diff --git a/config/benchmark.exs b/config/benchmark.exs
index e3e1118ed..848344864 100644
--- a/config/benchmark.exs
+++ b/config/benchmark.exs
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@
 
 config :pleroma, Pleroma.ReverseProxy.Client, Pleroma.ReverseProxy.ClientMock
 
+config :pleroma, Pleroma.Application,
+  background_migrators: false
+
 if File.exists?("./config/benchmark.secret.exs") do
   import_config "benchmark.secret.exs"
 else
diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index c6a12a7b2..be9ddba53 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -905,6 +905,7 @@
   initial_indexing_chunk_size: 100_000
 
 config :pleroma, Pleroma.Application,
+  background_migrators: true,
   internal_fetch: true,
   load_custom_modules: true,
   max_restarts: 3
diff --git a/config/test.exs b/config/test.exs
index 0a6688823..898b0828e 100644
--- a/config/test.exs
+++ b/config/test.exs
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@
 config :pleroma, Pleroma.Cluster, peer_module: peer_module
 
 config :pleroma, Pleroma.Application,
+  background_migrators: false,
   internal_fetch: false,
   load_custom_modules: false,
   max_restarts: 100
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/application.ex b/lib/pleroma/application.ex
index de7d06974..2eda212b3 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/application.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/application.ex
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ def start(_type, _args) do
         ] ++
         task_children() ++
         dont_run_in_test(@mix_env) ++
+        background_migrators() ++
         shout_child(shout_enabled?()) ++
         [Pleroma.Gopher.Server]
 
@@ -218,14 +219,18 @@ defp dont_run_in_test(_) do
          keys: :duplicate,
          partitions: System.schedulers_online()
        ]}
-    ] ++ background_migrators()
+    ]
   end
 
   defp background_migrators do
-    [
-      Pleroma.Migrators.HashtagsTableMigrator,
-      Pleroma.Migrators.ContextObjectsDeletionMigrator
-    ]
+    if Application.get_env(:pleroma, __MODULE__)[:background_migrators] do
+      [
+        Pleroma.Migrators.HashtagsTableMigrator,
+        Pleroma.Migrators.ContextObjectsDeletionMigrator
+      ]
+    else
+      []
+    end
   end
 
   defp shout_child(true) do