diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/__tests__/index.js b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/__tests__/index.js
index b8327549acf1b..bc026633a0ded 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/__tests__/index.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/__tests__/index.js
@@ -149,4 +149,23 @@ describe(`redux db`, () => {
 
     expect(mockWrittenContent.has(legacyLocation)).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  describe(`GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE`, () => {
+    beforeAll(() => {
+      process.env.GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE = `truthy`
+    })
+
+    afterAll(() => {
+      delete process.env.GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE
+    })
+    it(`shouldn't write redux cache to disk when GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE env var is used`, async () => {
+      expect(initialComponentsState).toEqual(new Map())
+
+      store.getState().nodes = getFakeNodes()
+
+      await saveState()
+
+      expect(writeToCache).not.toBeCalled()
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/index.ts b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/index.ts
index 397f1996c4747..74e752948586f 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/index.ts
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/index.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ export const store: GatsbyReduxStore = configureStore(readState())
 
 // Persist state.
 export const saveState = (): void => {
+  if (process.env.GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE) {
+    // do not persist cache if above env var is set.
+    // this is to temporarily unblock builds that hit the v8.serialize related
+    // Node.js buffer size exceeding kMaxLength fatal crashes
+    return undefined
+  }
+
   const state = store.getState()
 
   return writeToCache({
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/services/initialize.ts b/packages/gatsby/src/services/initialize.ts
index 579657ccc7547..a00c15b0d16cf 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/services/initialize.ts
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/services/initialize.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ export async function initialize({
   store: Store<IGatsbyState, AnyAction>
   workerPool: JestWorker
 }> {
+  if (process.env.GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE) {
+    reporter.info(
+      `GATSBY_DISABLE_CACHE_PERSISTENCE is enabled. Cache won't be persisted. Next builds will not be able to reuse any work done by current session.`
+    )
+    telemetry.trackFeatureIsUsed(`DisableCachePersistence`)
+  }
   if (!args) {
     reporter.panic(`Missing program args`)
   }