diff --git a/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/main/java/io/prometheus/jmx/JavaAgent.java b/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/main/java/io/prometheus/jmx/JavaAgent.java
index 74cbcbf8..1aa7b9e7 100644
--- a/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/main/java/io/prometheus/jmx/JavaAgent.java
+++ b/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/main/java/io/prometheus/jmx/JavaAgent.java
@@ -26,8 +26,12 @@ public static void premain(String agentArgument, Instrumentation instrumentation
             Config config = parseConfig(agentArgument, host);
 
             new BuildInfoCollector().register();
-            new JmxCollector(new File(config.file), JmxCollector.Mode.AGENT).register();
-            DefaultExports.initialize();
+            new JmxCollector(new File(config.file)).register();
+
+            if (!config.disableDefaultExports) {
+                DefaultExports.initialize();
+            }
+
             server = new HTTPServer(config.socket, CollectorRegistry.defaultRegistry, true);
         }
         catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
@@ -45,18 +49,20 @@ public static void premain(String agentArgument, Instrumentation instrumentation
      */
     public static Config parseConfig(String args, String ifc) {
         Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(
-                "^(?:((?:[\\w.-]+)|(?:\\[.+])):)?" + // host name, or ipv4, or ipv6 address in brackets
-                        "(\\d{1,5}):" +              // port
-                        "(.+)");                     // config file
+          "^(disableDefaultExports:)?" +        // optional flag to disable default exports
+            "(?:((?:[\\w.]+)|(?:\\[.+])):)?" +  // host name, or ipv4, or ipv6 address in brackets
+            "(\\d{1,5}):" +              // port
+            "(.+)");                     // config file
 
         Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(args);
         if (!matcher.matches()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Malformed arguments - " + args);
         }
 
-        String givenHost = matcher.group(1);
-        String givenPort = matcher.group(2);
-        String givenConfigFile = matcher.group(3);
+        boolean disableDefaultExports = "disableDefaultExports:".equals(matcher.group(1));
+        String givenHost = matcher.group(2);
+        String givenPort = matcher.group(3);
+        String givenConfigFile = matcher.group(4);
 
         int port = Integer.parseInt(givenPort);
 
@@ -69,7 +75,7 @@ public static Config parseConfig(String args, String ifc) {
             givenHost = ifc;
         }
 
-        return new Config(givenHost, port, givenConfigFile, socket);
+        return new Config(givenHost, port, givenConfigFile, socket, disableDefaultExports);
     }
 
     static class Config {
@@ -77,12 +83,14 @@ static class Config {
         int port;
         String file;
         InetSocketAddress socket;
+        boolean disableDefaultExports;
 
-        Config(String host, int port, String file, InetSocketAddress socket) {
+        Config(String host, int port, String file, InetSocketAddress socket, boolean disableDefaultExports) {
             this.host = host;
             this.port = port;
             this.file = file;
             this.socket = socket;
+            this.disableDefaultExports = disableDefaultExports;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/test/java/io/prometheus/jmx/TestJavaAgent.java b/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/test/java/io/prometheus/jmx/TestJavaAgent.java
index 12610210..da61f049 100644
--- a/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/test/java/io/prometheus/jmx/TestJavaAgent.java
+++ b/jmx_prometheus_javaagent_java6/src/test/java/io/prometheus/jmx/TestJavaAgent.java
@@ -23,49 +23,64 @@ public void testAgentStringParsing() {
         Assert.assertEquals(DEFAULT_HOST, config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("8080:/unix/path/config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals(DEFAULT_HOST, config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("/unix/path/config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("google.com:8080:/unix/path/config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals("google.com", config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("/unix/path/config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
-
-        config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("my-host:8080:config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
-        Assert.assertEquals("my-host", config.host);
-        Assert.assertEquals("config.yaml", config.file);
-        Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("127.0.0.1:8080:/unix/path/config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals("127.0.0.1", config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("/unix/path/config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("8080:\\Windows\\Local\\Drive\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals(DEFAULT_HOST, config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("\\Windows\\Local\\Drive\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         // the following check was previously failing to parse the file correctly
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("8080:C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals(DEFAULT_HOST, config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         // the following check was previously failing to parse the file correctly
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("google.com:8080:C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals("google.com", config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
 
         // the following check was previously failing to parse the file correctly
         config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("127.0.0.1:8080:C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
         Assert.assertEquals("127.0.0.1", config.host);
         Assert.assertEquals("C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
         Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertFalse(config.disableDefaultExports);
+
+        config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("disableDefaultExports:127.0.0.1:8080:C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
+        Assert.assertEquals("127.0.0.1", config.host);
+        Assert.assertEquals("C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
+        Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertTrue(config.disableDefaultExports);
+
+        config = JavaAgent.parseConfig("disableDefaultExports:8080:C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", DEFAULT_HOST);
+        Assert.assertEquals(DEFAULT_HOST, config.host);
+        Assert.assertEquals("C:\\Windows\\Path\\config.yaml", config.file);
+        Assert.assertEquals(8080, config.port);
+        Assert.assertTrue(config.disableDefaultExports);
     }
 
     /**