diff --git a/alfresco-transformer-base/src/main/java/org/alfresco/transformer/ProbeTestTransform.java b/alfresco-transformer-base/src/main/java/org/alfresco/transformer/ProbeTestTransform.java
index 1dba0b65..bc596fe1 100644
--- a/alfresco-transformer-base/src/main/java/org/alfresco/transformer/ProbeTestTransform.java
+++ b/alfresco-transformer-base/src/main/java/org/alfresco/transformer/ProbeTestTransform.java
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.transformer;
 
-import org.alfresco.util.TempFileProvider;
-import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
-
-import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
@@ -37,6 +33,11 @@ import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
+import org.alfresco.util.TempFileProvider;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+
 /**
  * Provides the logic performing test transformations by the live and ready probes.
  *
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ abstract class ProbeTestTransform
     long maxTime = Long.MAX_VALUE;
     long nextTransformTime;
 
+    private final boolean livenessTransformEnabled;
     private final long livenessTransformPeriod;
     private long maxTransformCount = Long.MAX_VALUE;
     private long maxTransformTime;
@@ -111,6 +113,19 @@ abstract class ProbeTestTransform
         maxTransformCount = getPositiveLongEnv("maxTransforms", maxTransforms);
         maxTransformTime = getPositiveLongEnv("maxTransformSeconds", maxTransformSeconds)*1000;
         livenessTransformPeriod = getPositiveLongEnv("livenessTransformPeriodSeconds", livenessTransformPeriodSeconds)*1000;
+        livenessTransformEnabled = getBooleanEnvVar("livenessTransformEnabled", false);
+    }
+
+    private boolean getBooleanEnvVar(final String name, final boolean defaultValue)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            return Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getenv(name));
+        }
+        catch (Exception ignore)
+        {
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
     }
 
     protected long getPositiveLongEnv(String name, long defaultValue)
@@ -140,6 +155,11 @@ abstract class ProbeTestTransform
     {
         // If not initialised OR it is a live probe and we are scheduled to to do a test transform.
         probeCount++;
+        // TODO: update/fix/refactor liveness probes as part of ATS-138
+        if (isLiveProbe && !livenessTransformEnabled)
+        {
+            return doNothing(true);
+        }
         return (isLiveProbe && livenessTransformPeriod > 0 &&
                 (transCount <= AVERAGE_OVER_TRANSFORMS || nextTransformTime < System.currentTimeMillis()))
                 || !initialised.get()
diff --git a/docs/Probes.md b/docs/Probes.md
index ebd49699..d390c5dd 100644
--- a/docs/Probes.md
+++ b/docs/Probes.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # Transformer k8s liveness and readiness probes
 
+>**Note:** The transform-specific liveness probes are currently disabled by default in the 
+Alfresco Docker Transformers **2.0.0-RC3** release. They can be enabled through the 
+"**livenessTransformEnabled**" environment variable.
+>
+> The T-Engine liveness probes will be reevaluated/changed/improved as part of the ATS-138 story.
+>
+> Without the transform-specific liveness probees, calls to the "/live" endpoint of the 
+T-Engines only check if the JVM is alive.
+
 The transformer's liveness and readiness probes perform small test transformations to check that a pod has fully started up and that it is still healthy.
 
 Initial test transforms are performed by both probes on start up. After a successful transform, the readiness probe always returns a success message and does no more transformations. As a result requests will not be suspended to the pod unless there is a network issue.