diff --git a/src/metakb/cli.py b/src/metakb/cli.py
index f31fa6ba..da12eb3a 100644
--- a/src/metakb/cli.py
+++ b/src/metakb/cli.py
@@ -330,12 +330,15 @@ async def transform_file(
     )
 
 
-def _get_driver(db_url: str, db_creds: str | None) -> Generator[Driver, None, None]:
+def _get_driver(
+    db_url: str, db_creds: str | None, add_constraints: bool
+) -> Generator[Driver, None, None]:
     """Acquire Neo4j graph driver.
 
     :param db_url: URL endpoint for the application Neo4j database.
     :param db_creds: DB username and password, separated by a colon, e.g.
         ``"username:password"``.
+    :param add_constraints: Whether or not to create Neo4j database constraints.
     :return: Graph driver instance
     """
     if not db_creds:
@@ -348,7 +351,9 @@ def _get_driver(db_url: str, db_creds: str | None) -> Generator[Driver, None, No
             _help_msg(
                 f"Argument to --db_credentials appears invalid. Got '{db_creds}'. Should follow pattern 'username:password'."
             )
-    driver = get_driver(uri=db_url, credentials=credentials)
+    driver = get_driver(
+        uri=db_url, credentials=credentials, add_constraints=add_constraints
+    )
     yield driver
     driver.close()
 
@@ -382,13 +387,19 @@ def clear_graph(
         ``"username:password"``.
     :param keep_constraints: if True, don't clear graph constraints
     """  # noqa: D301
-    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials))
+    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials, add_constraints=False))
     clear_metakb_graph(driver, keep_constraints)
 
 
 @cli.command()
 @click.option("--db_url", "-u", default="", help=_neo4j_db_url_description)
 @click.option("--db_credentials", "-c", help=_neo4j_creds_description)
+@click.option(
+    "--add_constraints",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="if true, create neo4j database constraints",
+)
 @click.option(
     "--from_s3",
     "-s",
@@ -402,7 +413,11 @@ def clear_graph(
     nargs=-1,
 )
 def load_cdm(
-    db_url: str, db_credentials: str | None, from_s3: bool, cdm_files: tuple[Path, ...]
+    db_url: str,
+    db_credentials: str | None,
+    add_constraints: bool,
+    from_s3: bool,
+    cdm_files: tuple[Path, ...],
 ) -> None:
     """Load one or more CDM_FILEs into Neo4j graph.
 
@@ -430,6 +445,7 @@ def load_cdm(
     :param db_url: URL endpoint for the application Neo4j database.
     :param db_credentials: DB username and password, separated by a colon, e.g.
         ``"username:password"``.
+    :param add_constraints: Whether or not to create Neo4j database constraints.
     :param from_s3: Skip data harvest/transform and load latest existing CDM files from
         VICC S3 bucket. Exclusive with ``cdm_file`` arguments.
     :param cdm_files: tuple of specific file(s) to load from. If empty, just get latest
@@ -441,7 +457,7 @@ def load_cdm(
     start = timer()
     _echo_info("Loading Neo4j database...")
 
-    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials))
+    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials, add_constraints))
 
     if cdm_files:
         for file in cdm_files:
@@ -468,6 +484,12 @@ def load_cdm(
 @cli.command()
 @click.option("--db_url", "-u", default="", help=_neo4j_db_url_description)
 @click.option("--db_credentials", "-c", help=_neo4j_creds_description)
+@click.option(
+    "--add_constraints",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="if true, create neo4j database constraints",
+)
 @click.option("--normalizer_db_url", "-n", help=_normalizer_db_url_description)
 @click.option(
     "--refresh_source_caches",
@@ -487,6 +509,7 @@ def load_cdm(
 async def update(
     db_url: str,
     db_credentials: str | None,
+    add_constraints: bool,
     normalizer_db_url: str | None,
     refresh_source_caches: bool,
     sources: tuple[SourceName, ...],
@@ -515,6 +538,7 @@ async def update(
     :param db_url: URL endpoint for the application Neo4j database.
     :param db_credentials: DB username and password, separated by a colon, e.g.
         ``"username:password"``.
+    :param add_constraints: Whether or not to create Neo4j database constraints.
     :param normalizer_db_url: URL endpoint of normalizers DynamoDB database. If not
         given, defaults to the configuration rules of the individual normalizers.
     :param refresh_source_caches: ``True`` if source caches, i.e. CIViCPy, should be
@@ -528,7 +552,7 @@ async def update(
     start = timer()
     _echo_info("Loading Neo4j database...")
 
-    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials))
+    driver = next(_get_driver(db_url, db_credentials, add_constraints))
 
     if not sources:
         sources = tuple(SourceName)