diff --git a/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/config.ts b/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/config.ts
index cd003ed639..ddfeb5ba62 100644
--- a/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/config.ts
+++ b/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/config.ts
@@ -5,3 +5,10 @@ import {ID} from '#/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/updates/202508/config'
  * the relationship is clear.
  */
 export const ACTIVE_UPDATE_ID = ID
+
+/**
+ * Toggle to enable or disable the policy update overlay feature e.g. once an
+ * update has run its course, set this to false. For new updates, set this to
+ * true and change `ACTIVE_UPDATE_ID` to the new update ID.
+ */
+export const POLICY_UPDATE_IS_ENABLED = false
diff --git a/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/context.tsx b/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/context.tsx
index 3c65ae3753..84245c8f3a 100644
--- a/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/context.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/context.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from 'react'
 
 import {useSession} from '#/state/session'
+import {POLICY_UPDATE_IS_ENABLED} from '#/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/config'
 import {Provider as PortalProvider} from '#/components/PolicyUpdateOverlay/Portal'
 import {
   type PolicyUpdateState,
@@ -45,8 +46,15 @@ export function Provider({children}: {children?: ReactNode}) {
   const {hasSession} = useSession()
   const [isReadyToShowOverlay, setIsReadyToShowOverlay] = useState(false)
   const state = usePolicyUpdateState({
-    // only enable the policy update overlay in non-test environments
-    enabled: isReadyToShowOverlay && hasSession && ENV !== 'e2e',
+    enabled:
+      // if the feature is enabled
+      POLICY_UPDATE_IS_ENABLED &&
+      // once shell has rendered
+      isReadyToShowOverlay &&
+      // only once logged in
+      hasSession &&
+      // only enabled in non-test environments
+      ENV !== 'e2e',
   })
 
   const ctx = useMemo(