diff --git a/gclient.py b/gclient.py
index 41f9d5b3d..7d0767069 100755
--- a/gclient.py
+++ b/gclient.py
@@ -2024,6 +2024,9 @@ def CMDsync(parser, args):
   parser.add_option('--shallow', action='store_true',
                     help='GIT ONLY - Do a shallow clone into the cache dir. '
                          'Requires Git 1.9+')
+  parser.add_option('--no_bootstrap', '--no-bootstrap',
+                    action='store_true',
+                    help='Don\'t bootstrap from Google Storage.')
   parser.add_option('--ignore_locks', action='store_true',
                     help='GIT ONLY - Ignore cache locks.')
   (options, args) = parser.parse_args(args)
diff --git a/gclient_scm.py b/gclient_scm.py
index 24064f92b..c6e9b6896 100644
--- a/gclient_scm.py
+++ b/gclient_scm.py
@@ -851,7 +851,9 @@ class GitWrapper(SCMWrapper):
         depth = 10000
     else:
       depth = None
-    mirror.populate(verbose=options.verbose, bootstrap=True, depth=depth,
+    mirror.populate(verbose=options.verbose,
+                    bootstrap=not getattr(options, 'no_bootstrap', False),
+                    depth=depth,
                     ignore_lock=getattr(options, 'ignore_locks', False))
     mirror.unlock()