--- a/chrome/browser/about_flags.cc
+++ b/chrome/browser/about_flags.cc
@@ -1206,6 +1206,11 @@ const FeatureEntry::FeatureVariation kSi
 //
 // When adding a new choice, add it to the end of the list.
 const FeatureEntry kFeatureEntries[] = {
+    {"enable-metrics",
+     "Record metrics",
+     "Record histograms and user actions.",
+     kOsAll, SINGLE_VALUE_TYPE("enable-metrics")},
+
     {"ignore-gpu-blacklist", flag_descriptions::kIgnoreGpuBlacklistName,
      flag_descriptions::kIgnoreGpuBlacklistDescription, kOsAll,
      SINGLE_VALUE_TYPE(switches::kIgnoreGpuBlacklist)},
--- a/base/metrics/histogram_base.h
+++ b/base/metrics/histogram_base.h
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ BASE_EXPORT HistogramBase* DeserializeHi
 
 class BASE_EXPORT HistogramBase {
  public:
+  // Allow histograms to be disabled.
+  static const std::string& kDummyName;
+  static const std::string& kDummySparseName;
+  static bool MetricsEnabled();
+  bool enabled = false;
+
   typedef int32_t Sample;                // Used for samples.
   typedef subtle::Atomic32 AtomicCount;  // Used to count samples.
   typedef int32_t Count;  // Used to manipulate counts in temporaries.
--- a/base/metrics/histogram_base.cc
+++ b/base/metrics/histogram_base.cc
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <set>
 #include <utility>
 
+#include "base/command_line.h"
 #include "base/json/json_string_value_serializer.h"
 #include "base/lazy_instance.h"
 #include "base/logging.h"
@@ -65,6 +66,12 @@ HistogramBase* DeserializeHistogramInfo(
   }
 }
 
+const std::string& HistogramBase::kDummyName = "Dummy";
+const std::string& HistogramBase::kDummySparseName = "DummySparse";
+bool HistogramBase::MetricsEnabled() {
+  return base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics");
+}
+
 const HistogramBase::Sample HistogramBase::kSampleType_MAX = INT_MAX;
 
 HistogramBase::HistogramBase(const char* name)
--- a/base/metrics/histogram.cc
+++ b/base/metrics/histogram.cc
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ class Histogram::Factory {
       minimum_(minimum),
       maximum_(maximum),
       bucket_count_(bucket_count),
-      flags_(flags) {}
+      flags_(flags),
+      enabled_(HistogramBase::MetricsEnabled()) {}
 
   // Create a BucketRanges structure appropriate for this histogram.
   virtual BucketRanges* CreateRanges() {
@@ -153,13 +154,18 @@ class Histogram::Factory {
   HistogramBase::Sample maximum_;
   uint32_t bucket_count_;
   int32_t flags_;
+  const bool enabled_;
 
  private:
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(Factory);
 };
 
 HistogramBase* Histogram::Factory::Build() {
-  HistogramBase* histogram = StatisticsRecorder::FindHistogram(name_);
+  std::string overridden_name = HistogramBase::kDummyName;
+  if (enabled_)
+    overridden_name = name_;
+
+  HistogramBase* histogram = StatisticsRecorder::FindHistogram(overridden_name);
   if (!histogram) {
     // To avoid racy destruction at shutdown, the following will be leaked.
     const BucketRanges* created_ranges = CreateRanges();
@@ -190,7 +196,7 @@ HistogramBase* Histogram::Factory::Build
     if (allocator) {
       tentative_histogram = allocator->AllocateHistogram(
           histogram_type_,
-          name_,
+          overridden_name,
           minimum_,
           maximum_,
           registered_ranges,
@@ -225,6 +231,10 @@ HistogramBase* Histogram::Factory::Build
     }
   }
 
+  if (!enabled_)
+    return histogram;
+
+  histogram->enabled = true;
   CHECK_EQ(histogram_type_, histogram->GetHistogramType()) << name_;
   if (bucket_count_ != 0 &&
       !histogram->HasConstructionArguments(minimum_, maximum_, bucket_count_)) {
@@ -461,10 +471,16 @@ bool Histogram::HasConstructionArguments
 }
 
 void Histogram::Add(int value) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   AddCount(value, 1);
 }
 
 void Histogram::AddCount(int value, int count) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   DCHECK_EQ(0, ranges(0));
   DCHECK_EQ(kSampleType_MAX, ranges(bucket_count()));
 
