diff --git a/src/codemodder/codemodder.py b/src/codemodder/codemodder.py
index d7b5cab4..0758ea89 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/codemodder.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/codemodder.py
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ def run(
     original_cli_args: list[str] | None = None,
     codemod_registry: registry.CodemodRegistry | None = None,
     sast_only: bool = False,
+    ai_client: bool = True,
 ) -> tuple[CodeTF | None, int]:
     start = datetime.datetime.now()
 
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ def run(
             path_exclude,
             tool_result_files_map,
             max_workers,
+            ai_client,
         )
     except MisconfiguredAIClient as e:
         logger.error(e)
diff --git a/src/codemodder/context.py b/src/codemodder/context.py
index a951be25..4fe48541 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/context.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/context.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ def __init__(
         path_exclude: list[str] | None = None,
         tool_result_files_map: dict[str, list[Path]] | None = None,
         max_workers: int = 1,
+        ai_client: bool = True,
     ):
         self.directory = directory
         self.dry_run = dry_run
@@ -84,8 +85,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.max_workers = max_workers
         self.tool_result_files_map = tool_result_files_map or {}
         self.semgrep_prefilter_results = None
-        self.openai_llm_client = setup_openai_llm_client()
-        self.azure_llama_llm_client = setup_azure_llama_llm_client()
+        self.openai_llm_client = setup_openai_llm_client() if ai_client else None
+        self.azure_llama_llm_client = (
+            setup_azure_llama_llm_client() if ai_client else None
+        )
 
     def add_changesets(self, codemod_name: str, change_sets: List[ChangeSet]):
         self._changesets_by_codemod.setdefault(codemod_name, []).extend(change_sets)
diff --git a/tests/test_context.py b/tests/test_context.py
index d80b699c..abebad91 100644
--- a/tests/test_context.py
+++ b/tests/test_context.py
@@ -243,3 +243,58 @@ def test_get_api_version_from_env(self, mocker):
         )
         assert isinstance(context.openai_llm_client, AzureOpenAI)
         assert context.openai_llm_client._api_version == version
+
+    def test_disable_ai_client_openai(self, mocker):
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {"CODEMODDER_OPENAI_API_KEY": "test"})
+        context = Context(
+            mocker.Mock(),
+            True,
+            False,
+            load_registered_codemods(),
+            None,
+            PythonRepoManager(mocker.Mock()),
+            [],
+            [],
+            ai_client=False,
+        )
+        assert context.openai_llm_client is None
+
+    def test_disable_ai_client_azure(self, mocker):
+        mocker.patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {
+                "CODEMODDER_AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY": "test",
+                "CODEMODDER_AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT": "test",
+            },
+        )
+        context = Context(
+            mocker.Mock(),
+            True,
+            False,
+            load_registered_codemods(),
+            None,
+            PythonRepoManager(mocker.Mock()),
+            [],
+            [],
+            ai_client=False,
+        )
+        assert context.openai_llm_client is None
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "env_var",
+        ["CODEMODDER_AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY", "CODEMODDER_AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT"],
+    )
+    def test_no_misconfiguration_ai_client_disabled(self, mocker, env_var):
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {env_var: "test"})
+        context = Context(
+            mocker.Mock(),
+            True,
+            False,
+            load_registered_codemods(),
+            None,
+            PythonRepoManager(mocker.Mock()),
+            [],
+            [],
+            ai_client=False,
+        )
+        assert context.openai_llm_client is None