diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/output.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/output.rb
index 7d70098fad..0efcab423c 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/output.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/output.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ class Output < Base
         config_param :retry_max_interval, :time, default: nil, desc: 'The maximum interval seconds for exponential backoff between retries while failing.'
 
         config_param :retry_randomize, :bool, default: true, desc: 'If true, output plugin will retry after randomized interval not to do burst retries.'
+        config_param :disable_chunk_backup, :bool, default: false, desc: 'If true, chunks are thrown away when unrecoverable error happens'
       end
 
       config_section :secondary, param_name: :secondary_config, required: false, multi: false, final: true do
@@ -1161,17 +1162,21 @@ def try_flush
       end
 
       def backup_chunk(chunk, using_secondary, delayed_commit)
-        unique_id = dump_unique_id_hex(chunk.unique_id)
-        safe_plugin_id = plugin_id.gsub(/[ "\/\\:;|*<>?]/, '_')
-        backup_base_dir = system_config.root_dir || DEFAULT_BACKUP_DIR
-        backup_file = File.join(backup_base_dir, 'backup', "worker#{fluentd_worker_id}", safe_plugin_id, "#{unique_id}.log")
-        backup_dir = File.dirname(backup_file)
-
-        log.warn "bad chunk is moved to #{backup_file}"
-        FileUtils.mkdir_p(backup_dir) unless Dir.exist?(backup_dir)
-        File.open(backup_file, 'ab', system_config.file_permission || 0644) { |f|
-          chunk.write_to(f)
-        }
+        if @buffer_config.disable_chunk_backup
+          log.warn "disable_chunk_backup is true. #{dump_unique_id_hex(chunk.unique_id)} chunk is thrown away"
+        else
+          unique_id = dump_unique_id_hex(chunk.unique_id)
+          safe_plugin_id = plugin_id.gsub(/[ "\/\\:;|*<>?]/, '_')
+          backup_base_dir = system_config.root_dir || DEFAULT_BACKUP_DIR
+          backup_file = File.join(backup_base_dir, 'backup', "worker#{fluentd_worker_id}", safe_plugin_id, "#{unique_id}.log")
+          backup_dir = File.dirname(backup_file)
+
+          log.warn "bad chunk is moved to #{backup_file}"
+          FileUtils.mkdir_p(backup_dir) unless Dir.exist?(backup_dir)
+          File.open(backup_file, 'ab', system_config.file_permission || 0644) { |f|
+            chunk.write_to(f)
+          }
+        end
         commit_write(chunk.unique_id, secondary: using_secondary, delayed: delayed_commit)
       end
 
diff --git a/test/command/test_plugin_config_formatter.rb b/test/command/test_plugin_config_formatter.rb
index de31d50f80..b2d1494a4a 100644
--- a/test/command/test_plugin_config_formatter.rb
+++ b/test/command/test_plugin_config_formatter.rb
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ def process(tag, es)
  retry_exponential_backoff_base: float: (2)
  retry_max_interval: time: (nil)
  retry_randomize: bool: (true)
+ disable_chunk_backup: bool: (false)
 <secondary>: optional, single
  @type: string: (nil)
  <buffer>: optional, single
diff --git a/test/plugin/test_output_as_buffered_backup.rb b/test/plugin/test_output_as_buffered_backup.rb
index 1c0dfed145..0d3e5517d5 100644
--- a/test/plugin/test_output_as_buffered_backup.rb
+++ b/test/plugin/test_output_as_buffered_backup.rb
@@ -279,5 +279,29 @@ def wait_flush(target_file)
         assert { logs.any? { |l| l.include?("got unrecoverable error in primary and secondary is async output") } }
       end
     end
+
+    test 'chunk is thrown away when disable_chunk_backup is true' do
+      Fluent::SystemConfig.overwrite_system_config('root_dir' => TMP_DIR) do
+        id = 'backup_test'
+        hash = {
+          'flush_interval' => 1,
+          'flush_thread_burst_interval' => 0.1,
+          'disable_chunk_backup' => true
+        }
+        chunk_id = nil
+        @i.configure(config_element('ROOT', '', {'@id' => id}, [config_element('buffer', 'tag', hash)]))
+        @i.register(:write) { |chunk|
+          chunk_id = chunk.unique_id;
+          raise Fluent::UnrecoverableError, "yay, your #write must fail"
+        }
+
+        flush_chunks
+
+        target = "#{TMP_DIR}/backup/worker0/#{id}/#{@i.dump_unique_id_hex(chunk_id)}.log"
+        assert_false File.exist?(target)
+        logs = @i.log.out.logs
+        assert { logs.any? { |l| l.include?("disable_chunk_backup is true") } }
+      end
+    end
   end
 end