diff --git a/docs/source/settings.rst b/docs/source/settings.rst
index 6d7f83f..e0b544a 100644
--- a/docs/source/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/source/settings.rst
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ Settings
 .. py:data:: lua_ls_backend
    :type: str
 
-   Controls which lua analyzer is used. Can be either ``"emmylua"`` or ``"luals"``.
+   Controls which lua analyzer is used. Can be either ``"emmylua"``, ``"luals"``, or ``"disable"``.
+   When set to ``"disable"``, no Lua files are analyzed, all language server related settings
+   are ignored, and :doc:`autodoc` does not work.
 
 .. py:data:: lua_ls_auto_install
    :type: bool
diff --git a/sphinx_lua_ls/__init__.py b/sphinx_lua_ls/__init__.py
index 390682f..5ba45de 100644
--- a/sphinx_lua_ls/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx_lua_ls/__init__.py
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
 def run_lua_ls(app: sphinx.application.Sphinx):
     domain: sphinx_lua_ls.domain.LuaDomain = app.env.get_domain("lua")  # type: ignore
 
+    if domain.config.backend == "disable":
+        return
+
     root_dir = domain.config.project_root
     project_directories = domain.config.project_directories
     if project_directories is None:
@@ -130,6 +133,12 @@ def run_apidoc(
     app: sphinx.application.Sphinx,
 ):
     domain = _t.cast(sphinx_lua_ls.domain.LuaDomain, app.env.get_domain("lua"))
+    if domain.config.backend == "disable":
+        logger.warning(
+            "apidoc requested, but the language server backend is disabled",
+            type="lua-ls",
+        )
+        return
     cwd = pathlib.Path.cwd()
     for name, params in domain.config.apidoc_roots.items():
         try:
diff --git a/sphinx_lua_ls/autodoc.py b/sphinx_lua_ls/autodoc.py
index 3aef9eb..2d50240 100644
--- a/sphinx_lua_ls/autodoc.py
+++ b/sphinx_lua_ls/autodoc.py
@@ -1069,6 +1069,10 @@ class AutoObjectDirective(AutodocUtilsMixin):
     doctype_override: str | None = None
 
     def run(self):
+        if self.lua_domain.config.backend == "disable":
+            raise self.error(
+                "autoobject requested but the Lua language server is disabled"
+            )
         self.prepare_options()
 
         signatures: list[str] = []
diff --git a/sphinx_lua_ls/config.py b/sphinx_lua_ls/config.py
index 9af1d77..a072c1b 100644
--- a/sphinx_lua_ls/config.py
+++ b/sphinx_lua_ls/config.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 @dataclass
 class LuaDomainConfig:
     project_root: pathlib.Path
-    backend: _t.Literal["emmylua", "luals"] = "luals"
+    backend: _t.Literal["emmylua", "luals", "disable"] = "luals"
     project_directories: list[pathlib.Path] | None = None
     auto_install: bool = True
     auto_install_location: pathlib.Path | None = None
@@ -188,9 +188,11 @@ def set_options(app: sphinx.application.Sphinx):
 
     if config["lua_ls_backend"] is not None:
         domain_config.backend = _t.cast(
-            _t.Literal["emmylua", "luals"],
+            _t.Literal["emmylua", "luals", "disable"],
             _str_choices(
-                "lua_ls_backend", config["lua_ls_backend"], ["luals", "emmylua"]
+                "lua_ls_backend",
+                config["lua_ls_backend"],
+                ["luals", "emmylua", "disable"],
             ),
         )
     else: