diff --git a/packages/datadog-plugin-prisma/src/index.js b/packages/datadog-plugin-prisma/src/index.js
index 7fefd0ab7ca..c6a95656efb 100644
--- a/packages/datadog-plugin-prisma/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/datadog-plugin-prisma/src/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const PrismaClientPlugin = require('./client')
 const PrismaEnginePlugin = require('./engine')
 
 class PrismaPlugin extends CompositePlugin {
+  static experimental = true
   static get id () { return 'prisma' }
   static get plugins () {
     return {
diff --git a/packages/dd-trace/src/plugin_manager.js b/packages/dd-trace/src/plugin_manager.js
index ed4639d5cdc..8305fcf89bc 100644
--- a/packages/dd-trace/src/plugin_manager.js
+++ b/packages/dd-trace/src/plugin_manager.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const { channel } = require('dc-polyfill')
-const { isFalse, normalizePluginEnvName } = require('./util')
+const { isFalse, isTrue, normalizePluginEnvName } = require('./util')
 const plugins = require('./plugins')
 const log = require('./log')
 const { getEnvironmentVariable } = require('../../dd-trace/src/config-helper')
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ loadChannel.subscribe(({ name }) => {
 function maybeEnable (Plugin) {
   if (!Plugin || typeof Plugin !== 'function') return
   if (!pluginClasses[Plugin.id]) {
-    const envName = `DD_TRACE_${Plugin.id.toUpperCase()}_ENABLED`
-    const enabled = getEnvironmentVariable(normalizePluginEnvName(envName))
+    const enabled = getEnvEnabled(Plugin)
 
     // TODO: remove the need to load the plugin class in order to disable the plugin
     if (isFalse(enabled) || disabledPlugins.has(Plugin.id)) {
@@ -46,6 +45,11 @@ function maybeEnable (Plugin) {
   }
 }
 
+function getEnvEnabled (Plugin) {
+  const envName = `DD_TRACE_${Plugin.id.toUpperCase()}_ENABLED`
+  return getEnvironmentVariable(normalizePluginEnvName(envName))
+}
+
 // TODO this must always be a singleton.
 module.exports = class PluginManager {
   constructor (tracer) {
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ module.exports = class PluginManager {
       this._pluginsByName[name] = new Plugin(this._tracer, this._tracerConfig)
     }
     const pluginConfig = this._configsByName[name] || {
-      enabled: this._tracerConfig.plugins !== false
+      enabled: this._tracerConfig.plugins !== false && (!Plugin.experimental || isTrue(getEnvEnabled(Plugin)))
     }
 
     // extracts predetermined configuration from tracer and combines it with plugin-specific config
diff --git a/packages/dd-trace/test/plugin_manager.spec.js b/packages/dd-trace/test/plugin_manager.spec.js
index 9abcf70e1d4..3b0bc9f5025 100644
--- a/packages/dd-trace/test/plugin_manager.spec.js
+++ b/packages/dd-trace/test/plugin_manager.spec.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ describe('Plugin Manager', () => {
   let Four
   let Five
   let Six
+  let Eight
   let pm
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -53,7 +54,11 @@ describe('Plugin Manager', () => {
           return 'six'
         }
       },
-      seven: {}
+      seven: {},
+      eight: class Eight extends FakePlugin {
+        static experimental = true
+        static id = 'eight'
+      }
     }
 
     Two = plugins.two
@@ -67,6 +72,9 @@ describe('Plugin Manager', () => {
     Six = plugins.six
     Six.prototype.configure = sinon.spy()
 
+    Eight = plugins.eight
+    Eight.prototype.configure = sinon.spy()
+
     process.env.DD_TRACE_DISABLED_PLUGINS = 'five,six,seven'
 
     PluginManager = proxyquire.noPreserveCache()('../src/plugin_manager', {
@@ -83,6 +91,7 @@ describe('Plugin Manager', () => {
 
   afterEach(() => {
     delete process.env.DD_TRACE_DISABLED_PLUGINS
+    delete process.env.DD_TRACE_EIGHT_ENABLED
     pm.destroy()
   })
 
@@ -273,6 +282,28 @@ describe('Plugin Manager', () => {
       })
     })
 
+    describe('with an experimental plugin', () => {
+      it('should disable the plugin by default', () => {
+        pm.configure()
+        loadChannel.publish({ name: 'eight' })
+        expect(Eight.prototype.configure).to.have.been.calledWithMatch({ enabled: false })
+      })
+
+      it('should enable the plugin when configured programmatically', () => {
+        pm.configure()
+        pm.configurePlugin('eight')
+        loadChannel.publish({ name: 'eight' })
+        expect(Eight.prototype.configure).to.have.been.calledWithMatch({ enabled: true })
+      })
+
+      it('should enable the plugin when configured with an environment variable', () => {
+        process.env.DD_TRACE_EIGHT_ENABLED = 'true'
+        pm.configure()
+        loadChannel.publish({ name: 'eight' })
+        expect(Eight.prototype.configure).to.have.been.calledWithMatch({ enabled: true })
+      })
+    })
+
     it('instantiates plugin classes', () => {
       pm.configure()
       loadChannel.publish({ name: 'two' })