diff --git a/docker/wis2-gdc.env b/docker/wis2-gdc.env
index f90ba90..aca4791 100644
--- a/docker/wis2-gdc.env
+++ b/docker/wis2-gdc.env
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export WIS2_GDC_BROKER_URL=mqtt://wis2-gdc:wis2-gdc@mosquitto:1883
 export WIS2_GDC_CENTRE_ID=ca-eccc-msc-gdc
 export WIS2_GDC_GB=mqtt://everyone:everyone@mosquitto:1883
 export WIS2_GDC_GB_TOPIC=origin/a/wis2/+/+/metadata/#
+export WIS2_GDC_PUBLISH_REPORTS=true
 
 # global broker links
 export WIS2_GDC_GB_LINK_METEOFRANCE="Météo-France,mqtts://everyone:everyone@globalbroker.meteo.fr:8883"
diff --git a/wis2-gdc.env b/wis2-gdc.env
index 44a5727..9b5dfa5 100644
--- a/wis2-gdc.env
+++ b/wis2-gdc.env
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export WIS2_GDC_BROKER_URL=mqtt://wis2-gdc:wis2-gdc@localhost:1883
 export WIS2_GDC_CENTRE_ID=ca-eccc-msc-gdc
 export WIS2_GDC_GB=mqtt://everyone:everyone@localhost:1883
 export WIS2_GDC_GB_TOPIC=origin/a/wis2/+/+/metadata/#
+export WIS2_GDC_PUBLISH_REPORTS=true
 
 # global broker links
 export WIS2_GDC_GB_LINK_METEOFRANCE="Météo-France,mqtts://everyone:everyone@globalbroker.meteo.fr:8883"
diff --git a/wis2_gdc/env.py b/wis2_gdc/env.py
index aa66bbb..e28d9a5 100644
--- a/wis2_gdc/env.py
+++ b/wis2_gdc/env.py
@@ -20,6 +20,28 @@
 ###############################################################################
 
 import os
+from typing import Any
+
+
+def str2bool(value: Any) -> bool:
+    """
+    helper function to return Python boolean
+    type (source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/715468)
+
+    :param value: value to be evaluated
+
+    :returns: `bool` of whether the value is boolean-ish
+    """
+
+    value2 = False
+
+    if isinstance(value, bool):
+        value2 = value
+    else:
+        value2 = value.lower() in ('yes', 'true', 't', '1', 'on')
+
+    return value2
+
 
 API_URL = os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_API_URL')
 API_URL_DOCKER = os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_API_URL_DOCKER')
@@ -27,13 +49,14 @@
 BACKEND_CONNECTION = os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_BACKEND_CONNECTION')
 BROKER_URL = os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_BROKER_URL')
 CENTRE_ID = os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_CENTRE_ID')
+PUBLISH_REPORTS = str2bool(os.environ.get('WIS2_GDC_PUBLISH_REPORTS', 'false'))
+
+GB_LINKS = []
 
 if None in [API_URL, API_URL_DOCKER, BACKEND_TYPE,
-            BACKEND_CONNECTION, BROKER_URL, CENTRE_ID]:
+            BACKEND_CONNECTION, BROKER_URL, CENTRE_ID, PUBLISH_REPORTS]:
     raise EnvironmentError('Environment variables not set!')
 
-GB_LINKS = []
-
 for key, value in os.environ.items():
     if key.startswith('WIS2_GDC_GB_LINK'):
         GB_LINKS.append(value.split(','))
diff --git a/wis2_gdc/registrar.py b/wis2_gdc/registrar.py
index b67aa78..bbe4dbe 100644
--- a/wis2_gdc/registrar.py
+++ b/wis2_gdc/registrar.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 from wis2_gdc.backend import BACKENDS
 from wis2_gdc.env import (BACKEND_TYPE, BACKEND_CONNECTION, BROKER_URL,
-                          GB_LINKS)
+                          GB_LINKS, PUBLISH_REPORTS)
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -46,8 +46,11 @@ def __init__(self):
         :returns: `wis2_gdc.registrar.Registrar`
         """
 
+        self.broker = None
         self.metadata = None
-        self.broker = MQTTPubSubClient(BROKER_URL)
+
+        if PUBLISH_REPORTS:
+            self.broker = MQTTPubSubClient(BROKER_URL)
 
     def register(self, metadata: dict) -> None:
         """
@@ -67,8 +70,9 @@ def register(self, metadata: dict) -> None:
         LOGGER.info('Running ETS')
         ets_results = self._run_ets()
 
-        LOGGER.info('Publishing ETS report to broker')
-        self.broker.pub(topic, json.dumps(ets_results))
+        if self.broker is not None:
+            LOGGER.info('Publishing ETS report to broker')
+            self.broker.pub(topic, json.dumps(ets_results))
 
         try:
             if ets_results['ets-report']['summary']['FAILED'] > 0:
@@ -85,10 +89,12 @@ def register(self, metadata: dict) -> None:
         LOGGER.info(f'Publishing metadata to {BACKEND_TYPE} ({BACKEND_CONNECTION})')  # noqa
         self._publish()
 
-        LOGGER.info('Running ETS')
+        LOGGER.info('Running KPI')
         kpi_results = self._run_kpi()
-        LOGGER.info('Publishing KPI report to broker')
-        self.broker.pub(topic, json.dumps(kpi_results))
+
+        if self.broker is not None:
+            LOGGER.info('Publishing KPI report to broker')
+            self.broker.pub(topic, json.dumps(kpi_results))
 
     def _run_ets(self) -> dict:
         """