diff --git a/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
index fb325c19a..f44af2219 100755
--- a/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ set sbt_args_sbt_dir=
 set sbt_args_sbt_version=
 set sbt_args_mem=
 set sbt_args_client=
+set sbt_args_no_server=
 
 rem users can set SBT_OPTS via .sbtopts
 if exist .sbtopts for /F %%A in (.sbtopts) do (
@@ -205,6 +206,15 @@ if defined _no_colors_arg (
   goto args_loop
 )
 
+if "%~0" == "-no-server" set _no_server_arg=true
+if "%~0" == "--no-server" set _no_server_arg=true
+
+if defined _no_server_arg (
+  set _no_server_arg=
+  set sbt_args_no_server=1
+  goto args_loop
+)
+
 if "%~0" == "-no-global" set _no_global_arg=true
 if "%~0" == "--no-global" set _no_global_arg=true
 
@@ -646,6 +656,10 @@ if defined sbt_args_traces (
   set _SBT_OPTS=-Dsbt.traces=true !_SBT_OPTS!
 )
 
+if defined sbt_args_no_server (
+  set _SBT_OPTS=-Dsbt.io.virtual=false -Dsbt.server.autostart=false !_SBT_OPTS!
+)
+
 rem TODO: _SBT_OPTS needs to be processed as args and diffed against SBT_ARGS
 
 if !sbt_args_print_sbt_version! equ 1 (
diff --git a/sbt b/sbt
index c14c2ec32..39b1dac32 100755
--- a/sbt
+++ b/sbt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ declare sbt_verbose=
 declare sbt_debug=
 declare build_props_sbt_version=
 declare use_sbtn=
+declare no_server=
 declare sbtn_command="$SBTN_CMD"
 declare sbtn_version="1.4.7"
 
@@ -631,6 +632,7 @@ map_args () {
            -traces|--traces) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.traces=true" ) && shift ;;
              --supershell=*) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.supershell=${1:13}" ) && shift ;;
               -supershell=*) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.supershell=${1:12}" ) && shift ;;
+     -no-server|--no-server) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.io.virtual=false" "-Dsbt.server.autostart=false" ) && shift ;;
                   --color=*) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.color=${1:8}" ) && shift ;;
                    -color=*) options=( "${options[@]}" "-Dsbt.color=${1:7}" ) && shift ;;
        -no-share|--no-share) options=( "${options[@]}" "${noshare_opts[@]}" ) && shift ;;