diff --git a/langfuse/_client/environment_variables.py b/langfuse/_client/environment_variables.py
index e78604f9b..d9df459a0 100644
--- a/langfuse/_client/environment_variables.py
+++ b/langfuse/_client/environment_variables.py
@@ -110,3 +110,12 @@
 
 **Default value**: ``True``
 """
+
+LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED = "LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED"
+"""
+.. envvar: LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED
+
+Controls whether media detection and upload is attempted by the SDK.
+
+**Default value**: ``True``
+"""
diff --git a/langfuse/_client/resource_manager.py b/langfuse/_client/resource_manager.py
index bb28bdf00..1c07de57c 100644
--- a/langfuse/_client/resource_manager.py
+++ b/langfuse/_client/resource_manager.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 from langfuse._client.attributes import LangfuseOtelSpanAttributes
 from langfuse._client.constants import LANGFUSE_TRACER_NAME
 from langfuse._client.environment_variables import (
+    LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED,
     LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_THREAD_COUNT,
     LANGFUSE_RELEASE,
     LANGFUSE_TRACING_ENVIRONMENT,
@@ -190,6 +191,10 @@ def _initialize_instance(
         )
 
         # Media
+        self._media_upload_enabled = os.environ.get(
+            LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED, "True"
+        ).lower() not in ("false", "0")
+
         self._media_upload_queue = Queue(100_000)
         self._media_manager = MediaManager(
             api_client=self.api,
@@ -202,13 +207,14 @@ def _initialize_instance(
             int(os.getenv(LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_THREAD_COUNT, 1)), 1
         )
 
-        for i in range(media_upload_thread_count):
-            media_upload_consumer = MediaUploadConsumer(
-                identifier=i,
-                media_manager=self._media_manager,
-            )
-            media_upload_consumer.start()
-            self._media_upload_consumers.append(media_upload_consumer)
+        if self._media_upload_enabled:
+            for i in range(media_upload_thread_count):
+                media_upload_consumer = MediaUploadConsumer(
+                    identifier=i,
+                    media_manager=self._media_manager,
+                )
+                media_upload_consumer.start()
+                self._media_upload_consumers.append(media_upload_consumer)
 
         # Prompt cache
         self.prompt_cache = PromptCache()
diff --git a/langfuse/_task_manager/media_manager.py b/langfuse/_task_manager/media_manager.py
index de9406027..43a50f8c6 100644
--- a/langfuse/_task_manager/media_manager.py
+++ b/langfuse/_task_manager/media_manager.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import os
 import time
 from queue import Empty, Full, Queue
 from typing import Any, Callable, Optional, TypeVar, cast
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@
 import requests
 from typing_extensions import ParamSpec
 
+from langfuse._client.environment_variables import LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED
 from langfuse._utils import _get_timestamp
 from langfuse.api import GetMediaUploadUrlRequest, PatchMediaBody
 from langfuse.api.client import FernLangfuse
@@ -33,6 +35,9 @@ def __init__(
         self._api_client = api_client
         self._queue = media_upload_queue
         self._max_retries = max_retries
+        self._enabled = os.environ.get(
+            LANGFUSE_MEDIA_UPLOAD_ENABLED, "True"
+        ).lower() not in ("false", "0")
 
     def process_next_media_upload(self):
         try:
@@ -60,6 +65,9 @@ def _find_and_process_media(
         observation_id: Optional[str],
         field: str,
     ):
+        if not self._enabled:
+            return data
+
         seen = set()
         max_levels = 10