diff --git a/test/common/README.md b/test/common/README.md
index dcccb77f63f92c..d43b0ebbff39af 100644
--- a/test/common/README.md
+++ b/test/common/README.md
@@ -570,6 +570,10 @@ If set, `NODE_COMMON_PORT`'s value overrides the `common.PORT` default value of
 
 If set, command line arguments passed to individual tests are not validated.
 
+### `NODE_SKIP_CRYPTO`
+
+If set, crypto tests are skipped.
+
 ### `NODE_TEST_KNOWN_GLOBALS`
 
 A comma-separated list of variables names that are appended to the global
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index a231c45e1eb525..300ea60377876b 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ if (isMainThread)
 
 const noop = () => {};
 
-const hasCrypto = Boolean(process.versions.openssl);
+const hasCrypto = Boolean(process.versions.openssl) &&
+                  !process.env.NODE_SKIP_CRYPTO;
 
 // Check for flags. Skip this for workers (both, the `cluster` module and
 // `worker_threads`) and child processes.