diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 28fe08fc65c82f0a8a27540fdc54a2b127256e76..57fdf42952195e157b90391b8aa6b252c5803084 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -4,9 +4,15 @@ plugins {
 
 rootProject.name = "nshmp-ws"
 
+def fetchFaults = properties.containsKey("faultSectionsEnv") && faultSectionsEnv == "DEV"
+    ? false : true
+
 git {
   defaultAuthGroup "nshmp"
-  fetch ("https://code.usgs.gov/ghsc/nshmp/nshm-fault-sections.git", {
-    tag nshmFaultSectionsTag
-  })
+
+  if (fetchFaults) {
+    fetch ("https://code.usgs.gov/ghsc/nshmp/nshm-fault-sections.git", {
+      tag nshmFaultSectionsTag
+    })
+  }
 }