diff --git a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
index 373601ebc..65191546a 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ The following list config variables have special meaning and can be set in a var
 | `DOKKU_DEPLOY_BRANCH`          | `master`                        | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | Branch to deploy by default. |
 | `DOKKU_DISABLE_PROXY`          | none                            | `dokku proxy:disable` <br /> `dokku proxy:enable`                                                                                                | Disables the proxy in front of your application, resulting in publicly routing the docker container. |
 | `DOKKU_DISABLE_ANSI_PREFIX_REMOVAL` | none                       | `dokku config:set` <br /> `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                 | Disables removal of the ANSI prefix during deploys. Can be used in cases where the client deployer does not understand ansi escape  codes. |
+| `DOKKU_DISABLE_APP_AUTOCREATION` | none                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | Disables automatic creation of a non-existent app on deploy. |
 | `DOKKU_DOCKER_STOP_TIMEOUT`    | `10`                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | Configurable grace period given to the `docker stop` command. If a container has not stopped by this time, a `kill -9` signal or equivalent is sent in order to force-terminate the container. Both the `ps:stop` and `apps:destroy` commands _also_ respect this value. If not specified, the docker defaults for the [docker stop command](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/stop/) will be used.|
 | `DOKKU_DOCKERFILE_CMD`         | dockerfile cmd                  | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_DOCKERFILE_CACHE_BUILD` | none                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
@@ -119,4 +120,4 @@ The following list config variables have special meaning and can be set in a var
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_DEPLOY`            |                                 | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_SYSTEM_GROUP`           | `dokku`                         | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | System group to chown files as. |
 | `DOKKU_SYSTEM_USER`            | `dokku`                         | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | System user to chown files as. |
-| `DOKKU_WAIT_TO_RETIRE`         | `60`                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | After a successful deploy, the grace period given to old containers before they are stopped/terminated. This is useful for ensuring completion of long-running http connections. |
+| `DOKKU_WAIT_TO_RETIRE`         | `60`                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | After a successful deploy, the grace period given to old containers before they are stopped/terminated. This is useful for ensuring completion of long-running http connections. |
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/git/functions b/plugins/git/functions
index 0ae67bd7d..41b05180d 100755
--- a/plugins/git/functions
+++ b/plugins/git/functions
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ use_git_worktree() {
 
 git_build_app_repo() {
   declare desc="builds local git app repo for app"
-  verify_app_name "$1"
-  local APP="$1"; local REV="$2"
+  declare APP="$1"; local REV="$2"
+  local DOKKU_GLOBAL_DISABLE_AUTOCREATE
+
+  verify_app_name "$APP"
 
   # clean up after ourselves
   local GIT_BUILD_APP_REPO_TMP_WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d "/tmp/dokku_git.XXXX")
@@ -33,7 +35,16 @@ git_build_app_repo() {
   local TMP_TAG="dokku/$REV"
   chmod 755 "$GIT_BUILD_APP_REPO_TMP_WORK_DIR"
   unset GIT_DIR GIT_WORK_TREE
-  [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && apps_create "$APP"
+
+  DOKKU_GLOBAL_DISABLE_AUTOCREATE="$(config_get --global DOKKU_DISABLE_APP_AUTOCREATION)"
+  if [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$DOKKU_GLOBAL_DISABLE_AUTOCREATE" == true ]]; then
+      dokku_log_warn "Invalid app name '$APP' specified."
+      dokku_log_fail "Check the name of the app or create an app with 'dokku apps:create ${APP}'"
+    else
+      apps_create "$APP"
+    fi
+  fi
 
   if use_git_worktree; then
     # git worktree - this method uses git worktree which was introduced in git 2.5
diff --git a/tests/unit/20_build-env.bats b/tests/unit/20_build-env.bats
index dc7affbe8..9253627de 100644
--- a/tests/unit/20_build-env.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/20_build-env.bats
@@ -70,3 +70,15 @@ teardown() {
   echo "status: "$status
   assert_output "herokuish"
 }
+
+@test "(build-env) app autocreate disabled" {
+  run dokku config:set --no-restart $TEST_APP DOKKU_DISABLE_APP_AUTOCREATION='true'
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+
+  run deploy_app
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_failure
+}