diff --git a/docs/ENVIRONMENT.md b/docs/ENVIRONMENT.md
index 454a02991d9..7f59dcae71e 100644
--- a/docs/ENVIRONMENT.md
+++ b/docs/ENVIRONMENT.md
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ All tools:
 * `$SYSTEMD_NETLINK_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT` — specifies the default timeout of waiting
   replies for netlink messages from the kernel. Defaults to 25 seconds.
 
+* `$SYSTEMD_VERITY_SHARING=0` — if set, sharing dm-verity devices by
+  using a stable `<ROOTHASH>-verity` device mapper name will be disabled.
+
 `systemctl`:
 
 * `$SYSTEMCTL_FORCE_BUS=1` — if set, do not connect to PID 1's private D-Bus
diff --git a/src/shared/dissect-image.c b/src/shared/dissect-image.c
index 5b664d2333e..345d2d906de 100644
--- a/src/shared/dissect-image.c
+++ b/src/shared/dissect-image.c
@@ -2794,7 +2794,9 @@ static int verity_partition(
                  * https://gitlab.com/cryptsetup/cryptsetup/-/merge_requests/96 */
                 if (r == -EINVAL && FLAGS_SET(flags, DISSECT_IMAGE_VERITY_SHARE))
                         break;
-                if (r == -ENODEV) /* Volume is being opened but not ready, crypt_init_by_name would fail, try to open again */
+                /* Volume is being opened but not ready, crypt_init_by_name would fail, try to open again if
+                 * sharing is enabled. */
+                if (r == -ENODEV && FLAGS_SET(flags, DISSECT_IMAGE_VERITY_SHARE))
                         goto try_again;
                 if (!IN_SET(r,
                             -EEXIST, /* Volume has already been opened and ready to be used. */
@@ -2940,7 +2942,9 @@ int dissected_image_decrypt(
 
                 k = partition_verity_of(i);
                 if (k >= 0) {
-                        r = verity_partition(i, p, m->partitions + k, verity, flags | DISSECT_IMAGE_VERITY_SHARE, d);
+                        flags |= getenv_bool("SYSTEMD_VERITY_SHARING") != 0 ? DISSECT_IMAGE_VERITY_SHARE : 0;
+
+                        r = verity_partition(i, p, m->partitions + k, verity, flags, d);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return r;
                 }