diff --git a/setup/system.sh b/setup/system.sh
index 4d33deb6..db399e12 100755
--- a/setup/system.sh
+++ b/setup/system.sh
@@ -99,15 +99,17 @@ hide_output add-apt-repository -y ppa:certbot/certbot
 # of things from Ubuntu, as well as the directory of packages provide by the
 # PPAs so we can install those packages later.
 
-echo Updating system packages...
-hide_output apt-get update
-apt_get_quiet upgrade
+if [ "$SKIP_SYSTEM_UPDATE" != "1" ]; then
+	echo Updating system packages...
+	hide_output apt-get update
+	apt_get_quiet upgrade
 
 # Old kernels pile up over time and take up a lot of disk space, and because of Mail-in-a-Box
 # changes there may be other packages that are no longer needed. Clear out anything apt knows
 # is safe to delete.
 
-apt_get_quiet autoremove
+	apt_get_quiet autoremove
+fi
 
 # ### Install System Packages
 
diff --git a/tests/system-setup/setup-defaults.sh b/tests/system-setup/setup-defaults.sh
index d36612e9..f9a4330e 100755
--- a/tests/system-setup/setup-defaults.sh
+++ b/tests/system-setup/setup-defaults.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 export PRIMARY_HOSTNAME=${PRIMARY_HOSTNAME:-$(hostname --fqdn || hostname)}
 export NONINTERACTIVE=${NONINTERACTIVE:-1}
 export SKIP_NETWORK_CHECKS=${SKIP_NETWORK_CHECKS:-1}
+export SKIP_SYSTEM_UPDATE=${SKIP_SYSTEM_UPDATE:-1}
 export STORAGE_USER="${STORAGE_USER:-user-data}"
 export STORAGE_ROOT="${STORAGE_ROOT:-/home/$STORAGE_USER}"
 export EMAIL_ADDR="${EMAIL_ADDR:-qa@abc.com}"
diff --git a/tests/system-setup/setup-funcs.sh b/tests/system-setup/setup-funcs.sh
index 3e053450..ca13abfb 100755
--- a/tests/system-setup/setup-funcs.sh
+++ b/tests/system-setup/setup-funcs.sh
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ init_test_system() {
     # is upgraded through automatic upgrades (because maybe MiaB was
     # previously installed), it may cause problems with the rest of
     # the setup, such as with name resolution failures
-    if is_false "$TRAVIS"; then
+    if is_false "$TRAVIS" && [ "$SKIP_SYSTEM_UPDATE" != "1" ]; then
         H2 "apt-get upgrade"
         wait_for_apt
         apt-get upgrade -qq || die "apt-get upgrade failed!"