diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/index.js b/x-pack/plugins/maps/index.js
index a6342975b797..1c6ecf951bf2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/index.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/index.js
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ export function maps(kibana) {
         const serverConfig = server.config();
         const mapConfig = serverConfig.get('map');
         return {
-          isEmsEnabled: mapConfig.includeElasticMapsService
+          showMapsInspectorAdapter: serverConfig.get('xpack.maps.showMapsInspectorAdapter'),
+          isEmsEnabled: mapConfig.includeElasticMapsService,
         };
       },
       inspectorViews: [
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export function maps(kibana) {
     config(Joi) {
       return Joi.object({
         enabled: Joi.boolean().default(true),
+        showMapsInspectorAdapter: Joi.boolean().default(false),
       }).default();
     },
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/components/map/mb/view.js b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/components/map/mb/view.js
index 3f44ca726c7c..238eb5887d89 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/components/map/mb/view.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/components/map/mb/view.js
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ export class MBMapContainer extends React.Component {
   };
 
   _syncMbMapWithInspector = () => {
-    if (!this.props.isMapReady) {
+    if (!this.props.isMapReady || !inspectorAdapters.map) {
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/kibana_services.js b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/kibana_services.js
index 474db9263e77..30c0080e70ed 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/kibana_services.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/kibana_services.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
+import chrome from 'ui/chrome';
 import { uiModules } from 'ui/modules';
 import { SearchSourceProvider } from 'ui/courier';
 import { RequestAdapter } from 'ui/inspector/adapters';
@@ -15,10 +16,13 @@ export const timeService = timefilter;
 export let indexPatternService;
 export let SearchSource;
 export let emsServiceSettings;
+
 export const inspectorAdapters = {
   requests: new RequestAdapter(),
-  map: new MapAdapter(),
 };
+if (chrome.getInjected('showMapsInspectorAdapter', false)) {
+  inspectorAdapters.map = new MapAdapter();
+}
 
 export async function fetchSearchSourceAndRecordWithInspector({ searchSource, requestId, requestName, requestDesc }) {
   const inspectorRequest = inspectorAdapters.requests.start(
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/config.js b/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
index 005a030a33c0..30d7da16d193 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ export default async function ({ readConfigFile }) {
         '--status.allowAnonymous=true',
         '--server.uuid=5b2de169-2785-441b-ae8c-186a1936b17d',
         '--xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.enabled=false',
+        '--xpack.maps.showMapsInspectorAdapter=true',
         '--xpack.security.encryptionKey="wuGNaIhoMpk5sO4UBxgr3NyW1sFcLgIf"', // server restarts should not invalidate active sessions
       ],
     },