@@ -519,10 +535,16 @@ std::unique_ptr<HistogramSamples> Histog
 }
 
 void Histogram::AddSamples(const HistogramSamples& samples) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   unlogged_samples_->Add(samples);
 }
 
 bool Histogram::AddSamplesFromPickle(PickleIterator* iter) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return true;
+
   return unlogged_samples_->AddFromPickle(iter);
 }
 
--- a/base/metrics/sparse_histogram.cc
+++ b/base/metrics/sparse_histogram.cc
@@ -24,7 +24,12 @@ typedef HistogramBase::Sample Sample;
 // static
 HistogramBase* SparseHistogram::FactoryGet(const std::string& name,
                                            int32_t flags) {
-  HistogramBase* histogram = StatisticsRecorder::FindHistogram(name);
+  const bool enabled_ = HistogramBase::MetricsEnabled();
+  std::string overridden_name = HistogramBase::kDummySparseName;
+  if (enabled_)
+    overridden_name = name;
+
+  HistogramBase* histogram = StatisticsRecorder::FindHistogram(overridden_name);
   if (!histogram) {
     // Try to create the histogram using a "persistent" allocator. As of
     // 2016-02-25, the availability of such is controlled by a base::Feature
@@ -36,7 +41,7 @@ HistogramBase* SparseHistogram::FactoryG
     PersistentHistogramAllocator* allocator = GlobalHistogramAllocator::Get();
     if (allocator) {
       tentative_histogram = allocator->AllocateHistogram(
-          SPARSE_HISTOGRAM, name, 0, 0, nullptr, flags, &histogram_ref);
+          SPARSE_HISTOGRAM, overridden_name, 0, 0, nullptr, flags, &histogram_ref);
     }
 
     // Handle the case where no persistent allocator is present or the
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ HistogramBase* SparseHistogram::FactoryG
       DCHECK(!histogram_ref);  // Should never have been set.
       DCHECK(!allocator);      // Shouldn't have failed.
       flags &= ~HistogramBase::kIsPersistent;
-      tentative_histogram.reset(new SparseHistogram(GetPermanentName(name)));
+      tentative_histogram.reset(new SparseHistogram(GetPermanentName(overridden_name)));
       tentative_histogram->SetFlags(flags);
     }
 
@@ -64,6 +69,10 @@ HistogramBase* SparseHistogram::FactoryG
     }
   }
 
+  if (!enabled_)
+    return histogram;
+
+  histogram->enabled = true;
   CHECK_EQ(SPARSE_HISTOGRAM, histogram->GetHistogramType());
   return histogram;
 }
@@ -97,10 +106,16 @@ bool SparseHistogram::HasConstructionArg
 }
 
 void SparseHistogram::Add(Sample value) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   AddCount(value, 1);
 }
 
 void SparseHistogram::AddCount(Sample value, int count) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   if (count <= 0) {
     NOTREACHED();
     return;
@@ -146,11 +161,17 @@ std::unique_ptr<HistogramSamples> Sparse
 }
 
 void SparseHistogram::AddSamples(const HistogramSamples& samples) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return;
+
   base::AutoLock auto_lock(lock_);
   unlogged_samples_->Add(samples);
 }
 
 bool SparseHistogram::AddSamplesFromPickle(PickleIterator* iter) {
+  if (!enabled)
+    return true;
+
   base::AutoLock auto_lock(lock_);
   return unlogged_samples_->AddFromPickle(iter);
 }
--- a/base/metrics/user_metrics.cc
+++ b/base/metrics/user_metrics.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "base/bind.h"
+#include "base/command_line.h"
 #include "base/lazy_instance.h"
 #include "base/location.h"
 #include "base/macros.h"
@@ -24,11 +25,21 @@ LazyInstance<scoped_refptr<SingleThreadT
 
