diff --git a/app/mixins/polling.coffee b/app/mixins/polling.coffee
index f68d3fa7..acc11490 100644
--- a/app/mixins/polling.coffee
+++ b/app/mixins/polling.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 `import Ember from 'ember'`
+`import config from 'travis/config/environment'`
 
 mixin = Ember.Mixin.create
   polling: Ember.inject.service()
@@ -6,11 +7,13 @@ mixin = Ember.Mixin.create
   didInsertElement: ->
     @_super.apply(this, arguments)
 
+    return unless config.ajaxPolling
     @startPolling()
 
   willDestroyElement: ->
     @_super.apply(this, arguments)
 
+    return unless config.ajaxPolling
     @stopPolling()
 
   pollModelDidChange: (sender, key, value) ->
diff --git a/app/services/polling.coffee b/app/services/polling.coffee
index f4a3dd1c..1f83afdb 100644
--- a/app/services/polling.coffee
+++ b/app/services/polling.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 `import Ember from 'ember'`
+`import config from 'travis/config/environment'`
 
 service = Ember.Service.extend
   pollingInterval: 30000
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@ service = Ember.Service.extend
     @set('watchedModels', [])
     @set('sources', [])
 
+    return unless config.ajaxPolling
+
     interval = setInterval =>
       @poll()
     , @get('pollingInterval')
@@ -18,7 +21,8 @@ service = Ember.Service.extend
   willDestroy: ->
     @_super.apply(this, arguments)
 
-    clearInterval(@get('interval'))
+    if interval = @get('interval')
+      clearInterval(interval)
 
   startPollingHook: (source) ->
     sources = @get('sources')
diff --git a/config/environment.js b/config/environment.js
index b7104478..abf706be 100644
--- a/config/environment.js
+++ b/config/environment.js
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ module.exports = function(environment) {
     endpoints: {},
     intervals: { updateTimes: 1000 },
     statusPageStatusUrl: 'https://pnpcptp8xh9k.statuspage.io/api/v2/status.json',
-    githubOrgsOauthAccessSettingsUrl: 'https://github.com/settings/connections/applications/f244293c729d5066cf27'
+    githubOrgsOauthAccessSettingsUrl: 'https://github.com/settings/connections/applications/f244293c729d5066cf27',
+    ajaxPolling: false
   };
 
   if (typeof process !== 'undefined') {
diff --git a/waiter/config.ru b/waiter/config.ru
index b3fd44b5..9aaaf25b 100644
--- a/waiter/config.ru
+++ b/waiter/config.ru
@@ -71,5 +71,6 @@ run Travis::Web::App.build(
   code_climate: ENV['CODE_CLIMATE'],
   code_climate_url: ENV['CODE_CLIMATE_URL'],
   assets_host: ENV['ASSETS_HOST'],
+  ajax_polling: ENV['AJAX_POLLING'],
   github_orgs_oauth_access_settings_url: ENV['GITHUB_ORGS_OAUTH_ACCESS_SETTINGS_URL']
 )
diff --git a/waiter/lib/travis/web/app.rb b/waiter/lib/travis/web/app.rb
index c7a08323..46c1fb4c 100644
--- a/waiter/lib/travis/web/app.rb
+++ b/waiter/lib/travis/web/app.rb
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ class Travis::Web::App
       config['codeClimateUrl'] = options[:code_climate_url] if options[:code_climate_url]
       config['charmKey'] = options[:charm_key] if options[:charm_key]
       config['githubOrgsOauthAccessSettingsUrl'] = options[:github_orgs_oauth_access_settings_url]
+      config['ajaxPolling'] = true if options[:ajax_polling]
 
       config['endpoints'] = {
         'sshKey' => options[:ssh_key_enabled],