169.254'
+    ```
+
+  * `DETECT_GCP_RETRIES`: number representing number of retries that should be attempted on metadata lookup.
+
+  * `DEBUG_AUTH`: emit debugging logs
+
+  * `METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION`: configure desired metadata server availability check behavior.
 
-  * DETECT_GCP_RETRIES: number representing number of retries that should be attempted on metadata lookup.
+    * `assume-present`: don't try to ping the metadata server, but assume it's present
+    * `none`: don't try to ping the metadata server, but don't try to use it either
+    * `bios-only`: treat the result of a BIOS probe as canonical (don't fall back to pinging)
+    * `ping-only`: skip the BIOS probe, and go straight to pinging
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e9c0d49..4bfd83e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -137,14 +137,23 @@ console.log(id.toString()) // ... 4520031799277581759
 
 ### Environment variables
 
-* GCE_METADATA_HOST: provide an alternate host or IP to perform lookup against (useful, for example, you're connecting through a custom proxy server).
+* `GCE_METADATA_HOST`: provide an alternate host or IP to perform lookup against (useful, for example, you're connecting through a custom proxy server).
 
-For example:
-```
-export GCE_METADATA_HOST = '169.254.169.254'
-```
+  For example:
+  ```
+  export GCE_METADATA_HOST = '169.254.169.254'
+  ```
+
+* `DETECT_GCP_RETRIES`: number representing number of retries that should be attempted on metadata lookup.
+
+* `DEBUG_AUTH`: emit debugging logs
+
+* `METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION`: configure desired metadata server availability check behavior.
 
-* DETECT_GCP_RETRIES: number representing number of retries that should be attempted on metadata lookup.
+  * `assume-present`: don't try to ping the metadata server, but assume it's present
+  * `none`: don't try to ping the metadata server, but don't try to use it either
+  * `bios-only`: treat the result of a BIOS probe as canonical (don't fall back to pinging)
+  * `ping-only`: skip the BIOS probe, and go straight to pinging
 
 
 ## Samples
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 004f5ae..529e8d0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "json-bigint": "^1.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@babel/plugin-proposal-private-methods": "^7.18.6",
     "@compodoc/compodoc": "^1.1.10",
     "@google-cloud/functions": "^2.0.0",
     "@types/json-bigint": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 47eb003..ec54ffd 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@ export const HEADER_NAME = 'Metadata-Flavor';
 export const HEADER_VALUE = 'Google';
 export const HEADERS = Object.freeze({[HEADER_NAME]: HEADER_VALUE});
 
+/**
+ * Metadata server detection override options.
+ *
+ * Available via `process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION`.
+ */
+export const METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = Object.freeze({
+  'assume-present':
+    "don't try to ping the metadata server, but assume it's present",
+  none: "don't try to ping the metadata server, but don't try to use it either",
+  'bios-only':
+    "treat the result of a BIOS probe as canonical (don't fall back to pinging)",
+  'ping-only': 'skip the BIOS probe, and go straight to pinging',
+});
+
 export interface Options {
   params?: {[index: string]: string};
   property?: string;
@@ -199,6 +213,30 @@ let cachedIsAvailableResponse: Promise<boolean> | undefined;
  * Determine if the metadata server is currently available.
  */
 export async function isAvailable() {
+  if (process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION) {
+    const value =
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION.trim().toLocaleLowerCase();
+
+    if (!(value in METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION)) {
+      throw new RangeError(
+        `Unknown \`METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION\` env variable. Got \`${value}\`, but it should be \`${Object.keys(
+          METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION
+        ).join('`, `')}\`, or unset`
+      );
+    }
+
+    switch (value as keyof typeof METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION) {
+      case 'assume-present':
+        return true;
+      case 'none':
+        return false;
+      case 'bios-only':
+        return getGCPResidency();
+      case 'ping-only':
+      // continue, we want to ping the server
+    }
+  }
+
   try {
     // If a user is instantiating several GCP libraries at the same time,
     // this may result in multiple calls to isAvailable(), to detect the
@@ -271,11 +309,26 @@ export function resetIsAvailableCache() {
  */
 export let gcpResidencyCache: boolean | null = null;
 
+/**
+ * Detects GCP Residency.
+ * Caches results to reduce costs for subsequent calls.