 }  // namespace
 
+static bool MetricsEnabled() {
+  return base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics");
+}
+
 void RecordAction(const UserMetricsAction& action) {
+  if (!MetricsEnabled())
+    return;
+
   RecordComputedAction(action.str_);
 }
 
 void RecordComputedAction(const std::string& action) {
+  if (!MetricsEnabled())
+    return;
+
   if (!g_task_runner.Get()) {
     DCHECK(g_callbacks.Get().empty());
     return;
@@ -46,6 +57,9 @@ void RecordComputedAction(const std::str
 }
 
 void AddActionCallback(const ActionCallback& callback) {
+  if (!MetricsEnabled())
+    return;
+
   // Only allow adding a callback if the task runner is set.
   DCHECK(g_task_runner.Get());
   DCHECK(g_task_runner.Get()->BelongsToCurrentThread());
--- a/components/metrics/metrics_service.cc
+++ b/components/metrics/metrics_service.cc
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@
 
 #include "base/bind.h"
 #include "base/callback.h"
+#include "base/command_line.h"
 #include "base/location.h"
 #include "base/memory/ptr_util.h"
 #include "base/metrics/histogram_base.h"
@@ -815,6 +816,8 @@ bool MetricsService::UmaMetricsProperlyS
 void MetricsService::RegisterMetricsProvider(
     std::unique_ptr<MetricsProvider> provider) {
   DCHECK_EQ(INITIALIZED, state_);
+  if (!base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics"))
+    return;
   delegating_provider_.RegisterMetricsProvider(std::move(provider));
 }
 
--- a/chrome/browser/ui/tab_helpers.cc
+++ b/chrome/browser/ui/tab_helpers.cc
@@ -206,8 +206,10 @@ void TabHelpers::AttachTabHelpers(WebCon
   ClientHintsObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   ConnectionHelpTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   CoreTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
-  data_use_measurement::DataUseWebContentsObserver::CreateForWebContents(
-      web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics")) {
+    data_use_measurement::DataUseWebContentsObserver::CreateForWebContents(
+        web_contents);
+  }
   ExternalProtocolObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   favicon::CreateContentFaviconDriverForWebContents(web_contents);
   FindTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
@@ -222,13 +224,19 @@ void TabHelpers::AttachTabHelpers(WebCon
   HistoryTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   InfoBarService::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   InstallableManager::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
-  metrics::RendererUptimeWebContentsObserver::CreateForWebContents(
-      web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics")) {
+    metrics::RendererUptimeWebContentsObserver::CreateForWebContents(
+        web_contents);
+  }
   MixedContentSettingsTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   NavigationCorrectionTabObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
-  NavigationMetricsRecorder::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics")) {
+    NavigationMetricsRecorder::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
+  }
   OutOfMemoryReporter::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
-  chrome::InitializePageLoadMetricsForWebContents(web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics")) {
+    chrome::InitializePageLoadMetricsForWebContents(web_contents);
+  }
   PDFPluginPlaceholderObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   PermissionRequestManager::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   // The PopupBlockerTabHelper has an implicit dependency on
@@ -253,7 +261,9 @@ void TabHelpers::AttachTabHelpers(WebCon
   // is taken over by ChromeContentSettingsClient. http://crbug.com/387075
   TabSpecificContentSettings::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
   TabUIHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
-  ukm::InitializeSourceUrlRecorderForWebContents(web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics")) {
+    ukm::InitializeSourceUrlRecorderForWebContents(web_contents);
+  }
   vr::VrTabHelper::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
 
   // NO! Do not just add your tab helper here. This is a large alphabetized
@@ -299,7 +309,8 @@ void TabHelpers::AttachTabHelpers(WebCon
 
 #if defined(OS_WIN) || defined(OS_MACOSX) || \
     (defined(OS_LINUX) && !defined(OS_CHROMEOS))
-  metrics::DesktopSessionDurationObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
+  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("enable-metrics"))
+    metrics::DesktopSessionDurationObserver::CreateForWebContents(web_contents);
 #endif
 
 // --- Feature tab helpers behind flags ---