diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 3df93fef10..e4a46b61cf 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ ext {
     // by replacing $PREFIX since app code is dependant on the variant used to build the APK.
     // Currently supported values are: [ "apt-android-7" "apt-android-5" ]
     packageVariant = System.getenv("TERMUX_PACKAGE_VARIANT") ?: "apt-android-7" // Default: "apt-android-7"
+    noBootstrap = System.getenv("TERMUX_NO_BOOTSTRAP") ?: "0"
 }
 
 android {
@@ -213,21 +214,29 @@ clean {
 task downloadBootstraps() {
     doLast {
         def packageVariant = project.ext.packageVariant
-        if (packageVariant == "apt-android-7") {
-            def version = "2022.04.28-r5" + "+" + packageVariant
-            downloadBootstrap("aarch64", "4a51a7eb209fe82efc24d52e3cccc13165f27377290687cb82038cbd8e948430", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("arm", "6459a786acbae50d4c8a36fa1c3de6a4dd2d482572f6d54f73274709bd627325", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("i686", "919d212b2f19e08600938db4079e794e947365022dbfd50ac342c50fcedcd7be", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("x86_64", "61b02fdc03ea4f5d9da8d8cf018013fdc6659e6da6cbf44e9b24d1c623580b89", version)
-        } else if (packageVariant == "apt-android-5") {
-            def version = "2022.04.28-r6" + "+" + packageVariant
-            downloadBootstrap("aarch64", "913609d439415c828c5640be1b0561467e539cb1c7080662decaaca2fb4820e7", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("arm", "26bfb45304c946170db69108e5eb6e3641aad751406ce106c80df80cad2eccf8", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("i686", "46dcfeb5eef67ba765498db9fe4c50dc4690805139aa0dd141a9d8ee0693cd27", version)
-            downloadBootstrap("x86_64", "615b590679ee6cd885b7fd2ff9473c845e920f9b422f790bb158c63fe42b8481", version)
+        if (project.ext.noBootstrap != "1") {
+            if (packageVariant == "apt-android-7") {
+                def version = "2022.04.28-r5" + "+" + packageVariant
+                downloadBootstrap("aarch64", "4a51a7eb209fe82efc24d52e3cccc13165f27377290687cb82038cbd8e948430", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("arm", "6459a786acbae50d4c8a36fa1c3de6a4dd2d482572f6d54f73274709bd627325", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("i686", "919d212b2f19e08600938db4079e794e947365022dbfd50ac342c50fcedcd7be", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("x86_64", "61b02fdc03ea4f5d9da8d8cf018013fdc6659e6da6cbf44e9b24d1c623580b89", version)
+            } else if (packageVariant == "apt-android-5") {
+                def version = "2022.04.28-r6" + "+" + packageVariant
+                downloadBootstrap("aarch64", "913609d439415c828c5640be1b0561467e539cb1c7080662decaaca2fb4820e7", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("arm", "26bfb45304c946170db69108e5eb6e3641aad751406ce106c80df80cad2eccf8", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("i686", "46dcfeb5eef67ba765498db9fe4c50dc4690805139aa0dd141a9d8ee0693cd27", version)
+                downloadBootstrap("x86_64", "615b590679ee6cd885b7fd2ff9473c845e920f9b422f790bb158c63fe42b8481", version)
+            } else {
+                throw new GradleException("Unsupported TERMUX_PACKAGE_VARIANT \"" + packageVariant + "\"")
+            }
         } else {
-            throw new GradleException("Unsupported TERMUX_PACKAGE_VARIANT \"" + packageVariant + "\"")
+            new File("app/src/main/cpp/", "bootstrap-" + "aarch64" + ".zip").text = ""
+            new File("app/src/main/cpp/", "bootstrap-" + "arm" + ".zip").text = ""
+            new File("app/src/main/cpp/", "bootstrap-" + "i686" + ".zip").text = ""
+            new File("app/src/main/cpp/", "bootstrap-" + "x86_64" + ".zip").text = ""
         }
+
     }
 }