diff --git a/swift/common/internal_client.py b/swift/common/internal_client.py
index 8394706a09..b19ba33b03 100644
--- a/swift/common/internal_client.py
+++ b/swift/common/internal_client.py
@@ -134,8 +134,10 @@ class InternalClient(object):
                           gives up.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, conf_path, user_agent, request_tries):
-        self.app = loadapp('config:' + conf_path)
+    def __init__(self, conf_path, user_agent, request_tries,
+                 allow_modify_pipeline=False):
+        self.app = loadapp('config:' + conf_path,
+                           allow_modify_pipeline=allow_modify_pipeline)
         self.user_agent = user_agent
         self.request_tries = request_tries
 
diff --git a/swift/common/wsgi.py b/swift/common/wsgi.py
index 7feb25d0b2..a6004b638a 100644
--- a/swift/common/wsgi.py
+++ b/swift/common/wsgi.py
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def loadcontext(object_type, uri, name=None, relative_to=None,
                                 global_conf=global_conf)
 
 
-def loadapp(conf_file, global_conf):
+def loadapp(conf_file, global_conf, allow_modify_pipeline=True):
     """
     Loads a context from a config file, and if the context is a pipeline
     then presents the app with the opportunity to modify the pipeline.
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ def loadapp(conf_file, global_conf):
         # give app the opportunity to modify the pipeline context
         app = ctx.app_context.create()
         func = getattr(app, 'modify_wsgi_pipeline', None)
-        if func:
+        if func and allow_modify_pipeline:
             func(PipelineWrapper(ctx))
     return ctx.create()
 
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py b/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
index 4772688d62..c94ccfeb37 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
@@ -185,9 +185,10 @@ class TestInternalClient(unittest.TestCase):
                 self.conf_path = conf_path
                 self.load_called = 0
 
-            def load(self, uri):
+            def load(self, uri, allow_modify_pipeline=True):
                 self.load_called += 1
                 self.test.assertEquals('config:' + conf_path, uri)
+                self.test.assertFalse(allow_modify_pipeline)
                 return self
 
         conf_path = 'some_path'
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py b/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
index 04f2647d3a..06e3c65553 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
@@ -819,6 +819,22 @@ class TestPipelineModification(unittest.TestCase):
             exp = swift.proxy.server.Application
             self.assertTrue(isinstance(app.app.app, exp), app.app.app)
 
+            # make sure you can turn off the pipeline modification if you want
+            def blow_up(*_, **__):
+                raise self.fail("needs more struts")
+
+            with mock.patch(
+                    'swift.proxy.server.Application.modify_wsgi_pipeline',
+                    blow_up):
+                app = wsgi.loadapp(conf_file, global_conf={},
+                                   allow_modify_pipeline=False)
+
+            # the pipeline was untouched
+            exp = swift.common.middleware.healthcheck.HealthCheckMiddleware
+            self.assertTrue(isinstance(app, exp), app)
+            exp = swift.proxy.server.Application
+            self.assertTrue(isinstance(app.app, exp), app.app)
+
     def test_proxy_unmodified_wsgi_pipeline(self):
         # Make sure things are sane even when we modify nothing
         config = """
diff --git a/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py b/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
index 4329eef211..fd8100d7f9 100644
--- a/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
+++ b/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
         self.old_loadapp = internal_client.loadapp
         self.old_sleep = internal_client.sleep
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: None
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: None
         internal_client.sleep = not_sleep
 
     def teardown(self):
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
             start_response('204 No Content', [('Content-Length', '0')])
             return []
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: fake_app
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: fake_app
 
         x = expirer.ObjectExpirer({})
         ts = '1234'
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
             start_response('204 No Content', [('Content-Length', '0')])
             return []
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: fake_app
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: fake_app
 
         x = expirer.ObjectExpirer({})
         ts = '1234'
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
             start_response('404 Not Found', [('Content-Length', '0')])
             return []
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: fake_app
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: fake_app
 
         x = expirer.ObjectExpirer({})
         x.delete_actual_object('/path/to/object', '1234')
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
                            [('Content-Length', '0')])
             return []
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: fake_app
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: fake_app
 
         x = expirer.ObjectExpirer({})
         x.delete_actual_object('/path/to/object', '1234')
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
                 [('Content-Length', '0')])
             return []
 
-        internal_client.loadapp = lambda x: fake_app
+        internal_client.loadapp = lambda *a, **kw: fake_app
 
         x = expirer.ObjectExpirer({})
         exc = None