diff --git a/make/py-defs.mk b/make/py-defs.mk
index c3a7a76d..3726ab6e 100644
--- a/make/py-defs.mk
+++ b/make/py-defs.mk
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ else
   PY_INSTALL_DIR_PYC        ?= $(PY_INSTALL_DIR_PY)
 endif
 
+PY_UPDATE_INIT_PY           ?= false
 PY_INSTALL                  ?= true
 PY_INSTALL_REG              ?= true
 ifneq ($(PY_INSTALL),true)
diff --git a/make/py-mod.mk b/make/py-mod.mk
index 4e86506c..b14e2845 100644
--- a/make/py-mod.mk
+++ b/make/py-mod.mk
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ distclean:
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-rules.mk
 
+ifeq ($(PY_UPDATE_INIT_PY),true)
 __init__.py: $(PY_INIT_TMPL) $(filter-out __init__.py,$(PY_SRC_PY))
 	if [ "$(PY_INIT_TMPL)" ]; then cat "$(PY_INIT_TMPL)" > $@.tmp; else > $@.tmp; fi
 	/bin/bash +H $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/python-tools.sh create-init -m $(PY_MOD) -e "$(PY_SED_EXTRACT_EXPORT)" \
 		$(filter-out __init__.py,$(PY_ALL_PY)) $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE) | $(PY_INIT_FILTER) | tee -a $@.tmp
 	mv $@.tmp $@
+endif