diff --git a/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs b/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
index 6b749cf70b..8c50de6f7d 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
+++ b/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
@@ -231,4 +231,5 @@ config :electric,
   shape_hibernate_after: shape_hibernate_after,
   storage: storage,
   persistent_kv: persistent_kv,
-  listen_on_ipv6?: env!("ELECTRIC_LISTEN_ON_IPV6", :boolean, nil)
+  listen_on_ipv6?: env!("ELECTRIC_LISTEN_ON_IPV6", :boolean, nil),
+  compaction?: env!("ELECTRIC_COMPACTION", :boolean, true)
diff --git a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/shapes/consumer_supervisor.ex b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/shapes/consumer_supervisor.ex
index 4f29bafd8d..ae2e98e8da 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/shapes/consumer_supervisor.ex
+++ b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/shapes/consumer_supervisor.ex
@@ -73,10 +73,17 @@ defmodule Electric.Shapes.ConsumerSupervisor do
     children = [
       {Electric.ShapeCache.Storage, shape_storage},
       {Electric.Shapes.Consumer, shape_config},
-      {Electric.Shapes.Consumer.Snapshotter, shape_config},
-      {Electric.ShapeCache.CompactionRunner, [{:storage, shape_storage} | metadata]}
+      {Electric.Shapes.Consumer.Snapshotter, shape_config}
     ]
 
+    children =
+      if Application.get_env(:electric, :compaction?, true) do
+        children ++
+          [{Electric.ShapeCache.CompactionRunner, [{:storage, shape_storage} | metadata]}]
+      else
+        children
+      end
+
     Supervisor.init(children, strategy: :one_for_one, auto_shutdown: :any_significant)
   end
 end