diff --git a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
index 68e6bcca4fd96f..580a6a14027518 100644
--- a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
+++ b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
@@ -423,9 +423,11 @@ fn main() {
         None
     };
 
-    let rpc_bigtable_config = if matches.is_present("enable_rpc_bigtable_ledger_storage") {
+    let rpc_bigtable_config = if matches.is_present("enable_rpc_bigtable_ledger_storage")
+        || matches.is_present("enable_bigtable_ledger_upload")
+    {
         Some(RpcBigtableConfig {
-            enable_bigtable_ledger_upload: false,
+            enable_bigtable_ledger_upload: matches.is_present("enable_bigtable_ledger_upload"),
             bigtable_instance_name: value_t_or_exit!(matches, "rpc_bigtable_instance", String),
             bigtable_app_profile_id: value_t_or_exit!(
                 matches,
diff --git a/validator/src/cli.rs b/validator/src/cli.rs
index 0eed324a9a9d0c..d3ac2b4c5a4dfb 100644
--- a/validator/src/cli.rs
+++ b/validator/src/cli.rs
@@ -2454,6 +2454,13 @@ pub fn test_app<'a>(version: &'a str, default_args: &'a DefaultTestArgs) -> App<
                      local ledger data",
                 ),
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::with_name("enable_bigtable_ledger_upload")
+                .long("enable-bigtable-ledger-upload")
+                .takes_value(false)
+                .hidden(hidden_unless_forced())
+                .help("Upload new confirmed blocks into a BigTable instance"),
+        )
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("rpc_bigtable_instance")
                 .long("rpc-bigtable-instance")