diff --git a/common/kernel/command.cc b/common/kernel/command.cc
index 5493173c..6adf7925 100644
--- a/common/kernel/command.cc
+++ b/common/kernel/command.cc
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ po::options_description CommandHandler::getGeneralOptions()
                           "allow placer to attempt up to max(10000, total cells^2 / N) iterations to place a cell (int "
                           "N, default: 8, 0 for no timeout)");
 
+    general.add_options()("placer-heap-no-ctrl-set", "disable control set awareness in placer heap");
+
     general.add_options()("static-dump-density", "write density csv files during placer-static flow");
 
 #if !defined(NPNR_DISABLE_THREADS)
@@ -536,6 +538,9 @@ void CommandHandler::setupContext(Context *ctx)
         ctx->settings[ctx->id("placerHeap/cellPlacementTimeout")] =
                 std::to_string(std::max(0, vm["placer-heap-cell-placement-timeout"].as<int>()));
 
+    if (vm.count("placer-heap-no-ctrl-set"))
+        ctx->settings[ctx->id("placerHeap/noCtrlSet")] = true;
+
     if (vm.count("parallel-refine"))
         ctx->settings[ctx->id("placerHeap/parallelRefine")] = true;
 
diff --git a/common/place/placer_heap.cc b/common/place/placer_heap.cc
index 7c1cf02e..2eefb950 100644
--- a/common/place/placer_heap.cc
+++ b/common/place/placer_heap.cc
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
 
     void alloc_control_sets()
     {
-        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId())
+        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId() || cfg.disableCtrlSet)
             return;
         FastBels::FastBelsData *ff_bels;
         fast_bels.getBelsForBelBucket(cfg.ff_bel_bucket, &ff_bels);
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
     }
 
     bool test_ctrl_set(BelId bel, IdString cell) {
-        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId())
+        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId() || cfg.disableCtrlSet)
             return true;
         if (ctx->getBelBucketForBel(bel) != cfg.ff_bel_bucket)
             return true;
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
     }
 
     void bind_ctrl_set(BelId bel, IdString cell) {
-        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId())
+        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId() || cfg.disableCtrlSet)
             return;
         if (ctx->getBelBucketForBel(bel) != cfg.ff_bel_bucket)
             return;
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
     }
 
     void unbind_ctrl_set(BelId bel) {
-        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId())
+        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId() || cfg.disableCtrlSet)
             return;
         if (ctx->getBelBucketForBel(bel) != cfg.ff_bel_bucket)
             return;
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
 
     int32_t get_cluster_control_set(ClusterId cluster) {
         int32_t ctrl_set = -1;
-        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId())
+        if (cfg.ff_bel_bucket == BelBucketId() || cfg.disableCtrlSet)
             return -1;
         for (auto cell : cluster2cells.at(cluster)) {
             auto ofs = ctx->getClusterOffset(cell);
@@ -1150,7 +1150,7 @@ class HeAPPlacer
                 log_error("Unable to find legal placement for all cells, design is probably at utilisation limit.\n");
             }
 
-            if (p->cfg.ff_bel_bucket != BelBucketId()) {
+            if (p->cfg.ff_bel_bucket != BelBucketId() && !p->cfg.disableCtrlSet) {
                 // Try placing based on same control set in window first
                 int32_t ctrl_set = -1;
                 if (ci->cluster != ClusterId()) {
@@ -2170,6 +2170,7 @@ PlacerHeapCfg::PlacerHeapCfg(Context *ctx)
     timingWeight = ctx->setting<int>("placerHeap/timingWeight");
     parallelRefine = ctx->setting<bool>("placerHeap/parallelRefine", false);
     netShareWeight = ctx->setting<float>("placerHeap/netShareWeight", 0);
+    disableCtrlSet = ctx->setting<bool>("placerHeap/noCtrlSet", false);
 
     timing_driven = ctx->setting<bool>("timing_driven");
     solverTolerance = 1e-5;
@@ -2189,6 +2190,7 @@ PlacerHeapCfg::PlacerHeapCfg(Context *ctx)
     hpwl_scale_y = 1;
     spread_scale_x = 1;
     spread_scale_y = 1;
+
 }
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/common/place/placer_heap.h b/common/place/placer_heap.h
index 12e86913..8157a2c0 100644
--- a/common/place/placer_heap.h
+++ b/common/place/placer_heap.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ struct PlacerHeapCfg
     // this is an optional callback to prioritise certain cells/clusters for legalisation
     std::function<float(Context *, CellInfo *)> get_cell_legalisation_weight = [](Context *, CellInfo *) { return 1; };
 
+    bool disableCtrlSet;
     BelBucketId ff_bel_bucket = BelBucketId();
     std::vector<std::vector<int>> ff_control_set_groups;
     int ctrl_set_max_radius = 10;