diff --git a/lib/inspec/cli.rb b/lib/inspec/cli.rb
index 2b750fe9e..10db18739 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/cli.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/cli.rb
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ class Inspec::InspecCLI < Inspec::BaseCLI
   desc "check PATH", "verify all tests at the specified PATH"
   option :format, type: :string,
     desc: "The output format to use doc (default), json. If valid format is not provided then it will use the default."
+  option :with_cookstyle, type: :boolean,
+    desc: "Enable or disable cookstyle checks.", default: false
   profile_options
   def check(path) # rubocop:disable Metrics/AbcSize,Metrics/MethodLength
     o = config
diff --git a/lib/inspec/profile.rb b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
index 81dc54cff..27613021b 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/profile.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ module Inspec
       @check_mode = options[:check_mode] || false
       @parent_profile = options[:parent_profile]
       @legacy_profile_path = options[:profiles_path] || false
+      @check_cookstyle = options[:with_cookstyle]
       Metadata.finalize(@source_reader.metadata, @profile_id, options)
 
       # if a backend has already been created, clone it so each profile has its own unique backend object
@@ -655,12 +656,13 @@ module Inspec
       end
 
       # Running cookstyle to check for code offenses
-      cookstyle_linting_check.each do |lint_output|
-        data = lint_output.split(":")
-        msg = "#{data[-2]}:#{data[-1]}"
-        offense.call(data[0], data[1], data[2], nil, msg)
+      if @check_cookstyle
+        cookstyle_linting_check.each do |lint_output|
+          data = lint_output.split(":")
+          msg = "#{data[-2]}:#{data[-1]}"
+          offense.call(data[0], data[1], data[2], nil, msg)
+        end
       end
-
       # profile is valid if we could not find any error & offenses
       result[:summary][:valid] = result[:errors].empty? && result[:offenses].empty?
 
diff --git a/test/functional/inspec_check_test.rb b/test/functional/inspec_check_test.rb
index e5ceaaa82..fe413950d 100644
--- a/test/functional/inspec_check_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inspec_check_test.rb
@@ -118,16 +118,16 @@ describe "inspec check" do
   end
 
   describe "inspec check also check for cookstyle offenses" do
-    it "finds no offenses in a complete profile" do
+    it "finds no offenses in a complete profile when --with-cookstyle option is provided" do
       skip if windows? # see #5723
-      out = inspec("check #{profile_path}/complete-profile")
+      out = inspec("check #{profile_path}/complete-profile --with-cookstyle")
       _(out.stdout).must_match(/No errors, warnings, or offenses/)
       assert_exit_code 0, out
     end
 
-    it "fails and returns offenses in a profile" do
+    it "fails and returns offenses in a profile when --with-cookstyle option is provided" do
       skip if windows? # see #5723
-      out = inspec("check #{profile_path}/inputs/metadata-basic")
+      out = inspec("check #{profile_path}/inputs/metadata-basic --with-cookstyle")
       _(out.stdout).must_match(/1 offenses/)
       assert_exit_code 1, out
     end