diff --git a/src/vs/platform/auth/common/authTokenService.ts b/src/vs/platform/auth/common/authTokenService.ts
index 3f2878311af3aadf2d21560cc0e3feb1a59fa1e5..322ecfb2b09ceeef1fb70f611edd9a258fab1c7b 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/auth/common/authTokenService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/auth/common/authTokenService.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { IAuthTokenService, AuthTokenStatus } from 'vs/platform/auth/common/auth
 import { ICredentialsService } from 'vs/platform/credentials/common/credentials';
 import { Disposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { IProductService } from 'vs/platform/product/common/productService';
+import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
 
 const SERVICE_NAME = 'VS Code';
 const ACCOUNT = 'MyAccount';
@@ -23,9 +24,10 @@ export class AuthTokenService extends Disposable implements IAuthTokenService {
 	constructor(
 		@ICredentialsService private readonly credentialsService: ICredentialsService,
 		@IProductService productService: IProductService,
+		@IConfigurationService configurationService: IConfigurationService,
 	) {
 		super();
-		if (productService.settingsSyncStoreUrl) {
+		if (productService.settingsSyncStoreUrl && configurationService.getValue('configurationSync.enableAuth')) {
 			this._status = AuthTokenStatus.Inactive;
 			this.getToken().then(token => {
 				if (token) {
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/userDataSync/common/userDataSync.ts b/src/vs/platform/userDataSync/common/userDataSync.ts
index 942a4a3b318a8bb74e257c0ca9612c0d40570f16..6578b2a30b12b30d267f2cac7c0246c171a02386 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/userDataSync/common/userDataSync.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/userDataSync/common/userDataSync.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ export function registerConfiguration(): IDisposable {
 				$ref: ignoredSettingsSchemaId,
 				additionalProperties: true,
 				uniqueItems: true
+			},
+			'configurationSync.enableAuth': {
+				'type': 'boolean',
+				description: localize('configurationSync.enableAuth', "Enables authentication and requires VS Code restart when changed"),
+				'default': false,
+				'scope': ConfigurationScope.APPLICATION
 			}
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/browser/relauncher.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/browser/relauncher.contribution.ts
index 7384ae902f001fbf34ac0099f6bffb02fd5fda29..9f01d0a244504c98bdb6668e7ec345cb03e70f09 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/browser/relauncher.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/browser/relauncher.contribution.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ interface IConfiguration extends IWindowsConfiguration {
 	telemetry: { enableCrashReporter: boolean };
 	workbench: { list: { horizontalScrolling: boolean } };
 	debug: { console: { wordWrap: boolean } };
+	configurationSync: { enableAuth: boolean };
 }
 
 export class SettingsChangeRelauncher extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchContribution {
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export class SettingsChangeRelauncher extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchCo
 	private enableCrashReporter: boolean | undefined;
 	private treeHorizontalScrolling: boolean | undefined;
 	private debugConsoleWordWrap: boolean | undefined;
+	private enableConfigSyncAuth: boolean | undefined;
 
 	constructor(
 		@IHostService private readonly hostService: IHostService,
@@ -105,6 +107,12 @@ export class SettingsChangeRelauncher extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchCo
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Configuration Sync Auth
+		if (config.configurationSync && typeof config.configurationSync.enableAuth === 'boolean' && config.configurationSync.enableAuth !== this.enableConfigSyncAuth) {
+			this.enableConfigSyncAuth = config.configurationSync.enableAuth;
+			changed = true;
+		}
+
 		// Notify only when changed and we are the focused window (avoids notification spam across windows)
 		if (notify && changed) {
 			this.doConfirm(