diff --git a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
index 989cd73bc..18cb9ba70 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
@@ -56,9 +56,17 @@ import {Module} from 'module';
 Module.prototype.require = wrapRequire(Module.prototype.require);
 enableMapSet();
 
-async function getKeytarModule(staticPath: string): Promise<KeytarModule> {
+async function getKeytarModule(
+  staticPath: string,
+): Promise<KeytarModule | undefined> {
   let keytar: any = undefined;
   try {
+    if (process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_KEYTAR) {
+      console.log(
+        'Using keytar in-memory implementation as per FLIPPER_DISABLE_KEYTAR env var.',
+      );
+      return undefined;
+    }
     if (!isTest()) {
       const keytarPath = path.join(
         staticPath,
@@ -112,7 +120,7 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
     isProduction,
     false,
   );
-  const keytar: KeytarModule = await getKeytarModule(staticPath);
+  const keytar: KeytarModule | undefined = await getKeytarModule(staticPath);
   const gatekeepers = getGatekeepers(environmentInfo.os.unixname);
 
   const serverUsageEnabled = gatekeepers['flipper_desktop_use_server'];
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
index 25604ffe4..243887fb0 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export async function startFlipperServer(
   staticPath: string,
   settingsString: string,
   enableLauncherSettings: boolean,
-  keytarModule: KeytarModule,
+  keytarModule: KeytarModule | undefined,
   type: FlipperServerType,
   environmentInfo: EnvironmentInfo,
 ): Promise<FlipperServerImpl> {
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx b/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
index afb383163..9eb175aba 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
@@ -164,7 +164,11 @@ async function start() {
 
   let keytar: any = undefined;
   try {
-    if (!isTest()) {
+    if (process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_KEYTAR) {
+      console.log(
+        '[flipper-server][bootstrap] Using keytar in-memory implementation as per FLIPPER_DISABLE_KEYTAR env var.',
+      );
+    } else if (!isTest()) {
       const keytarPath = path.join(
         staticPath,
         'native-modules',