diff --git a/llvm/docs/CommandGuide/llvm-symbolizer.rst b/llvm/docs/CommandGuide/llvm-symbolizer.rst
--- a/llvm/docs/CommandGuide/llvm-symbolizer.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/CommandGuide/llvm-symbolizer.rst
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@
   Look up the object using the given build ID, specified as a hexadecimal
   string. Mutually exclusive with :option:`--obj`.
 
+.. option:: --debuginfod, --no-debuginfod
+
+  Whether or not to try debuginfod lookups for debug binaries. Unless specified,
+  debuginfod is only enabled if libcurl was compiled in (``LLVM_ENABLE_CURL``)
+  and at least one server URL was provided by the environment variable
+  ``DEBUGINFOD_URLS``.
+
 .. _llvm-symbolizer-opt-C:
 
 .. option:: --demangle, -C
diff --git a/llvm/test/tools/llvm-symbolizer/debuginfod.test b/llvm/test/tools/llvm-symbolizer/debuginfod.test
--- a/llvm/test/tools/llvm-symbolizer/debuginfod.test
+++ b/llvm/test/tools/llvm-symbolizer/debuginfod.test
@@ -23,10 +23,15 @@
 # The symbolizer should call the debuginfod client library, which finds the
 # debuginfo placed in the cache, enabling symbolization of the address.
 RUN: env DEBUGINFOD_CACHE_PATH=%t llvm-symbolizer \
-RUN:   --obj=%t/addr.exe 0x40054d | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=FOUND
+RUN:   --obj=%t/addr.exe 0x40054d --debuginfod | \
+RUN:   FileCheck %s --check-prefix=FOUND
 FOUND: {{[/\]+}}tmp{{[/\]+}}x.c:14:0
 
 # This should also work if the build ID is provided.
 RUN: env DEBUGINFOD_CACHE_PATH=%t llvm-symbolizer \
 RUN:   --build-id=127da749021c1fc1a58cba734a1f542cbe2b7ce4 0x40054d | \
 RUN:   FileCheck %s --check-prefix=FOUND
+
+# The symbolizer shouldn't call the debuginfod library by default with no URLs.
+RUN: env DEBUGINFOD_CACHE_PATH=%t llvm-symbolizer --print-address \
+RUN:   --obj=%t/addr.exe 0x40054d | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=NOTFOUND
diff --git a/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/Opts.td b/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/Opts.td
--- a/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/Opts.td
+++ b/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/Opts.td
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 def basenames : Flag<["--"], "basenames">, HelpText<"Strip directory names from paths">;
 defm build_id : Eq<"build-id", "Build ID used to look up the object file">;
 defm debug_file_directory : Eq<"debug-file-directory", "Path to directory where to look for debug files">, MetaVarName<"<dir>">;
+defm debuginfod : B<"debuginfod", "Use debuginfod to find debug binaries", "Don't use debuginfod to find debug binaries">;
 defm default_arch
     : Eq<"default-arch", "Default architecture (for multi-arch objects)">,
       Group<grp_mach_o>;
diff --git a/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/llvm-symbolizer.cpp b/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/llvm-symbolizer.cpp
--- a/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/llvm-symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/llvm/tools/llvm-symbolizer/llvm-symbolizer.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "llvm/DebugInfo/Symbolize/DIPrinter.h"
 #include "llvm/DebugInfo/Symbolize/Symbolize.h"
 #include "llvm/Debuginfod/DIFetcher.h"
+#include "llvm/Debuginfod/Debuginfod.h"
 #include "llvm/Debuginfod/HTTPClient.h"
 #include "llvm/Option/Arg.h"
 #include "llvm/Option/ArgList.h"
@@ -296,6 +297,27 @@
   return {};
 }
 
+ExitOnError ExitOnErr;
+
+static bool shouldUseDebuginfodByDefault(ArrayRef<uint8_t> BuildID) {
+  // If the user explicitly specified a build ID, the usual way to find it is
+  // debuginfod.
+  if (!BuildID.empty())
+    return true;
+
+  // A debuginfod lookup could succeed if a HTTP client is available and at
+  // least one backing URL is configured.
+  if (HTTPClient::isAvailable() &&
+      !ExitOnErr(getDefaultDebuginfodUrls()).empty())
+    return true;
+
+  // A debuginfod lookup could also succeed if something were present in the
+  // cache directory, but it would be surprising to enable debuginfod on this
+  // basis alone. To use existing caches in an "offline" fashion, the debuginfod
+  // flag must be set.
+  return false;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   InitLLVM X(argc, argv);
   sys::InitializeCOMRAII COM(sys::COMThreadingMode::MultiThreaded);
@@ -371,10 +393,13 @@
 
   LLVMSymbolizer Symbolizer(Opts);
 
-  // Look up symbols using the debuginfod client.
-  Symbolizer.addDIFetcher(std::make_unique<DebuginfodDIFetcher>());
-  // The HTTPClient must be initialized for use by the debuginfod client.
-  HTTPClient::initialize();
+  if (Args.hasFlag(OPT_debuginfod, OPT_no_debuginfod,
+                   shouldUseDebuginfodByDefault(BuildID))) {
+    // Look up symbols using the debuginfod client.
+    Symbolizer.addDIFetcher(std::make_unique<DebuginfodDIFetcher>());
+    // The HTTPClient must be initialized for use by the debuginfod client.
+    HTTPClient::initialize();
+  }
 
   std::unique_ptr<DIPrinter> Printer;
   if (Style == OutputStyle::GNU)