diff --git a/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp b/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
index 55e68fbc45..7c25935909 100644
--- a/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
+++ b/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
@@ -1264,7 +1264,9 @@ int HOST_INFO::get_host_info() {
             "get_filesystem_info() failed: %s", boincerror(retval)
         );
     }
-    get_virtualbox_version();
+    if (!cc_config.dont_use_vbox) {
+        get_virtualbox_version();
+    }
 
 ///////////// p_vendor, p_model, p_features /////////////////
 #if LINUX_LIKE_SYSTEM
diff --git a/client/hostinfo_win.cpp b/client/hostinfo_win.cpp
index 69fa55cf7a..ad081cdf38 100644
--- a/client/hostinfo_win.cpp
+++ b/client/hostinfo_win.cpp
@@ -1202,7 +1202,9 @@ int HOST_INFO::get_host_info() {
     get_os_information(
         os_name, sizeof(os_name), os_version, sizeof(os_version)
     );
-    get_virtualbox_version();
+    if (!cc_config.dont_use_vbox) {
+        get_virtualbox_version();
+    }
     get_processor_info(
         p_vendor, sizeof(p_vendor),
         p_model, sizeof(p_model),
diff --git a/client/log_flags.cpp b/client/log_flags.cpp
index 433c07d66d..55bf7c7e43 100644
--- a/client/log_flags.cpp
+++ b/client/log_flags.cpp
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ void CC_CONFIG::show() {
     if (no_gpus) {
         msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO, "Config: don't use coprocessors");
     }
+    if (dont_use_vbox) {
+        msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO, "Config: don't use VirtualBox");
+    }
     if (no_info_fetch) {
         msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO, "Config: don't fetch project list or client version info");
     }
diff --git a/lib/cc_config.cpp b/lib/cc_config.cpp
index efe486a859..fc88f5089e 100644
--- a/lib/cc_config.cpp
+++ b/lib/cc_config.cpp
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ void CC_CONFIG::defaults() {
     disallow_attach = false;
     dont_check_file_sizes = false;
     dont_contact_ref_site = false;
+    dont_use_vbox = false;
     exclude_gpus.clear();
     exclusive_apps.clear();
     exclusive_gpu_apps.clear();
@@ -341,6 +342,7 @@ int CC_CONFIG::parse_options(XML_PARSER& xp) {
         if (xp.parse_bool("disallow_attach", disallow_attach)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_bool("dont_check_file_sizes", dont_check_file_sizes)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_bool("dont_contact_ref_site", dont_contact_ref_site)) continue;
+        if (xp.parse_bool("dont_use_vbox", dont_use_vbox)) continue;
         if (xp.match_tag("exclude_gpu")) {
             EXCLUDE_GPU eg;
             retval = eg.parse(xp);
@@ -548,10 +550,12 @@ int CC_CONFIG::write(MIOFILE& out, LOG_FLAGS& log_flags) {
     out.printf(
         "        <disallow_attach>%d</disallow_attach>\n"
         "        <dont_check_file_sizes>%d</dont_check_file_sizes>\n"
-        "        <dont_contact_ref_site>%d</dont_contact_ref_site>\n",
+        "        <dont_contact_ref_site>%d</dont_contact_ref_site>\n"
+        "        <dont_use_vbox>%d</dont_use_vbox>\n",
         disallow_attach,
         dont_check_file_sizes,
-        dont_contact_ref_site
+        dont_contact_ref_site,
+        dont_use_vbox
     );
     
     for (i=0; i<exclude_gpus.size(); i++) {
diff --git a/lib/cc_config.h b/lib/cc_config.h
index 5b1eb505ca..5e1e4bad75 100644
--- a/lib/cc_config.h
+++ b/lib/cc_config.h
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ struct CC_CONFIG {
     char data_dir[256];
     bool disallow_attach;
     bool dont_check_file_sizes;
-    int max_event_log_lines;
     bool dont_contact_ref_site;
+    bool dont_use_vbox;
     std::vector<EXCLUDE_GPU> exclude_gpus;
     std::vector<std::string> exclusive_apps;
     std::vector<std::string> exclusive_gpu_apps;
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ struct CC_CONFIG {
     int http_transfer_timeout_bps;
     int http_transfer_timeout;
     std::vector<int> ignore_gpu_instance[NPROC_TYPES];
+    int max_event_log_lines;
     int max_file_xfers;
     int max_file_xfers_per_project;
     int max_stderr_file_size;