diff --git a/sdks/python/apache_beam/internal/cloudpickle/cloudpickle.py b/sdks/python/apache_beam/internal/cloudpickle/cloudpickle.py
index 495e888a5167..4f2c5321edf1 100644
--- a/sdks/python/apache_beam/internal/cloudpickle/cloudpickle.py
+++ b/sdks/python/apache_beam/internal/cloudpickle/cloudpickle.py
@@ -161,11 +161,15 @@ class CloudPickleConfig:
             code changes: when a particular lambda function is slightly
             modified  but the location of the function in the codebase has not
             changed, the pickled representation might stay the same.
+
+        pickle_main_by_ref: An optional boolean. If provided, cloudpickle will
+            pickle main by reference instead of by value.
     """
   id_generator: typing.Optional[callable] = uuid_generator
   skip_reset_dynamic_type_state: bool = False
   filepath_interceptor: typing.Optional[callable] = None
   get_code_object_params: typing.Optional[GetCodeObjectParams] = None
+  pickle_main_by_ref: bool = False
 
 
 DEFAULT_CONFIG = CloudPickleConfig()
@@ -316,7 +320,7 @@ def _whichmodule(obj, name):
   return None
 
 
-def _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=None):
+def _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=None, config=DEFAULT_CONFIG):
   """Test whether an function or a class should be pickled by reference
 
     Pickling by reference means by that the object (typically a function or a
@@ -331,7 +335,7 @@ def _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=None):
     explicitly registered to be pickled by value.
     """
   if isinstance(obj, types.FunctionType) or issubclass(type(obj), type):
-    module_and_name = _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=name)
+    module_and_name = _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=name, config=config)
     if module_and_name is None:
       return False
     module, name = module_and_name
@@ -351,7 +355,7 @@ def _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=None):
         "cannot check importability of {} instances".format(type(obj).__name__))
 
 
-def _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=None):
+def _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=None, config=DEFAULT_CONFIG):
   if name is None:
     name = getattr(obj, "__qualname__", None)
   if name is None:  # pragma: no cover
@@ -367,7 +371,7 @@ def _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=None):
     # imported module. obj is thus treated as dynamic.
     return None
 
-  if module_name == "__main__":
+  if module_name == "__main__" and not config.pickle_main_by_ref:
     return None
 
   # Note: if module_name is in sys.modules, the corresponding module is
@@ -718,7 +722,8 @@ def _decompose_typevar(obj, config: CloudPickleConfig):
 def _typevar_reduce(obj, config: CloudPickleConfig):
   # TypeVar instances require the module information hence why we
   # are not using the _should_pickle_by_reference directly
-  module_and_name = _lookup_module_and_qualname(obj, name=obj.__name__)
+  module_and_name = _lookup_module_and_qualname(
+      obj, name=obj.__name__, config=config)
 
   if module_and_name is None:
     return (_make_typevar, _decompose_typevar(obj, config))
@@ -1185,7 +1190,7 @@ def _class_reduce(obj, config: CloudPickleConfig):
     return type, (NotImplemented, )
   elif obj in _BUILTIN_TYPE_NAMES:
     return _builtin_type, (_BUILTIN_TYPE_NAMES[obj], )
-  elif not _should_pickle_by_reference(obj):
+  elif not _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, config=config):
     return _dynamic_class_reduce(obj, config)
   return NotImplemented
 
@@ -1410,7 +1415,7 @@ def _function_reduce(self, obj):
         obj using a custom cloudpickle reducer designed specifically to handle
         dynamic functions.
         """
-    if _should_pickle_by_reference(obj):
+    if _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, config=self.config):
       return NotImplemented
     elif self.config.get_code_object_params is not None:
       return self._stable_identifier_function_reduce(obj)
@@ -1617,7 +1622,7 @@ def save_global(self, obj, name=None, pack=struct.pack):
 
       if name is not None:
         super().save_global(obj, name=name)
-      elif not _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=name):
+      elif not _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=name, config=self.config):
         self._save_reduce_pickle5(
             *_dynamic_class_reduce(obj, self.config), obj=obj)
       else:
@@ -1642,7 +1647,7 @@ def save_function(self, obj, name=None):
             Determines what kind of function obj is (e.g. lambda, defined at
             interactive prompt, etc) and handles the pickling appropriately.
             """
-      if _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=name):
+      if _should_pickle_by_reference(obj, name=name, config=self.config):
         return super().save_global(obj, name=name)
       elif PYPY and isinstance(obj.__code__, builtin_code_type):
         return self.save_pypy_builtin_func(obj)