diff --git a/docs/env.md b/docs/env.md
index cc1ce247c..6e3d72b96 100644
--- a/docs/env.md
+++ b/docs/env.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ with a non-standard filesystem layout.
 * `FWUPD_DOWNLOAD_VERBOSE` can be used to show wget or curl output
 * `FWUPD_PROFILE` can be used to set the profile traceback threshold value in ms
 * `FWUPD_FUZZER_RUNNING` if the firmware format is being fuzzed
+* `FWUPD_POLKIT_NOCHECK` if we should not check for polkit policies to be installed
 * standard glibc variables like `LANG` are also honored for CLI tools that are translated
 * libcurl respects the session proxy, e.g. `http_proxy`, `all_proxy`, `sftp_proxy` and `no_proxy`
 
diff --git a/src/fu-util.c b/src/fu-util.c
index 351ecc318..46903479d 100644
--- a/src/fu-util.c
+++ b/src/fu-util.c
@@ -3706,9 +3706,14 @@ static gboolean
 fu_util_check_polkit_actions(GError **error)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_POLKIT
-	g_autofree gchar *directory = fu_path_from_kind(FU_PATH_KIND_POLKIT_ACTIONS);
-	g_autofree gchar *filename =
-	    g_build_filename(directory, "org.freedesktop.fwupd.policy", NULL);
+	g_autofree gchar *directory = NULL;
+	g_autofree gchar *filename = NULL;
+
+	if (g_getenv("FWUPD_POLKIT_NOCHECK") != NULL)
+		return TRUE;
+
+	directory = fu_path_from_kind(FU_PATH_KIND_POLKIT_ACTIONS);
+	filename = g_build_filename(directory, "org.freedesktop.fwupd.policy", NULL);
 	if (!g_file_test(filename, G_FILE_TEST_IS_REGULAR)) {
 		g_set_error_literal(
 		    error,