diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/index.js b/packages/core/src/config/index.js
index cd14d3a68a..f80d84c6cc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/index.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/index.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ const deepMerge = require('../util/deepMerge');
  * @typedef {Object} InstanaMetricsOption
  * @property {number} [transmissionDelay]
  * @property {number} [timeBetweenHealthcheckCalls]
+ * @property {boolean} [enabled]
  */
 
 /**
@@ -84,7 +85,8 @@ let defaults = {
 
   metrics: {
     transmissionDelay: 1000,
-    timeBetweenHealthcheckCalls: 3000
+    timeBetweenHealthcheckCalls: 3000,
+    enabled: true
   },
 
   tracing: {
@@ -201,6 +203,8 @@ function normalizeMetricsConfig(config) {
     config.metrics = {};
   }
 
+  normalizeMetricsEnabled(config);
+
   config.metrics.transmissionDelay = normalizeSingleValue(
     config.metrics.transmissionDelay,
     defaults.metrics.transmissionDelay,
@@ -212,6 +216,27 @@ function normalizeMetricsConfig(config) {
     config.metrics.timeBetweenHealthcheckCalls || defaults.metrics.timeBetweenHealthcheckCalls;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @param {InstanaConfig} config
+ */
+function normalizeMetricsEnabled(config) {
+  if (config.metrics.enabled === false) {
+    logger.info('Not enabling metrics collection as it is explicitly disabled via config.');
+    return;
+  }
+  if (config.metrics.enabled === true) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (process.env['INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE'] === 'true') {
+    logger.info('Not enabling metrics collection as it is explicitly disabled via environment variable INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE.');
+    config.metrics.enabled = false;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  config.metrics.enabled = defaults.metrics.enabled;
+}
+
 /**
  *
  * @param {InstanaConfig} config
diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/types.d.ts b/packages/core/src/config/types.d.ts
index e080d5b2ba..0d59c3a7be 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/types.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/types.d.ts
@@ -14,3 +14,7 @@ export interface TracingDisableOptions {
 }
 
 export type Disable = TracingDisableOptions | boolean;
+
+export interface MetricsDisableOptions {
+  enabled?: boolean;
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/test/config/normalizeConfig_test.js b/packages/core/test/config/normalizeConfig_test.js
index 00e5fc916e..4bee18d394 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/config/normalizeConfig_test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/config/normalizeConfig_test.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ describe('config.normalizeConfig', () => {
     delete process.env.INSTANA_IGNORE_ENDPOINTS;
     delete process.env.INSTANA_IGNORE_ENDPOINTS_PATH;
     delete process.env.INSTANA_IGNORE_ENDPOINTS_DISABLE_SUPPRESSION;
+    delete process.env.INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE;
   }
 
   it('should apply all defaults', () => {
@@ -813,6 +814,47 @@ describe('config.normalizeConfig', () => {
       const config = coreConfig.normalize();
       expect(config.tracing.disableEOLEvents).to.equal(false);
     });
+
+    describe('config.metrics.enabled', () => {
+      it('should enable metrics by default', () => {
+        const config = coreConfig.normalize();
+        expect(config.metrics.enabled).to.be.true;
+      });
+
+      it('should disable metrics via config', () => {
+        const config = coreConfig.normalize({
+          metrics: {
+            enabled: false
+          }
+        });
+        expect(config.metrics.enabled).to.be.false;
+      });
+
+      it('should enable metrics explicitly via config', () => {
+        const config = coreConfig.normalize({
+          metrics: {
+            enabled: true
+          }
+        });
+        expect(config.metrics.enabled).to.be.true;
+      });
+
+      it('should disable metrics via INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE environment variable', () => {
+        process.env.INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE = 'true';
+        const config = coreConfig.normalize();
+        expect(config.metrics.enabled).to.be.false;
+      });
+
+      it('should keep metrics enabled when INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE is not "true"', () => {
+        process.env.INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE = 'false';
+        const config = coreConfig.normalize();
+        expect(config.metrics.enabled).to.be.true;
+
+        process.env.INSTANA_METRICS_DISABLE = 'something';
+        const config2 = coreConfig.normalize();
+        expect(config2.metrics.enabled).to.be.true;
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   function checkDefaults(config) {
diff --git a/packages/shared-metrics/src/index.js b/packages/shared-metrics/src/index.js
index 54fbcb6913..6ee917c49e 100644
--- a/packages/shared-metrics/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/shared-metrics/src/index.js
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ const memory = require('./memory');
 const name = require('./name');
 const version = require('./version');
 const util = require('./util');
+const disable = require('./util/disable');
 