+ *
+ * @see setGCPResidency for setting
+ */
+export function getGCPResidency(): boolean {
+  if (gcpResidencyCache === null) {
+    setGCPResidency();
+  }
+
+  return gcpResidencyCache!;
+}
+
 /**
  * Sets the detected GCP Residency.
  * Useful for forcing metadata server detection behavior.
  *
  * Set `null` to autodetect the environment (default behavior).
+ * @see getGCPResidency for getting
  */
 export function setGCPResidency(value: boolean | null = null) {
   gcpResidencyCache = value !== null ? value : detectGCPResidency();
@@ -291,12 +344,7 @@ export function setGCPResidency(value: boolean | null = null) {
  * @returns {number} a request timeout duration in milliseconds.
  */
 export function requestTimeout(): number {
-  // Detecting the residency can be resource-intensive. Let's cache the result.
-  if (gcpResidencyCache === null) {
-    gcpResidencyCache = detectGCPResidency();
-  }
-
-  return gcpResidencyCache ? 0 : 3000;
+  return getGCPResidency() ? 0 : 3000;
 }
 
 export * from './gcp-residency';
diff --git a/test/index.test.ts b/test/index.test.ts
index ebc4d9f..938d639 100644
--- a/test/index.test.ts
+++ b/test/index.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ describe('unit test', () => {
     // expected test outcome.
     delete process.env.GCE_METADATA_HOST;
     delete process.env.GCE_METADATA_IP;
+    delete process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION;
+
     gcp.resetIsAvailableCache();
 
     sandbox = createSandbox();
@@ -261,6 +263,95 @@ describe('unit test', () => {
     });
   }
 
+  describe('METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION', () => {
+    it('should respect `assume-present`', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'assume-present';
+
+      // if this is called, this the test would fail.
+      const scope = nock(HOST);
+
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, true);
+
+      scope.done();
+    });
+
+    it('should respect `bios-only` (residency = true)', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'bios-only';
+
+      // if this is called, this the test would fail.
+      const scope = nock(HOST);
+
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(true);
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, true);
+
+      scope.done();
+    });
+
+    it('should respect `bios-only` (residency = false)', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'bios-only';
+
+      // if either are called, this the test would fail.
+      nock(HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+      nock(SECONDARY_HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(false);
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, false);
+
+      nock.cleanAll();
+    });
+
+    it('should respect `none`', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'none';
+
+      // if either are called, this the test would fail.
+      nock(HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+      nock(SECONDARY_HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+
+      // if this is referenced, this test would fail.
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(true);
+
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, false);
+    });
+
+    it('should respect `ping-only`', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'ping-only';
+
+      gcp.resetIsAvailableCache();
+      nock(HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+      nock(SECONDARY_HOST).get(`${PATH}/${TYPE}`).reply(200, {}, HEADERS);
+
+      // if this is referenced, this test would fail.
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(false);
+
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, true);
+
+      nock.cleanAll();
+    });
+
+    it('should ignore spaces and capitalization', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = '   ASSUME-present\t';
+
+      // if this is called, this the test would fail.
+      const scope = nock(HOST);
+
+      const isGCE = await gcp.isAvailable();
+      assert.strictEqual(isGCE, true);
+
+      scope.done();
+    });
+
+    it('should throw on unknown values', async () => {
+      process.env.METADATA_SERVER_DETECTION = 'abc';
+
+      await assert.rejects(gcp.isAvailable, RangeError);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should report isGCE if primary server returns 500 followed by 200', async () => {
     const secondary = secondaryHostRequest(500);
     const primary = nock(HOST)
@@ -496,6 +587,21 @@ describe('unit test', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(isGCE, false);
   });
 
+  describe('getGCPResidency', () => {
+    it('should set and use `gcpResidencyCache`', () => {
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(false);
+      assert.equal(gcp.getGCPResidency(), false);
+      assert.equal(gcp.gcpResidencyCache, false);
+
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(true);
+      assert.equal(gcp.getGCPResidency(), true);
+      assert.equal(gcp.gcpResidencyCache, true);
+
+      gcp.setGCPResidency(null);
+      assert.equal(gcp.getGCPResidency(), gcp.gcpResidencyCache);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('setGCPResidency', () => {
     it('should set `gcpResidencyCache`', () => {
       gcp.setGCPResidency(true);
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index b7492c4..cca4310 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   "extends": "./node_modules/gts/tsconfig-google.json",
   "compilerOptions": {
     "lib": ["es2018", "dom"],
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
     "rootDir": ".",
     "outDir": "build"
   },