diff --git a/src/cli/backup/groups.go b/src/cli/backup/groups.go
index 0b81364db..4aae07a1f 100644
--- a/src/cli/backup/groups.go
+++ b/src/cli/backup/groups.go
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ func addGroupsCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
 		flags.AddFetchParallelismFlag(c)
 		flags.AddDisableDeltaFlag(c)
 		flags.AddGenericBackupFlags(c)
+		flags.AddDisableLazyItemReader(c)
 
 	case listCommand:
 		c, fs = utils.AddCommand(cmd, groupsListCmd(), utils.MarkPreviewCommand())
diff --git a/src/cli/backup/groups_test.go b/src/cli/backup/groups_test.go
index ab5623704..82c25fe2d 100644
--- a/src/cli/backup/groups_test.go
+++ b/src/cli/backup/groups_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ func (suite *GroupsUnitSuite) TestBackupCreateFlags() {
 				"--" + flags.CategoryDataFN, flagsTD.FlgInputs(flagsTD.GroupsCategoryDataInput),
 				"--" + flags.FetchParallelismFN, flagsTD.FetchParallelism,
 				"--" + flags.DisableDeltaFN,
+				"--" + flags.DisableLazyItemReaderFN,
 			},
 			flagsTD.PreparedGenericBackupFlags(),
 			flagsTD.PreparedProviderFlags(),
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ func (suite *GroupsUnitSuite) TestBackupCreateFlags() {
 	assert.True(t, co.ToggleFeatures.DisableIncrementals)
 	assert.True(t, co.ToggleFeatures.ForceItemDataDownload)
 	assert.True(t, co.ToggleFeatures.DisableDelta)
+	assert.True(t, co.ToggleFeatures.DisableLazyItemReader)
 
 	assert.ElementsMatch(t, flagsTD.GroupsInput, opts.Groups)
 	flagsTD.AssertGenericBackupFlags(t, cmd)
diff --git a/src/cli/flags/options.go b/src/cli/flags/options.go
index f8ac7174d..ce5ae7e52 100644
--- a/src/cli/flags/options.go
+++ b/src/cli/flags/options.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const (
 	DeltaPageSizeFN               = "delta-page-size"
 	DisableDeltaFN                = "disable-delta"
 	DisableIncrementalsFN         = "disable-incrementals"
+	DisableLazyItemReaderFN       = "disable-lazy-item-reader"
 	DisableSlidingWindowLimiterFN = "disable-sliding-window-limiter"
 	ForceItemDataDownloadFN       = "force-item-data-download"
 	EnableImmutableIDFN           = "enable-immutable-id"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ var (
 	DeltaPageSizeFV               int
 	DisableDeltaFV                bool
 	DisableIncrementalsFV         bool
+	DisableLazyItemReaderFV       bool
 	DisableSlidingWindowLimiterFV bool
 	ForceItemDataDownloadFV       bool
 	EnableImmutableIDFV           bool
@@ -178,3 +180,19 @@ func AddDisableSlidingWindowLimiterFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 		"Disable sliding window rate limiter.")
 	cobra.CheckErr(fs.MarkHidden(DisableSlidingWindowLimiterFN))
 }
+
+// AddDisableLazyItemReader disables lazy item reader, such that we fall back to
+// prefetch reader. This flag is currently only meant for groups conversations
+// backup. Although it can be utilized for other services in future.
+//
+// This flag should only be used if lazy item reader is the default choice and
+// we want to fallback to prefetch reader.
+func AddDisableLazyItemReader(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	fs := cmd.Flags()
+	fs.BoolVar(
+		&DisableLazyItemReaderFV,
+		DisableLazyItemReaderFN,
+		false,
+		"Disable lazy item reader.")
+	cobra.CheckErr(fs.MarkHidden(DisableLazyItemReaderFN))
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/options.go b/src/cli/utils/options.go
index 9bbd94707..8bb63452a 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/options.go
+++ b/src/cli/utils/options.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func Control() control.Options {
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.ForceItemDataDownload = flags.ForceItemDataDownloadFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableDelta = flags.DisableDeltaFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableSlidingWindowLimiter = flags.DisableSlidingWindowLimiterFV
+	opt.ToggleFeatures.DisableLazyItemReader = flags.DisableLazyItemReaderFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.ExchangeImmutableIDs = flags.EnableImmutableIDFV
 	opt.ToggleFeatures.UseDeltaTree = flags.UseDeltaTreeFV
 	opt.Parallelism.ItemFetch = flags.FetchParallelismFV
diff --git a/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go b/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
index 8190ad95c..c0ecdec5c 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
@@ -433,6 +433,7 @@ func (suite *BackupOpUnitSuite) TestNewBackupOperation_configuredOptionsMatchInp
 			RunMigrations:               true,
 			DisableSlidingWindowLimiter: true,
 			UseDeltaTree:                true,
+			DisableLazyItemReader:       true,
 		},
 		PreviewLimits: control.PreviewItemLimits{
 			MaxItems:             42,
diff --git a/src/pkg/control/options.go b/src/pkg/control/options.go
index f1c946fcf..a2ed61c40 100644
--- a/src/pkg/control/options.go
+++ b/src/pkg/control/options.go
@@ -100,4 +100,13 @@ type Toggles struct {
 
 	// see: https://github.com/alcionai/corso/issues/4688
 	UseDeltaTree bool `json:"useDeltaTree"`
+
+	// AddDisableLazyItemReader disables lazy item reader, such that we fall
+	// back to prefetch reader. This flag is currently only meant for groups
+	// conversations backup. Although it can be utilized for other services
+	// in future.
+	//
+	// This flag should only be used if lazy item reader is the default choice
+	// and we want to fallback to prefetch reader.
+	DisableLazyItemReader bool `json:"disableLazyItemReader"`
 }