diff --git a/archives/config.go b/archives/config.go
index ad001d2..596b56e 100644
--- a/archives/config.go
+++ b/archives/config.go
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	AWSAccessKeyID     string `help:"the access key id to use when authenticating S3"`
 	AWSSecretAccessKey string `help:"the secret access key id to use when authenticating S3"`
 
-	TempDir    string `help:"directory where temporary archive files are written"`
-	KeepFiles  bool   `help:"whether we should keep local archive files after upload (default false)"`
-	UploadToS3 bool   `help:"whether we should upload archive to S3"`
+	TempDir       string `help:"directory where temporary archive files are written"`
+	KeepFiles     bool   `help:"whether we should keep local archive files after upload (default false)"`
+	UploadToS3    bool   `help:"whether we should upload archive to S3"`
+	CheckS3Hashes bool   `help:"whether to check S3 hashes of uploaded archives before deleting records"`
 
 	ArchiveMessages bool   `help:"whether we should archive messages"`
 	ArchiveRuns     bool   `help:"whether we should archive runs"`
@@ -50,9 +51,10 @@ func NewDefaultConfig() *Config {
 		AWSAccessKeyID:     "",
 		AWSSecretAccessKey: "",
 
-		TempDir:    "/tmp",
-		KeepFiles:  false,
-		UploadToS3: true,
+		TempDir:       "/tmp",
+		KeepFiles:     false,
+		UploadToS3:    true,
+		CheckS3Hashes: true,
 
 		ArchiveMessages: true,
 		ArchiveRuns:     true,
diff --git a/archives/messages.go b/archives/messages.go
index 4c3f592..d45b711 100644
--- a/archives/messages.go
+++ b/archives/messages.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func DeleteArchivedMessages(ctx context.Context, config *Config, db *sqlx.DB, s3
 	}
 
 	// if S3 hash is MD5 then check against archive hash
-	if archive.Size <= maxSingleUploadBytes && s3Hash != archive.Hash {
+	if config.CheckS3Hashes && archive.Size <= maxSingleUploadBytes && s3Hash != archive.Hash {
 		return fmt.Errorf("archive md5: %s and s3 etag: %s do not match", archive.Hash, s3Hash)
 	}
 
diff --git a/archives/runs.go b/archives/runs.go
index 304c8da..9a35957 100644
--- a/archives/runs.go
+++ b/archives/runs.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func DeleteArchivedRuns(ctx context.Context, config *Config, db *sqlx.DB, s3Clie
 	}
 
 	// if S3 hash is MD5 then check against archive hash
-	if archive.Size <= maxSingleUploadBytes && s3Hash != archive.Hash {
+	if config.CheckS3Hashes && archive.Size <= maxSingleUploadBytes && s3Hash != archive.Hash {
 		return fmt.Errorf("archive md5: %s and s3 etag: %s do not match", archive.Hash, s3Hash)
 	}