diff --git a/src/storage.rs b/src/storage.rs
index 6799fb4..3875ae0 100644
--- a/src/storage.rs
+++ b/src/storage.rs
@@ -43,10 +43,61 @@ const RRDP_SOURCE_KEY_PREFIX: &str = "rrdp_source:";
 const RRDP_SOURCE_MEMBER_KEY_PREFIX: &str = "rrdp_source_member:";
 const RRDP_URI_OWNER_KEY_PREFIX: &str = "rrdp_uri_owner:";
 
-fn cf_opts() -> Options {
-    let mut opts = Options::default();
+const WORK_DB_BLOB_MODE_ENV: &str = "RPKI_WORK_DB_BLOB_MODE";
+
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum WorkDbBlobMode {
+    Current,
+    Disabled,
+    Lz4,
+}
+
+fn parse_work_db_blob_mode(raw: &str) -> Option<WorkDbBlobMode> {
+    match raw.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
+        "" | "default" => Some(default_work_db_blob_mode()),
+        "current" | "legacy" => Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Current),
+        "disabled" | "disable" | "off" | "none" | "no_blob" | "no-blob" => {
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled)
+        }
+        "lz4" | "blob_lz4" | "blob-lz4" => Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Lz4),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
+fn default_work_db_blob_mode() -> WorkDbBlobMode {
+    WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled
+}
+
+fn work_db_blob_mode_from_env() -> WorkDbBlobMode {
+    let Ok(raw) = std::env::var(WORK_DB_BLOB_MODE_ENV) else {
+        return default_work_db_blob_mode();
+    };
+    match parse_work_db_blob_mode(&raw) {
+        Some(mode) => mode,
+        None => {
+            eprintln!(
+                "warning: unsupported {WORK_DB_BLOB_MODE_ENV}={raw:?}; using default work-db blobdb mode"
+            );
+            default_work_db_blob_mode()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn configure_work_db_options(opts: &mut Options, blob_mode: WorkDbBlobMode) {
     opts.set_compression_type(DBCompressionType::Lz4);
-    enable_blobdb_if_supported(&mut opts);
+    match blob_mode {
+        WorkDbBlobMode::Current => enable_blobdb_current(opts),
+        WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled => {}
+        WorkDbBlobMode::Lz4 => {
+            enable_blobdb_current(opts);
+            opts.set_blob_compression_type(DBCompressionType::Lz4);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn cf_opts(blob_mode: WorkDbBlobMode) -> Options {
+    let mut opts = Options::default();
+    configure_work_db_options(&mut opts, blob_mode);
     opts
 }
 
@@ -55,9 +106,15 @@ fn raw_blob_key(sha256_hex: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 pub fn column_family_descriptors() -> Vec<ColumnFamilyDescriptor> {
+    column_family_descriptors_for_blob_mode(work_db_blob_mode_from_env())
+}
+
+fn column_family_descriptors_for_blob_mode(
+    blob_mode: WorkDbBlobMode,
+) -> Vec<ColumnFamilyDescriptor> {
     ALL_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAMES
         .iter()
-        .map(|name| ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(*name, cf_opts()))
+        .map(|name| ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(*name, cf_opts(blob_mode)))
         .collect()
 }
 
@@ -846,11 +903,15 @@ impl RocksStore {
         let mut base_opts = Options::default();
         base_opts.create_if_missing(true);
         base_opts.create_missing_column_families(true);
-        base_opts.set_compression_type(DBCompressionType::Lz4);
-        enable_blobdb_if_supported(&mut base_opts);
+        let blob_mode = work_db_blob_mode_from_env();
+        configure_work_db_options(&mut base_opts, blob_mode);
 
-        let db = DB::open_cf_descriptors(&base_opts, path, column_family_descriptors())
-            .map_err(|e| StorageError::RocksDb(e.to_string()))?;
+        let db = DB::open_cf_descriptors(
+            &base_opts,
+            path,
+            column_family_descriptors_for_blob_mode(blob_mode),
+        )
+        .map_err(|e| StorageError::RocksDb(e.to_string()))?;
 
         Ok(Self {
             db,
@@ -1731,7 +1792,7 @@ fn parse_time(field: &'static str, value: &PackTime) -> StorageResult<time::Offs
     })
 }
 
-fn enable_blobdb_if_supported(opts: &mut Options) {
+fn enable_blobdb_current(opts: &mut Options) {
     #[allow(unused_mut)]
     let mut _enabled = false;
 
@@ -1954,6 +2015,37 @@ mod tests {
         hex::encode(compute_sha256_32(input))
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_work_db_blob_mode_accepts_supported_values() {
+        assert_eq!(default_work_db_blob_mode(), WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled);
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("default"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("current"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Current)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("legacy"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Current)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("disabled"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("no-blob"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Disabled)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(parse_work_db_blob_mode("lz4"), Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Lz4));
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_work_db_blob_mode("blob-lz4"),
+            Some(WorkDbBlobMode::Lz4)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(parse_work_db_blob_mode("unexpected"), None);
+    }
+
     fn sample_repository_view_entry(rsync_uri: &str, bytes: &[u8]) -> RepositoryViewEntry {
         RepositoryViewEntry {
             rsync_uri: rsync_uri.to_string(),