 /** @type {Array.<import('@instana/core/src/metrics').InstanaMetricsModule>} */
-const allMetrics = [
+const metricModules = [
   activeHandles,
   activeRequests,
   args,
@@ -48,6 +49,12 @@ const allMetrics = [
  */
 const init = function (config) {
   util.init(config);
+  disable.init(config);
+
+  if (disable.areMetricsDisabled()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   dependencies.init(config);
   description.init(config);
   directDependencies.init(config);
@@ -55,7 +62,6 @@ const init = function (config) {
   keywords.init(config);
   name.init(config);
   version.init(config);
-  name.init(config);
   gc.init();
   libuv.init();
 };
@@ -69,10 +75,14 @@ const init = function (config) {
  */
 
 /** @type {InstanaSharedMetrics} */
-module.exports = {
-  allMetrics,
+const exported = {
   util,
   init,
-  // TODO: Remove in next major release
-  setLogger: () => {}
+  setLogger: () => {},
+  get allMetrics() {
+    // filtered dynamically if metrics are disabled
+    return disable.areMetricsDisabled() ? [] : metricModules;
+  }
 };
+
+module.exports = exported;
diff --git a/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/disable.js b/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/disable.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..813ff442c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/disable.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * (c) Copyright IBM Corp. 2025
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+/** @type {import('@instana/core/src/config').InstanaMetricsOption|null} */
+let metricsConfig = null;
+
+/**
+ * Initialize the metrics utility with the given config
+ * @param {import('@instana/core/src/config').InstanaConfig} [config]
+ */
+exports.init = function init(config) {
+  metricsConfig = config?.metrics ?? null;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Check if metrics are globally disabled
+ * @returns {boolean} True if metrics are disabled, false otherwise
+ */
+exports.areMetricsDisabled = function areMetricsDisabled() {
+  return metricsConfig?.enabled === false;
+};
diff --git a/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/index.js b/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/index.js
index dc783aba60..83f8643824 100644
--- a/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/index.js
+++ b/packages/shared-metrics/src/util/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 const nativeModuleRetry = require('./nativeModuleRetry');
 const dependencyDistanceCalculator = require('./DependencyDistanceCalculator');
+const disable = require('./disable');
 
 /**
  * @param {import('@instana/core/src/config').InstanaConfig} config
@@ -14,10 +15,12 @@ const dependencyDistanceCalculator = require('./DependencyDistanceCalculator');
 const init = config => {
   nativeModuleRetry.init(config);
   dependencyDistanceCalculator.init(config);
+  disable.init(config);
 };
 
 module.exports = {
   init,
   nativeModuleRetry,
-  dependencyDistanceCalculator
+  dependencyDistanceCalculator,
+  disable
 };
diff --git a/packages/shared-metrics/test/disable_test.js b/packages/shared-metrics/test/disable_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ad0e600c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared-metrics/test/disable_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * (c) Copyright IBM Corp. 2025
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+const expect = require('chai').expect;
+const metrics = require('../src/index');
+const disable = require('../src/util/disable');
+const testUtils = require('../../core/test/test_util');
+
+describe('metrics.disable', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    disable.init({ metrics: { enabled: true } });
+  });
+
+  it('allMetrics returns full array when metrics enabled', () => {
+    const config = { metrics: { enabled: true }, logger: testUtils.createFakeLogger() };
+    metrics.init(config);
+
+    const activeMetrics = metrics.allMetrics;
+    expect(activeMetrics).to.be.an('array');
+    expect(activeMetrics.length).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+
+    expect(activeMetrics).to.include(require('../src/activeHandles'));
+    expect(activeMetrics).to.include(require('../src/gc'));
+  });
+
+  it('allMetrics returns empty array when metrics disabled', () => {
+    const config = { metrics: { enabled: false } };
+
+    metrics.init(config);
+
+    const activeMetrics = metrics.allMetrics;
+    expect(activeMetrics).to.be.an('array');
+    expect(activeMetrics).to.have.lengthOf(0);
+  });
+});