diff --git a/src/client/game.cpp b/src/client/game.cpp
index e200a341d..a27bd8658 100644
--- a/src/client/game.cpp
+++ b/src/client/game.cpp
@@ -1023,6 +1023,7 @@ Game::~Game()
 	delete draw_control;
 
 	extendedResourceCleanup();
+	setDisableTexturePacks(false);
 
 	g_settings->deregisterChangedCallback("doubletap_jump",
 		&settingChangedCallback, this);
diff --git a/src/client/tile.cpp b/src/client/tile.cpp
index d0b4ed9d4..c2c6a3aff 100644
--- a/src/client/tile.cpp
+++ b/src/client/tile.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 	A cache from texture name to texture path
 */
 MutexedMap<std::string, std::string> g_texturename_to_path_cache;
+bool g_disable_texture_packs = false;
 
 /*
 	Replaces the filename extension.
@@ -2300,5 +2301,13 @@ video::ITexture *TextureSource::getShaderFlagsTexture(bool normalmap_present)
 
 std::vector<std::string> getTextureDirs()
 {
+	if (g_disable_texture_packs)
+		return {};
 	return fs::GetRecursiveDirs(g_settings->get("texture_path"));
 }
+
+
+void setDisableTexturePacks(const bool disable_texture_packs)
+{
+	g_disable_texture_packs = disable_texture_packs;
+}
diff --git a/src/client/tile.h b/src/client/tile.h
index 50e7c26ae..171fb0fd4 100644
--- a/src/client/tile.h
+++ b/src/client/tile.h
@@ -322,3 +322,5 @@ struct TileSpec
 };
 
 std::vector<std::string> getTextureDirs();
+
+void setDisableTexturePacks(const bool disable_texture_packs);
diff --git a/src/defaultsettings.cpp b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
index 4ae97cc5b..4dc61db38 100644
--- a/src/defaultsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ void set_default_settings()
 	// Server
 	settings->setDefault("compat_player_model", "character.b3d,3d_armor_character.b3d,skinsdb_3d_armor_character_5.b3d");
 	settings->setDefault("compat_send_original_model", "true");
+	settings->setDefault("disable_texture_packs", "false");
 	settings->setDefault("disable_escape_sequences", "false");
 	settings->setDefault("strip_color_codes", "false");
 	settings->setDefault("announce_mt", "true");
diff --git a/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp b/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
index 8dae63d91..fee04f7d3 100644
--- a/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
+++ b/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "util/strfnd.h"
 #include "client/clientevent.h"
 #include "client/sound.h"
+#include "client/tile.h"
 #include "network/clientopcodes.h"
 #include "network/connection.h"
 #include "script/scripting_client.h"
@@ -704,6 +705,7 @@ void Client::handleCommand_AnnounceMedia(NetworkPacket* pkt)
 		m_media_downloader->addFile(name, sha1_raw);
 	}
 
+	bool disable_texture_packs = false;
 	try {
 		std::string str;
 
@@ -715,11 +717,16 @@ void Client::handleCommand_AnnounceMedia(NetworkPacket* pkt)
 			if (!baseurl.empty())
 				m_media_downloader->addRemoteServer(baseurl);
 		}
+
+		if (pkt->getRemainingBytes() >= 1)
+			*pkt >> disable_texture_packs;
 	}
 	catch(SerializationError& e) {
 		// not supported by server or turned off
 	}
 
+	setDisableTexturePacks(disable_texture_packs);
+
 	m_media_downloader->step(this);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 8977861b5..9a8f647d1 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -2724,6 +2724,9 @@ void Server::sendMediaAnnouncement(session_t peer_id, const std::string &lang_co
 	}
 
 	pkt << g_settings->get("remote_media");
+	if (g_settings->getBool("disable_texture_packs"))
+		pkt << true;
+
 	Send(&pkt);
 
 	verbosestream << "Server: Announcing files to id(" << peer_id