diff --git a/docs/api/environment-variables.md b/docs/api/environment-variables.md
index aca4f31cbd22..3bd2326810f9 100644
--- a/docs/api/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/api/environment-variables.md
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ By default, a newly generated Google API key may not be allowed to make
 geocoding requests. To enable geocoding requests, visit this page:
 https://console.developers.google.com/apis/api/geolocation/overview
 
+### `ELECTRON_NO_ASAR`
+
+Disables ASAR support. This variable is only supported in forked child processes
+and spawned child processes that set `ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE`.
+
 ## Development Variables
 
 The following environment variables are intended primarily for development and
diff --git a/lib/common/asar.js b/lib/common/asar.js
index 230e3113daab..0891669f801a 100644
--- a/lib/common/asar.js
+++ b/lib/common/asar.js
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@
   // Cache asar archive objects.
   const cachedArchives = {}
 
+  const isAsarDisabled = function () {
+    if (process.noAsar) {
+      return true
+    }
+    if (process.env.ELECTRON_NO_ASAR && process.type !== 'browser' && process.type !== 'renderer') {
+      return true
+    }
+    return false
+  }
+
   const getOrCreateArchive = function (p) {
     let archive = cachedArchives[p]
     if (archive != null) {
@@ -34,7 +44,7 @@
   // Separate asar package's path from full path.
   const splitPath = function (p) {
     // shortcut to disable asar.
-    if (process.noAsar) {
+    if (isAsarDisabled()) {
       return [false]
     }
 
diff --git a/spec/asar-spec.js b/spec/asar-spec.js
index 9b53a3ffbdf4..5399cde041f6 100644
--- a/spec/asar-spec.js
+++ b/spec/asar-spec.js
@@ -753,6 +753,41 @@ describe('asar package', function () {
         assert.equal(process.noAsar, false)
       })
     })
+
+    describe('process.env.ELECTRON_NO_ASAR', function () {
+      it('disables asar support in forked processes', function (done) {
+        const forked = ChildProcess.fork(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'module', 'no-asar.js'), [], {
+          env: {
+            ELECTRON_NO_ASAR: true
+          }
+        })
+        forked.on('message', function (stats) {
+          assert.equal(stats.isFile, true)
+          assert.equal(stats.size, 778)
+          done()
+        })
+      })
+
+      it('disables asar support in spawned processes', function (done) {
+        const spawned = ChildProcess.spawn(process.execPath, [path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'module', 'no-asar.js')], {
+          env: {
+            ELECTRON_NO_ASAR: true,
+            ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE: true
+          }
+        })
+
+        let output = ''
+        spawned.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
+          output += data
+        })
+        spawned.stdout.on('close', function () {
+          const stats = JSON.parse(output)
+          assert.equal(stats.isFile, true)
+          assert.equal(stats.size, 778)
+          done()
+        })
+      })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('asar protocol', function () {
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/module/no-asar.js b/spec/fixtures/module/no-asar.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e574e3c6511b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/module/no-asar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+const path = require('path')
+
+const stats = fs.statSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'asar', 'a.asar'))
+
+const details = {
+  isFile: stats.isFile(),
+  size: stats.size
+}
+
+if (process.send != null) {
+  process.send(details)
+} else {
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(details))
+}