diff --git a/src/libcmd/installables.cc b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
index 658b415f3..0ffb97a5e 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installables.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ MixFlakeOptions::MixFlakeOptions()
         .longName = "no-registries",
         .description = "Don't allow lookups in the flake registries.",
         .category = category,
-        .handler = {&lockFlags.useRegistries, false}
+        .handler = {[&]() {
+            lockFlags.useRegistries = false;
+            warn("--no-registries is deprecated; use --no-use-registries (a.k.a --option use-registries false)");
+        }}
     });
 
     addFlag({
diff --git a/src/libexpr/flake/flake.cc b/src/libexpr/flake/flake.cc
index e266bc36d..e7013b241 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/flake/flake.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/flake/flake.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "flake.hh"
+#include "eval.hh"
 #include "lockfile.hh"
 #include "primops.hh"
 #include "eval-inline.hh"
@@ -296,7 +297,9 @@ LockedFlake lockFlake(
 
     FlakeCache flakeCache;
 
-    auto flake = getFlake(state, topRef, lockFlags.useRegistries, flakeCache);
+    auto useRegistries = lockFlags.useRegistries.value_or(settings.useRegistries);
+
+    auto flake = getFlake(state, topRef, useRegistries, flakeCache);
 
     if (lockFlags.applyNixConfig) {
         flake.config.apply();
@@ -464,7 +467,7 @@ LockedFlake lockFlake(
                             throw Error("cannot update flake input '%s' in pure mode", inputPathS);
 
                         if (input.isFlake) {
-                            auto inputFlake = getFlake(state, *input.ref, lockFlags.useRegistries, flakeCache);
+                            auto inputFlake = getFlake(state, *input.ref, useRegistries, flakeCache);
 
                             /* Note: in case of an --override-input, we use
                                the *original* ref (input2.ref) for the
@@ -499,7 +502,7 @@ LockedFlake lockFlake(
 
                         else {
                             auto [sourceInfo, resolvedRef, lockedRef] = fetchOrSubstituteTree(
-                                state, *input.ref, lockFlags.useRegistries, flakeCache);
+                                state, *input.ref, useRegistries, flakeCache);
                             node->inputs.insert_or_assign(id,
                                 std::make_shared<LockedNode>(lockedRef, *input.ref, false));
                         }
@@ -573,7 +576,7 @@ LockedFlake lockFlake(
                            also just clear the 'rev' field... */
                         auto prevLockedRef = flake.lockedRef;
                         FlakeCache dummyCache;
-                        flake = getFlake(state, topRef, lockFlags.useRegistries, dummyCache);
+                        flake = getFlake(state, topRef, useRegistries, dummyCache);
 
                         if (lockFlags.commitLockFile &&
                             flake.lockedRef.input.getRev() &&
@@ -643,7 +646,7 @@ static void prim_getFlake(EvalState & state, const Pos & pos, Value * * args, Va
         lockFlake(state, flakeRef,
             LockFlags {
                 .updateLockFile = false,
-                .useRegistries = !evalSettings.pureEval,
+                .useRegistries = !evalSettings.pureEval && !settings.useRegistries,
                 .allowMutable  = !evalSettings.pureEval,
             }),
         v);
diff --git a/src/libexpr/flake/flake.hh b/src/libexpr/flake/flake.hh
index 4479e95db..15fd394f8 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/flake/flake.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/flake/flake.hh
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ struct LockFlags
 
     /* Whether to use the registries to lookup indirect flake
        references like 'nixpkgs'. */
-    bool useRegistries = true;
+    std::optional<bool> useRegistries = std::nullopt;
 
     /* Whether to apply flake's nixConfig attribute to the configuration */
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.hh b/src/libstore/globals.hh
index dd570cd63..a52d20376 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.hh
@@ -956,6 +956,9 @@ public:
           resolves to a different location from that of the build machine. You
           can enable this setting if you are sure you're not going to do that.
         )"};
+
+    Setting<bool> useRegistries{this, true, "use-registries",
+        "Whether to use flake registries for reference resolution"};
 };
 
 
diff --git a/tests/flakes.sh b/tests/flakes.sh
index a4e657980..9e1b5b508 100644
--- a/tests/flakes.sh
+++ b/tests/flakes.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --expr "(builtins.getFlake \"git+file://$flake1Di
 
 # Building a flake with an unlocked dependency should fail in pure mode.
 (! nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result flake2#bar --no-registries)
+(! nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result flake2#bar --no-use-registries)
 (! nix eval --expr "builtins.getFlake \"$flake2Dir\"")
 
 # But should succeed in impure mode.
@@ -170,6 +171,7 @@ nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result $flake2Dir#bar
 # Building with a lockfile should not require a fetch of the registry.
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --flake-registry file:///no-registry.json $flake2Dir#bar --refresh
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --no-registries $flake2Dir#bar --refresh
+nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --no-use-registries $flake2Dir#bar --refresh
 
 # Updating the flake should not change the lockfile.
 nix flake lock $flake2Dir
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result flake2#bar
 
 # Or without a registry.
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --no-registries git+file://$flake2Dir#bar --refresh
+nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --no-use-registries git+file://$flake2Dir#bar --refresh
 
 # Test whether indirect dependencies work.
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result $flake3Dir#xyzzy
@@ -603,6 +606,7 @@ nix flake metadata --json hg+file://$flake5Dir
 [[ $(nix flake metadata --json hg+file://$flake5Dir | jq -e -r .revCount) = 1 ]]
 
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result hg+file://$flake5Dir --no-registries --no-allow-dirty
+nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result hg+file://$flake5Dir --no-use-registries --no-allow-dirty
 
 # Test tarball flakes
 tar cfz $TEST_ROOT/flake.tar.gz -C $TEST_ROOT --exclude .hg flake5