diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
index 202f1e41a..7d22918f0 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture.c
@@ -956,6 +956,11 @@ _cogl_atlas_texture_new_from_bitmap (CoglHandle       bmp_handle,
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (bmp_handle != COGL_INVALID_HANDLE, COGL_INVALID_HANDLE);
 
+  /* Don't put textures in the atlas if the user has explicitly
+     requested to disable it */
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_debug_flags & COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ATLAS))
+    return COGL_INVALID_HANDLE;
+
   /* We can't put the texture in the atlas if there are any special
      flags. This precludes textures with COGL_TEXTURE_NO_ATLAS and
      COGL_TEXTURE_NO_SLICING from being atlased */
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
index bba75e560..1ee180569 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ static const GDebugKey cogl_debug_keys[] = {
   { "matrices", COGL_DEBUG_MATRICES },
   { "force-scanline-paths", COGL_DEBUG_FORCE_SCANLINE_PATHS },
   { "atlas", COGL_DEBUG_ATLAS },
-  { "dump-atlas-image", COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE }
+  { "dump-atlas-image", COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE },
+  { "disable-atlas", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ATLAS }
 };
 
 static const gint n_cogl_debug_keys = G_N_ELEMENTS (cogl_debug_keys);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
index 864f50a60..0c6fb4de7 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ typedef enum {
   COGL_DEBUG_MATRICES         = 1 << 15,
   COGL_DEBUG_FORCE_SCANLINE_PATHS = 1 << 16,
   COGL_DEBUG_ATLAS            = 1 << 17,
-  COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE = 1 << 18
+  COGL_DEBUG_DUMP_ATLAS_IMAGE = 1 << 18,
+  COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_ATLAS    = 1 << 19
 } CoglDebugFlags;
 
 #ifdef COGL_ENABLE_DEBUG