diff --git a/go-controller/pkg/config/config.go b/go-controller/pkg/config/config.go
index 736ca68d1b7..de7edc4a1a3 100644
--- a/go-controller/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/go-controller/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ var (
 		APIServer:          DefaultAPIServer,
 		RawServiceCIDRs:    "172.16.1.0/24",
 		OVNConfigNamespace: "ovn-kubernetes",
+		EgressIPEnabled:    true,
 	}
 
 	// OvnNorth holds northbound OVN database client and server authentication and location details
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ type KubernetesConfig struct {
 	OVNEmptyLbEvents     bool   `gcfg:"ovn-empty-lb-events"`
 	PodIP                string `gcfg:"pod-ip"` // UNUSED
 	RawNoHostSubnetNodes string `gcfg:"no-hostsubnet-nodes"`
+	EgressIPEnabled      bool   `gcfg:"egress-ip-enable"`
 	NoHostSubnetNodes    *metav1.LabelSelector
 }
 
@@ -644,6 +646,12 @@ var K8sFlags = []cli.Flag{
 		Name:  "pod-ip",
 		Usage: "UNUSED",
 	},
+	&cli.BoolFlag{
+		Name:        "egress-ip-enable",
+		Usage:       "Configure to use EgressIP CRD feature with ovn-kubernetes.",
+		Destination: &cliConfig.Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled,
+		Value:       Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled,
+	},
 	&cli.StringFlag{
 		Name:        "no-hostsubnet-nodes",
 		Usage:       "Specify a label for nodes that will manage their own hostsubnets",
diff --git a/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory.go b/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory.go
index 2e725f00920..1dff89778e6 100644
--- a/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory.go
+++ b/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/metrics"
 
 	egressipapi "github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/crd/egressip/v1"
@@ -486,12 +487,7 @@ func NewWatchFactory(c kubernetes.Interface, eip egressipclientset.Interface) (*
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	wf.informers[egressIPType], err = newInformer(egressIPType, wf.eipFactory.K8s().V1().EgressIPs().Informer())
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
-	wf.eipFactory.Start(wf.stopChan)
 	wf.iFactory.Start(wf.stopChan)
 
 	for oType, synced := range wf.iFactory.WaitForCacheSync(wf.stopChan) {
@@ -500,9 +496,16 @@ func NewWatchFactory(c kubernetes.Interface, eip egressipclientset.Interface) (*
 		}
 	}
 
-	for oType, synced := range wf.eipFactory.WaitForCacheSync(wf.stopChan) {
-		if !synced {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error in syncing cache for %v informer", oType)
+	if config.Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled {
+		wf.informers[egressIPType], err = newInformer(egressIPType, wf.eipFactory.K8s().V1().EgressIPs().Informer())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		wf.eipFactory.Start(wf.stopChan)
+		for oType, synced := range wf.eipFactory.WaitForCacheSync(wf.stopChan) {
+			if !synced {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("error in syncing cache for %v informer", oType)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory_test.go b/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory_test.go
index e7d354e07ae..aefd613d98d 100644
--- a/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory_test.go
+++ b/go-controller/pkg/factory/factory_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	core "k8s.io/client-go/testing"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 
+	"github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/config"
 	egressip "github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/crd/egressip/v1"
 	egressipfake "github.com/ovn-org/ovn-kubernetes/go-controller/pkg/crd/egressip/v1/apis/clientset/versioned/fake"
 
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Watch Factory Operations", func() {
 	)
 
 	BeforeEach(func() {
+
+		// Restore global default values before each testcase
+		config.PrepareTestConfig()
+
 		fakeClient = &fake.Clientset{}
 		egressIPFakeClient = &egressipfake.Clientset{}
 
@@ -355,6 +360,33 @@ var _ = Describe("Watch Factory Operations", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
+	Context("when EgressIP is disabled", func() {
+		testExisting := func(objType reflect.Type) {
+			wf, err = NewWatchFactory(fakeClient, egressIPFakeClient)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			var addCalls int32
+			h, err := wf.addHandler(objType, "", nil,
+				cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
+					AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
+						atomic.AddInt32(&addCalls, 1)
+					},
+					UpdateFunc: func(old, new interface{}) {},
+					DeleteFunc: func(obj interface{}) {},
+				}, func(existing []interface{}) {
+					atomic.AddInt32(&addCalls, int32(len(existing)))
+				})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(int(addCalls)).To(Equal(0))
+			wf.removeHandler(objType, h)
+		}
+		It("does not call ADD for each existing egressIP", func() {
+			config.Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled = false
+			egressIPs = append(egressIPs, newEgressIP("myEgressIP", "default"))
+			egressIPs = append(egressIPs, newEgressIP("myEgressIP1", "default"))
+			testExisting(egressIPType)
+		})
+	})
+
 	addFilteredHandler := func(wf *WatchFactory, objType reflect.Type, namespace string, lsel *metav1.LabelSelector, funcs cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs) (*Handler, *handlerCalls) {
 		calls := handlerCalls{}
 		h, err := wf.addHandler(objType, namespace, lsel, cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
diff --git a/go-controller/pkg/node/gateway_localnet.go b/go-controller/pkg/node/gateway_localnet.go
index 85d715bb5ff..cf479e4d79f 100644
--- a/go-controller/pkg/node/gateway_localnet.go
+++ b/go-controller/pkg/node/gateway_localnet.go
@@ -180,8 +180,10 @@ func (n *OvnNode) initLocalEgressIP(gatewayIfAddrs []*net.IPNet) error {
 		nodeName:           n.name,
 		defaultGatewayIntf: n.defaultGatewayIntf,
 	}
-	if err := n.watchEgressIP(egressIPLocal); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if config.Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled {
+		if err := n.watchEgressIP(egressIPLocal); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/go-controller/pkg/ovn/ovn.go b/go-controller/pkg/ovn/ovn.go
index d227b865d5f..737f812ea6d 100644
--- a/go-controller/pkg/ovn/ovn.go
+++ b/go-controller/pkg/ovn/ovn.go
@@ -256,11 +256,21 @@ func (oc *Controller) Run() error {
 	}
 
 	for _, f := range []func() error{oc.WatchNamespaces, oc.WatchPods, oc.WatchServices,
-		oc.WatchEndpoints, oc.WatchNetworkPolicy, oc.WatchEgressNodes, oc.WatchEgressIP} {
+		oc.WatchEndpoints, oc.WatchNetworkPolicy} {
 		if err := f(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+
+	if config.Kubernetes.EgressIPEnabled {
+		if err := oc.WatchEgressNodes(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := oc.WatchEgressIP(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	klog.Infof("Completing all the Watchers took %v", time.Since(start))
 
 	if config.Kubernetes.OVNEmptyLbEvents {