diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cassettes.py b/tests/unit/test_cassettes.py
index 1b310c4..eb54909 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cassettes.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cassettes.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+from six.moves import http_client as httplib
+
 import pytest
 import yaml
 import mock
+
 from vcr.cassette import Cassette
 from vcr.errors import UnhandledHTTPRequestError
+from vcr import global_toggle
 
 
 def test_cassette_load(tmpdir):
@@ -69,11 +73,11 @@ def test_cassette_cant_read_same_request_twice():
 
 
 @mock.patch('vcr.cassette.requests_match', return_value=True)
-@mock.patch('vcr.cassette.load_cassette', lambda *args, **kwargs: (('foo',), (mock.MagicMock(),)))
+@mock.patch('vcr.cassette.load_cassette',
+            lambda *args, **kwargs: (('foo',), (mock.MagicMock(),)))
 @mock.patch('vcr.cassette.Cassette.can_play_response_for', return_value=True)
 @mock.patch('vcr.stubs.VCRHTTPResponse')
 def test_function_decorated_with_use_cassette_can_be_invoked_multiple_times(*args):
-    from six.moves import http_client as httplib
     @Cassette.use_cassette('test')
     def decorated_function():
         conn = httplib.HTTPConnection("www.python.org")
@@ -96,3 +100,21 @@ def test_cassette_all_played():
     a.append('foo', 'bar')
     a.play_response('foo')
     assert a.all_played
+
+@mock.patch('vcr.cassette.install')
+@mock.patch('vcr.cassette.reset')
+def test_global_toggle(mock_reset, mock_install):
+    @Cassette.use_cassette('test')
+    def function():
+        pass
+
+    global_toggle(enabled=False)
+
+    function()
+    assert mock_install.call_count == 0
+    assert mock_reset.call_count == 0
+
+    global_toggle(enabled=True)
+    function()
+    mock_install.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY)
+    mock_reset.assert_called_once_with()
diff --git a/vcr/__init__.py b/vcr/__init__.py
index 60af690..ccf8993 100644
--- a/vcr/__init__.py
+++ b/vcr/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 from .config import VCR
+from . import cassette
 
 # Set default logging handler to avoid "No handler found" warnings.
 try:  # Python 2.7+
@@ -9,6 +10,9 @@ except ImportError:
         def emit(self, record):
             pass
 
+def global_toggle(enabled=True):
+    cassette.use_cassette._enabled = enabled
+
 
 logging.getLogger(__name__).addHandler(NullHandler())
 
diff --git a/vcr/cassette.py b/vcr/cassette.py
index fb3c77c..64a927b 100644
--- a/vcr/cassette.py
+++ b/vcr/cassette.py
@@ -14,15 +14,33 @@ from .matchers import requests_match, uri, method
 from .errors import UnhandledHTTPRequestError
 
 
+class NullContextDecorator(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        pass
+
+    def __enter__(self, *args):
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, *args):
+        pass
+
+    def __call__(self, function):
+        return function
+
+
 class use_cassette(object):
 
+    _enabled = True
+
     def __init__(self, cls, *args, **kwargs):
         self.args = args
         self.kwargs = kwargs
         self.cls = cls
 
     def __enter__(self):
-        self._cassette = self.cls.load(*self.args, **self.kwargs)
+        self._cassette = self.cls.load(*self.args, **self.kwargs) if self._enabled \
+                         else NullContextDecorator()
         return self._cassette.__enter__()
 
     def __exit__(self, *args):