diff --git a/Makefile.work b/Makefile.work
index 71175d5c4757..a1ccf8715567 100644
--- a/Makefile.work
+++ b/Makefile.work
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ SONIC_BUILD_INSTRUCTION :=  make \
                            HTTP_PROXY=$(http_proxy) \
                            HTTPS_PROXY=$(https_proxy) \
                            SONIC_ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY=$(ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY) \
+                           SONIC_ENABLE_RESTAPI=$(ENABLE_RESTAPI) \
                            EXTRA_JESSIE_TARGETS=$(EXTRA_JESSIE_TARGETS) \
                            $(SONIC_OVERRIDE_BUILD_VARS)
 
diff --git a/rules/config b/rules/config
index a559a5b2fc88..c8a24606f426 100644
--- a/rules/config
+++ b/rules/config
@@ -104,3 +104,6 @@ ENABLE_SFLOW = y
 
 # ENABLE_MGMT_FRAMEWORK - build docker-sonic-mgt-framework for CLI and REST server support
 ENABLE_MGMT_FRAMEWORK = y
+
+# ENABLE_RESTAPI - build docker-sonic-restapi for configuring the switch using REST APIs
+ENABLE_RESTAPI = n
diff --git a/rules/docker-restapi.mk b/rules/docker-restapi.mk
index 66d60205915a..7c02e0d4e44b 100644
--- a/rules/docker-restapi.mk
+++ b/rules/docker-restapi.mk
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)_PATH = $(DOCKERS_PATH)/$(DOCKER_RESTAPI_STEM)
 
 $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)_LOAD_DOCKERS += $(DOCKER_CONFIG_ENGINE_STRETCH)
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_RESTAPI), y)
 SONIC_DOCKER_IMAGES += $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)
 SONIC_STRETCH_DOCKERS += $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)
 SONIC_INSTALL_DOCKER_IMAGES += $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)
+endif
 
 $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)_CONTAINER_NAME = rest-api
 $(DOCKER_RESTAPI)_RUN_OPT += --cap-add NET_ADMIN --privileged -t
diff --git a/slave.mk b/slave.mk
index 8f8c4dd87890..8e7253d7e57c 100644
--- a/slave.mk
+++ b/slave.mk
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ ifneq (,$(filter $(CONFIGURED_ARCH), armhf arm64))
 ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY = N
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(SONIC_ENABLE_RESTAPI),y)
+ENABLE_RESTAPI = y
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(SONIC_ENABLE_SYNCD_RPC),y)
 ENABLE_SYNCD_RPC = y
 endif
@@ -190,6 +194,7 @@ $(info "ENABLE_ORGANIZATION_EXTENSIONS"  : "$(ENABLE_ORGANIZATION_EXTENSIONS)")
 $(info "HTTP_PROXY"                      : "$(HTTP_PROXY)")
 $(info "HTTPS_PROXY"                     : "$(HTTPS_PROXY)")
 $(info "ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY"         : "$(ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY)")
+$(info "ENABLE_RESTAPI"                  : "$(ENABLE_RESTAPI)")
 $(info "ENABLE_ZTP"                      : "$(ENABLE_ZTP)")
 $(info "SONIC_DEBUGGING_ON"              : "$(SONIC_DEBUGGING_ON)")
 $(info "SONIC_PROFILING_ON"              : "$(SONIC_PROFILING_ON)")
@@ -643,6 +648,7 @@ $(addprefix $(TARGET_PATH)/, $(SONIC_INSTALLERS)) : $(TARGET_PATH)/% : \
 	export enable_organization_extensions="$(ENABLE_ORGANIZATION_EXTENSIONS)"
 	export enable_dhcp_graph_service="$(ENABLE_DHCP_GRAPH_SERVICE)"
 	export enable_system_telemetry="$(ENABLE_SYSTEM_TELEMETRY)"
+	export enable_restapi="$(ENABLE_RESTAPI)"
 	export enable_ztp="$(ENABLE_ZTP)"
 	export shutdown_bgp_on_start="$(SHUTDOWN_BGP_ON_START)"
 	export enable_pfcwd_on_start="$(ENABLE_PFCWD_ON_START)"