diff --git a/central/main.go b/central/main.go
index 15adcbed479eb..1d936d0c07020 100644
--- a/central/main.go
+++ b/central/main.go
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/authz/user"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/errors"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/routes"
+	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/httputil"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/httputil/proxy"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/logging"
 	pkgMetrics "github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/metrics"
@@ -754,14 +755,9 @@ func customRoutes() (customRoutes []routes.CustomRoute) {
 }
 
 func notImplementedOnManagedServices(fn http.Handler) http.Handler {
-	if !env.ManagedCentral.BooleanSetting() {
-		return fn
-	}
-	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		errMsg := "api is not supported in a managed central environment."
-		log.Error(errMsg)
-		http.Error(w, errMsg, http.StatusNotImplemented)
-	})
+	return utils.IfThenElse[http.Handler](
+		env.ManagedCentral.BooleanSetting(), httputil.NotImplementedHandler("api is not supported in a managed central environment."),
+		fn)
 }
 
 func debugRoutes() []routes.CustomRoute {
diff --git a/central/probeupload/service/service_impl.go b/central/probeupload/service/service_impl.go
index c669d6381b49a..030f251edcf03 100644
--- a/central/probeupload/service/service_impl.go
+++ b/central/probeupload/service/service_impl.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/central/role/resources"
 	v1 "github.com/stackrox/rox/generated/api/v1"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/auth/permissions"
+	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/env"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/authz"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/authz/idcheck"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/grpc/authz/perrpc"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/httputil"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/logging"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/probeupload"
+	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/utils"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 )
@@ -77,10 +79,12 @@ func (s *service) GetExistingProbes(ctx context.Context, req *v1.GetExistingProb
 func (s *service) CustomRoutes() []routes.CustomRoute {
 	return []routes.CustomRoute{
 		{
-			Route:         "/api/extensions/probeupload",
-			Authorizer:    user.With(permissions.Modify(resources.ProbeUpload)),
-			ServerHandler: http.HandlerFunc(s.handleProbeUpload),
-			Compression:   false,
+			Route:      "/api/extensions/probeupload",
+			Authorizer: user.With(permissions.Modify(resources.ProbeUpload)),
+			ServerHandler: utils.IfThenElse[http.Handler](
+				env.EnableKernelPackageUpload.BooleanSetting(), http.HandlerFunc(s.handleProbeUpload),
+				httputil.NotImplementedHandler("api is not supported because kernel package upload is disabled.")),
+			Compression: false,
 		},
 		{
 			Route:         "/kernel-objects/",
diff --git a/image/templates/helm/stackrox-central/templates/01-central-13-deployment.yaml b/image/templates/helm/stackrox-central/templates/01-central-13-deployment.yaml
index ff5e82d3c7e2a..c66da004aea62 100644
--- a/image/templates/helm/stackrox-central/templates/01-central-13-deployment.yaml
+++ b/image/templates/helm/stackrox-central/templates/01-central-13-deployment.yaml
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ spec:
           value: "true"
         - name: ROX_ENABLE_CENTRAL_DIAGNOSTICS
           value: "false"
+        - name: ROX_ENABLE_KERNEL_PACKAGE_UPLOAD
+          value: "false"
         {{- end }}
         {{- if ._rox.central.db.enabled }}
         - name: ROX_POSTGRES_DATASTORE
diff --git a/pkg/env/kernel_package_upload.go b/pkg/env/kernel_package_upload.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..001c5eccc9988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/env/kernel_package_upload.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+package env
+
+var (
+	// EnableKernelPackageUpload is set to true to signal that kernel support package uploads should be supported.
+	EnableKernelPackageUpload = RegisterBooleanSetting("ROX_ENABLE_KERNEL_PACKAGE_UPLOAD", true)
+)
diff --git a/pkg/httputil/handler.go b/pkg/httputil/handler.go
index 876af2a30142d..a725cb1e5f176 100644
--- a/pkg/httputil/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/httputil/handler.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package httputil
 
-import "net/http"
+import (
+	"net/http"
+)
 
 // WrapHandlerFunc wraps a function returning an error into an HTTP handler func that returns a 200 OK with empty
 // contents upon success, and sends an error formatted according to `WriteError` to the client otherwise.
@@ -13,3 +15,11 @@ func WrapHandlerFunc(handlerFn func(req *http.Request) error) http.HandlerFunc {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+// NotImplementedHandler returns an HTTP Handler func that returns 501 Not Implemented with a custom error message.
+func NotImplementedHandler(errMsg string) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		log.Error(errMsg)
+		http.Error(w, errMsg, http.StatusNotImplemented)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/if_then_else.go b/pkg/utils/if_then_else.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e5e1ba12e8b61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/utils/if_then_else.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package utils
+
+// IfThenElse is a ternary operator function that will return `a` if `cond` is true, otherwise it will return `b`
+func IfThenElse[T any](cond bool, a, b T) T {
+	if cond {
+		return a
+	}
+	return b
+}