diff --git a/collects/setup/option-sig.ss b/collects/setup/option-sig.ss
index cd577e538e..89e69d5124 100644
--- a/collects/setup/option-sig.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/option-sig.ss
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
      make-info-domain
      make-launchers
      make-docs
+     make-planet
      call-install
      call-post-install
      pause-on-errors
diff --git a/collects/setup/option-unit.ss b/collects/setup/option-unit.ss
index c347e04a29..eacbb1a4c9 100644
--- a/collects/setup/option-unit.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/option-unit.ss
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
       (define make-launchers (make-parameter #t))
       (define make-info-domain (make-parameter #t))
       (define make-docs (make-parameter #t))
+      (define make-planet (make-parameter #t))
       (define call-install (make-parameter #t))
       (define call-post-install (make-parameter #t))
       (define pause-on-errors (make-parameter #f))
diff --git a/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.ss b/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.ss
index e9788d67fa..d310e1d7e4 100644
--- a/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.ss
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 	 (add-flags '((make-info-domain #f)))]
 	[("-D" "--no-docs") "Do not produce documentation"
 	 (add-flags '((make-docs #f)))]
+        [("--no-planet") "Do not setup PLaneT packages"
+         (add-flags '((make-planet #f)))]
 	[("-e" "--extension") "Produce native code extensions"
 	 (add-flags '((make-so #t)))]
 	[("-v" "--verbose") "See names of compiled files and info printfs"
diff --git a/collects/setup/setup-go.ss b/collects/setup/setup-go.ss
index 03ffa32fd8..81822ff9b8 100644
--- a/collects/setup/setup-go.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/setup-go.ss
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 	     all-users
 	     compile-mode
              make-docs
+             make-planet
              doc-pdf-dest)
 
   (specific-collections x-specific-collections)
diff --git a/collects/setup/setup-unit.ss b/collects/setup/setup-unit.ss
index 33bc965a89..ad095e912b 100644
--- a/collects/setup/setup-unit.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/setup-unit.ss
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@
       ;;    - (list path[directory] string[owner] string[package-name] (listof string[extra package path]) Nat[maj] Nat[min]), or
       ;;    - (list string[owner] string[package-name] string[maj as string] string[min as string])
       ;; x-specific-planet-dir ::= (listof specific-planet-dir)
-      (define x-specific-planet-dirs (specific-planet-dirs))
+      (define x-specific-planet-dirs 
+        (if (make-planet)
+            (specific-planet-dirs)
+            null))
       
       (define (done)
 	(setup-printf "Done setting up"))
@@ -217,11 +220,13 @@
 		   c)))
       
       (define planet-dirs-to-compile 
-        (remove-falses
-         (map (lambda (spec) (apply planet->cc spec))
-              (if (and (null? x-specific-collections) (null? x-specific-planet-dirs))
-                  (get-all-planet-packages)
-                  (remove-falses (map planet-spec->planet-list x-specific-planet-dirs))))))
+        (if (make-planet)
+            (remove-falses
+             (map (lambda (spec) (apply planet->cc spec))
+                  (if (and (null? x-specific-collections) (null? x-specific-planet-dirs))
+                      (get-all-planet-packages)
+                      (remove-falses (map planet-spec->planet-list x-specific-planet-dirs)))))
+            null))
       
       (define collections-to-compile
 	(sort