diff --git a/abaco-create.sh b/abaco-create.sh
index 04b9a04..3cdec51 100755
--- a/abaco-create.sh
+++ b/abaco-create.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Options:
 -f    force actor update
 -s    create a stateless actor (default)
 -S    create a stateful actor
+-A    disable creation of Tapis tokens
 -u    use actor uid
 -v    verbose output
 -V    very verbose output
@@ -41,11 +42,12 @@ privileged="false"
 stateless="true"
 force="false"
 use_uid="false"
+request_token="true"
 tok=
 env_json=
 declare -a env_args
 
-while getopts ":hn:e:E:pfsSuvz:V" o; do
+while getopts ":hn:e:E:pfsSuvz:AV" o; do
     case "${o}" in
     z) # custom token
         tok=${OPTARG}
@@ -71,6 +73,9 @@ while getopts ":hn:e:E:pfsSuvz:V" o; do
     S) # stateful!
         stateless="false"
         ;;
+    A) # do not request tokens
+        request_token="false"
+        ;;
     u) # use uid
         use_uid="true"
         ;;
@@ -118,7 +123,7 @@ args_default_env=$(build_json_from_array "${env_args[@]}")
 default_env=$(echo "$file_default_env $args_default_env" | jq -s add)
 
 # curl command
-data="{\"image\":\"${image}\", \"name\":\"${name}\", \"privileged\":${privileged}, \"stateless\":${stateless}, \"force\":${force}, \"useContainerUid\":${use_uid}, \"defaultEnvironment\":${default_env}}"
+data="{\"image\":\"${image}\", \"name\":\"${name}\", \"privileged\":${privileged}, \"stateless\":${stateless}, \"force\":${force}, \"useContainerUid\":${use_uid}, \"defaultEnvironment\":${default_env}, \"token\":${request_token}}"
 curlCommand="curl -X POST -sk -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN\" -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" --data '$data' '$BASE_URL/actors/v2'"
 
 function filter() {
diff --git a/abaco-deploy.sh b/abaco-deploy.sh
index 3a4c39c..7b188b0 100755
--- a/abaco-deploy.sh
+++ b/abaco-deploy.sh
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@ Options:
   -t    override file REACTOR_IMAGE_VERSION
   -s    override REACTOR_STATEFUL to deploy the actor as stateless
   -S    override REACTOR_STATEFUL to deploy the actor as stateful
+  -A    override REACTOR_TOKENS to deploy actor without Tapis tokens
   -p    don't pull source image when building
   -k    bypass Docker cache when building
   -K    skip pushing to the container registry
-  -R    dry run - only build image
   -U    update preexisting actor (provided or from .ACTOR_ID)
   -D    display only (do not cache actor ID on the host)
+  -R    dry run - build container image and stop
 "
 
 function usage() {
@@ -71,10 +72,12 @@ displayonly=0
 stateful=0
 varstateful=
 optstateful=
+opt_no_token=0
+no_tokens=0
 verbose=0
 
 current_actor=
-while getopts ":hz:F:B:RpkUkKsvSDO:c:t:" o; do
+while getopts ":hz:F:B:RpkUkKsvSDAO:c:t:" o; do
   case "${o}" in
   z) # API token
     tok=${OPTARG}
@@ -115,6 +118,9 @@ while getopts ":hz:F:B:RpkUkKsvSDO:c:t:" o; do
   S) # stateful
     optstateful=1
     ;;
+  A) # disable tokens
+    opt_no_token=1
+    ;;
   D) # display only
     displayonly=1
     ;;
@@ -207,6 +213,7 @@ REACTOR_DESCRIPTION=
 REACTOR_STATEFUL=
 REACTOR_PRIVILEGED=
 REACTOR_USE_UID=
+REACTOR_TOKENS=
 
 # Docker image
 DOCKER_HUB_ORG=
@@ -243,6 +250,17 @@ if [ -z "${REACTOR_NAME}" ]; then
   echo "${REACTOR_NAME}"
 fi
 
+# Whether to automatically request API tokens
+if [ "${REACTOR_TOKENS}" == "1" ]; then
+  # Read default from config file
+  # Do not disable in abaco create/update
+  no_tokens=0
+fi
+# If CLI option was passed, disable in abaco create/update
+if ((opt_no_token)); then
+  no_tokens=1
+fi
+
 # Read STATEFUL from config
 if [ "${REACTOR_STATEFUL}" == "1" ]; then
   stateful=1
@@ -330,6 +348,11 @@ if [ "${REACTOR_USE_UID}" == "1" ]; then
   ABACO_CREATE_OPTS="$ABACO_CREATE_OPTS -u"
 fi
 
+# Pass -A to create if token issuance is to be disabled
+if ((no_tokens)); then
+  ABACO_CREATE_OPTS="$ABACO_CREATE_OPTS -A"
+fi
+
 # If updating, do not include name or stateless
 if [ -z "$current_actor" ]; then
   ABACO_CREATE_OPTS="$ABACO_CREATE_OPTS -n ${REACTOR_NAME}"
diff --git a/abaco-init.sh b/abaco-init.sh
index 2d05083..f57db2e 100755
--- a/abaco-init.sh
+++ b/abaco-init.sh
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ cat <<EOF >"${basepath}/${name}/reactor.rc"
 # Reactor mandatory settings
 REACTOR_NAME=${name}
 REACTOR_DESCRIPTION="${description}"
+REACTOR_TOKENS=1
 REACTOR_PRIVILEGED=
 REACTOR_USE_UID=
 REACTOR_STATEFUL=
diff --git a/abaco-update.sh b/abaco-update.sh
index 0553509..43970a0 100755
--- a/abaco-update.sh
+++ b/abaco-update.sh
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ Options:
   -e    set environment variables (key=value)
   -E    read environment variables from json file
   -p    add privileged status
-  -f    force update
+  -A    disable creation of Tapis tokens
   -u    use actor uid
+  -f    force update
   -v    verbose output
   -V    very verbose output
 "
@@ -37,11 +38,12 @@ privileged="false"
 stateless="true"
 force="false"
 use_uid="false"
+request_token="true"
 tok=
 
 # the s and S opts are here to swallow them when passed - we do not allow
 # toggling between stateless and stateful via an update operation
-while getopts ":he:E:pfsSuvz:V" o; do
+while getopts ":he:E:pfsSAuvz:V" o; do
     case "${o}" in
     z) # custom token
         tok=${OPTARG}
@@ -64,6 +66,9 @@ while getopts ":he:E:pfsSuvz:V" o; do
     S) # stateful!
         stateless="false"
         ;;
+    A) # do not request tokens
+        request_token="false"
+        ;;
     u) # use uid
         use_uid=true
         ;;
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ stateless=$(${DIR}/abaco ls -v ${actorid} | jq -r .result.stateless)
 
 # curl command
 # \"stateless\":\"${stateless}\",
-data="{\"stateless\":\"${stateless}\", \"image\":\"${image}\", \"privileged\":${privileged}, \"force\":${force}, \"useContainerUid\":${use_uid}, \"defaultEnvironment\":${default_env}}"
+data="{\"stateless\":\"${stateless}\", \"image\":\"${image}\", \"privileged\":${privileged}, \"force\":${force}, \"useContainerUid\":${use_uid}, \"defaultEnvironment\":${default_env}, \"token\":${request_token}}"
 curlCommand="curl -X PUT -sk -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN\"  -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" --data '$data' '$BASE_URL/actors/v2/${actorid}'"
 
 function filter() {