diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fca51dbe42d..723a52ab7f5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1920,6 +1920,12 @@
                     "description": "%jupyter.configuration.jupyter.interactiveWindowMode.description%",
                     "default": "multiple"
                 },
+                "jupyter.pythonCellFolding": {
+                    "type": "boolean",
+                    "default": true,
+                    "description": "%jupyter.configuration.jupyter.pythonCellFolding.description%",
+                    "scope": "resource"
+                },
                 "jupyter.interactiveWindowViewColumn": {
                     "type": "string",
                     "enum": [
diff --git a/package.nls.json b/package.nls.json
index 254fe715440..882c80d08f0 100644
--- a/package.nls.json
+++ b/package.nls.json
@@ -345,6 +345,9 @@
         "message": "Behavior of the Interactive Window. 'perFile' will create a new interactive window for every file that runs a cell. 'single' allows a single window. 'multiple' allows the creation of multiple.",
         "comment": ["{Locked='perFile'}", "{Locked=\"'single'\"}", "{Locked=\"'multiple'\"}"]
     },
+    "jupyter.configuration.jupyter.pythonCellFolding.description": {
+        "message": "Enable folding regions for code cells in Python files. This setting requires a reload of VS Code."
+    },
     "jupyter.configuration.jupyter.interactiveWindowViewColumn.description": {
         "message": "Where to open an Interactive Window that is not associated with a python file. 'beside' will open the interactive window to the right of the active editor. 'active' will open the interactive window in place of the active editor. 'secondGroup' will open the interactive window in the second editor group.",
         "comment": ["{Locked='beside'}", "{Locked=\"'active'\"}", "{Locked=\"'secondGroup'\"}"]
diff --git a/src/interactive-window/editor-integration/pythonCellFoldingProvider.ts b/src/interactive-window/editor-integration/pythonCellFoldingProvider.ts
index c6d04a3139b..bc6324bf4af 100644
--- a/src/interactive-window/editor-integration/pythonCellFoldingProvider.ts
+++ b/src/interactive-window/editor-integration/pythonCellFoldingProvider.ts
@@ -14,20 +14,24 @@ import {
 } from 'vscode';
 import { IExtensionSyncActivationService } from '../../platform/activation/types';
 import { InteractiveInputScheme, NotebookCellScheme, PYTHON_FILE_ANY_SCHEME } from '../../platform/common/constants';
-import { IExtensionContext } from '../../platform/common/types';
+import { IConfigurationService, IExtensionContext } from '../../platform/common/types';
 import { IDataScienceCodeLensProvider } from './types';
 
 @injectable()
 export class PythonCellFoldingProvider implements IExtensionSyncActivationService, FoldingRangeProvider {
     constructor(
         @inject(IDataScienceCodeLensProvider) private dataScienceCodeLensProvider: IDataScienceCodeLensProvider,
-        @inject(IExtensionContext) private extensionContext: IExtensionContext
+        @inject(IExtensionContext) private extensionContext: IExtensionContext,
+        @inject(IConfigurationService) private configurationService: IConfigurationService
     ) {}
 
     public activate() {
-        this.extensionContext.subscriptions.push(
-            languages.registerFoldingRangeProvider([PYTHON_FILE_ANY_SCHEME], this)
-        );
+        const enabled = this.configurationService.getSettings().pythonCellFolding;
+        if (enabled) {
+            this.extensionContext.subscriptions.push(
+                languages.registerFoldingRangeProvider([PYTHON_FILE_ANY_SCHEME], this)
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     provideFoldingRanges(
diff --git a/src/platform/common/configSettings.ts b/src/platform/common/configSettings.ts
index c4615ee165b..2c5c6ddc9f9 100644
--- a/src/platform/common/configSettings.ts
+++ b/src/platform/common/configSettings.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ export class JupyterSettings implements IWatchableJupyterSettings {
     public jupyterCommandLineArguments: string[] = [];
     public widgetScriptSources: WidgetCDNs[] = [];
     public interactiveWindowMode: InteractiveWindowMode = 'multiple';
+    public pythonCellFolding: boolean = true;
     public interactiveWindowViewColumn: InteractiveWindowViewColumn = 'secondGroup';
     // Hidden settings not surfaced in package.json
     public disableZMQSupport: boolean = false;
diff --git a/src/platform/common/types.ts b/src/platform/common/types.ts
index e7cabc621b7..07e0ea99b51 100644
--- a/src/platform/common/types.ts
+++ b/src/platform/common/types.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export interface IJupyterSettings {
     readonly jupyterCommandLineArguments: string[];
     readonly widgetScriptSources: WidgetCDNs[];
     readonly interactiveWindowMode: InteractiveWindowMode;
+    readonly pythonCellFolding: boolean;
     readonly interactiveWindowViewColumn: InteractiveWindowViewColumn;
     readonly disableZMQSupport: boolean;
     readonly forceIPyKernelDebugger?: boolean;