diff --git a/src/cli/backup/exchange.go b/src/cli/backup/exchange.go
index 0f11bd6bd..d69ee3adf 100644
--- a/src/cli/backup/exchange.go
+++ b/src/cli/backup/exchange.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ func addExchangeCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
 		flags.AddFetchParallelismFlag(c)
 		flags.AddFailFastFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableIncrementalsFlag(c)
+		flags.AddForceItemDataDownloadFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableDeltaFlag(c)
 		flags.AddEnableImmutableIDFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableConcurrencyLimiterFlag(c)
diff --git a/src/cli/backup/onedrive.go b/src/cli/backup/onedrive.go
index b9d94fc41..4e241323d 100644
--- a/src/cli/backup/onedrive.go
+++ b/src/cli/backup/onedrive.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ func addOneDriveCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
 
 		flags.AddFailFastFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableIncrementalsFlag(c)
+		flags.AddForceItemDataDownloadFlag(c)
 
 	case listCommand:
 		c, fs = utils.AddCommand(cmd, oneDriveListCmd())
diff --git a/src/cli/backup/sharepoint.go b/src/cli/backup/sharepoint.go
index 7fcf58163..567c0878c 100644
--- a/src/cli/backup/sharepoint.go
+++ b/src/cli/backup/sharepoint.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ func addSharePointCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
 		flags.AddDataFlag(c, []string{dataLibraries}, true)
 		flags.AddFailFastFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableIncrementalsFlag(c)
+		flags.AddForceItemDataDownloadFlag(c)
 
 	case listCommand:
 		c, fs = utils.AddCommand(cmd, sharePointListCmd())
diff --git a/src/cli/flags/options.go b/src/cli/flags/options.go
index 81a893f93..b24c5a9c9 100644
--- a/src/cli/flags/options.go
+++ b/src/cli/flags/options.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const (
 	DisableConcurrencyLimiterFN = "disable-concurrency-limiter"
 	DisableDeltaFN              = "disable-delta"
 	DisableIncrementalsFN       = "disable-incrementals"
+	ForceItemDataDownloadFN     = "force-item-data-download"
 	EnableImmutableIDFN         = "enable-immutable-id"
 	FailFastFN                  = "fail-fast"
 	FailedItemsFN               = "failed-items"
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	DisableConcurrencyLimiterFV bool
 	DisableDeltaFV              bool
 	DisableIncrementalsFV       bool
+	ForceItemDataDownloadFV     bool
 	EnableImmutableIDFV         bool
 	FailFastFV                  bool
 	FetchParallelismFV          int
@@ -110,6 +112,19 @@ func AddDisableIncrementalsFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	cobra.CheckErr(fs.MarkHidden(DisableIncrementalsFN))
 }
 
+// Adds the hidden '--force-item-data-download' cli flag which, when set,
+// disables kopia-assisted incremental backups.
+func AddForceItemDataDownloadFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	fs := cmd.Flags()
+	fs.BoolVar(
+		&ForceItemDataDownloadFV,
+		ForceItemDataDownloadFN,
+		false,
+		"Disable cached data checks in backups to force item redownloads for "+
+			"items changed since the last successful backup.")
+	cobra.CheckErr(fs.MarkHidden(ForceItemDataDownloadFN))
+}
+
 // Adds the hidden '--disable-delta' cli flag which, when set, disables
 // delta based backups.
 func AddDisableDeltaFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) {
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/options.go b/src/cli/utils/options.go
index 932c56b6b..fdb92aced 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/options.go
+++ b/src/cli/utils/options.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ func Control() control.Options {
 	opt.DisableMetrics = flags.NoStatsFV
 	opt.SkipReduce = flags.SkipReduceFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableIncrementals = flags.DisableIncrementalsFV
+	opt.ToggleFeatures.ForceItemDataDownload = flags.ForceItemDataDownloadFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableDelta = flags.DisableDeltaFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.ExchangeImmutableIDs = flags.EnableImmutableIDFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableConcurrencyLimiter = flags.DisableConcurrencyLimiterFV
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/options_test.go b/src/cli/utils/options_test.go
index 1a8f7ddcd..6cb12e9d1 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/options_test.go
+++ b/src/cli/utils/options_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ func (suite *OptionsUnitSuite) TestAddExchangeCommands() {
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			assert.True(t, flags.FailFastFV, flags.FailFastFN)
 			assert.True(t, flags.DisableIncrementalsFV, flags.DisableIncrementalsFN)
+			assert.True(t, flags.ForceItemDataDownloadFV, flags.ForceItemDataDownloadFN)
 			assert.True(t, flags.DisableDeltaFV, flags.DisableDeltaFN)
 			assert.True(t, flags.NoStatsFV, flags.NoStatsFN)
 			assert.True(t, flags.RestorePermissionsFV, flags.RestorePermissionsFN)
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ func (suite *OptionsUnitSuite) TestAddExchangeCommands() {
 
 	flags.AddFailFastFlag(cmd)
 	flags.AddDisableIncrementalsFlag(cmd)
+	flags.AddForceItemDataDownloadFlag(cmd)
 	flags.AddDisableDeltaFlag(cmd)
 	flags.AddRestorePermissionsFlag(cmd)
 	flags.AddSkipReduceFlag(cmd)
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ func (suite *OptionsUnitSuite) TestAddExchangeCommands() {
 		"test",
 		"--" + flags.FailFastFN,
 		"--" + flags.DisableIncrementalsFN,
+		"--" + flags.ForceItemDataDownloadFN,
 		"--" + flags.DisableDeltaFN,
 		"--" + flags.NoStatsFN,
 		"--" + flags.RestorePermissionsFN,