diff --git a/e2e/tests/user-config.test.ts b/e2e/tests/user-config.test.ts
index 409bce0f..c8275888 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/user-config.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/user-config.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { TestProject } from '../utils';
+import { InlineConfig } from '~/types';
 
 describe('User Config', () => {
   // Root directory is tested with all tests.
@@ -85,4 +86,24 @@ describe('User Config', () => {
       {\\"manifest_version\\":3,\\"name\\":\\"E2E Extension\\",\\"description\\":\\"Example description\\",\\"version\\":\\"0.0.0\\",\\"example_customization\\":[\\"production\\",\\"chrome\\",\\"3\\",\\"build\\"]}"
     `);
   });
+
+  it('should exclude the polyfill when the experimental setting is set to false', async () => {
+    const buildBackground = async (config?: InlineConfig) => {
+      const background = `export default defineBackground(() => console.log(browser.runtime.id));`;
+      const projectWithPolyfill = new TestProject();
+      projectWithPolyfill.addFile('entrypoints/background.ts', background);
+      await projectWithPolyfill.build(config);
+      return await projectWithPolyfill.serializeFile(
+        '.output/chrome-mv3/background.js',
+      );
+    };
+
+    const withPolyfill = await buildBackground();
+    const withoutPolyfill = await buildBackground({
+      experimental: {
+        includeBrowserPolyfill: false,
+      },
+    });
+    expect(withoutPolyfill).not.toBe(withPolyfill);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/core/utils/building/get-internal-config.ts b/src/core/utils/building/get-internal-config.ts
index f704a5d7..f82d91de 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/building/get-internal-config.ts
+++ b/src/core/utils/building/get-internal-config.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ export async function getInternalConfig(
     },
     userConfigMetadata: userConfigMetadata ?? {},
     alias,
+    experimental: {
+      includeBrowserPolyfill:
+        mergedConfig.experimental?.includeBrowserPolyfill ?? true,
+    },
   };
 
   finalConfig.vite = (env) =>
@@ -202,6 +206,10 @@ function mergeInlineConfig(
       ...userConfig.alias,
       ...inlineConfig.alias,
     },
+    experimental: {
+      ...userConfig.experimental,
+      ...inlineConfig.experimental,
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -267,5 +275,7 @@ async function resolveInternalViteConfig(
   }
   internalVite.plugins.push(plugins.globals(finalConfig));
 
+  internalVite.plugins.push(plugins.excludeBrowserPolyfill(finalConfig));
+
   return internalVite;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/utils/testing/fake-objects.ts b/src/core/utils/testing/fake-objects.ts
index 4c0b4d20..1548a9f6 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/testing/fake-objects.ts
+++ b/src/core/utils/testing/fake-objects.ts
@@ -245,5 +245,8 @@ export const fakeInternalConfig = fakeObjectCreator<InternalConfig>(() => {
     transformManifest: () => {},
     userConfigMetadata: {},
     alias: {},
+    experimental: {
+      includeBrowserPolyfill: true,
+    },
   };
 });
diff --git a/src/core/vite-plugins/excludeBrowserPolyfill.ts b/src/core/vite-plugins/excludeBrowserPolyfill.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6bf9a94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/vite-plugins/excludeBrowserPolyfill.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { InternalConfig } from '~/types';
+import * as vite from 'vite';
+
+/**
+ * Apply the experimental config for disabling the polyfill. It works by aliasing the
+ * `webextension-polyfill` module to a virtual module and exporting the `chrome` global from the
+ * virtual module.
+ */
+export function excludeBrowserPolyfill(config: InternalConfig): vite.Plugin {
+  const virtualId = 'virtual:wxt-webextension-polyfill-disabled';
+
+  return {
+    name: 'wxt:exclude-browser-polyfill',
+    config() {
+      // Only apply the config if we're disabling the polyfill
+      if (config.experimental.includeBrowserPolyfill) return;
+
+      return {
+        resolve: {
+          alias: {
+            'webextension-polyfill': virtualId,
+          },
+        },
+      };
+    },
+    load(id) {
+      if (id === virtualId) {
+        // Use chrome instead of the polyfill when disabled.
+        return 'export default chrome';
+      }
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/core/vite-plugins/index.ts b/src/core/vite-plugins/index.ts
index 24b486bd..da49d5f5 100644
--- a/src/core/vite-plugins/index.ts
+++ b/src/core/vite-plugins/index.ts
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ export * from './bundleAnalysis';
 export * from './globals';
 export * from './webextensionPolyfillAlias';
 export * from './webextensionPolyfillInlineDeps';
+export * from './excludeBrowserPolyfill';
diff --git a/src/types/external.ts b/src/types/external.ts
index 334b8c63..32494e45 100644
--- a/src/types/external.ts
+++ b/src/types/external.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,31 @@ export interface InlineConfig {
    * }
    */
   alias?: Record<string, string>;
+  /**
+   * Experimental settings - use with caution.
+   */
+  experimental?: {
+    /**
+     * Whether to use [`webextension-polyfill`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/webextension-polyfill)
+     * when importing `browser` from `wxt/browser`.
+     *
+     * When set to `false`, WXT will export the chrome global instead of the polyfill from
+     * `wxt/browser`.
+     *
+     * You should use `browser` to access the web extension APIs.
+     *
+     * @experimental This option will remain experimental until Manifest V2 is dead.
+     *
+     * @default true
+     * @example
+     * export default defineConfig({
+     *   experimental: {
+     *     includeBrowserPolyfill: false
+     *   }
+     * })
+     */
+    includeBrowserPolyfill?: boolean;
+  };
 }
 
 export interface WxtInlineViteConfig
diff --git a/src/types/internal.ts b/src/types/internal.ts
index ecda6346..d5caaf07 100644
--- a/src/types/internal.ts
+++ b/src/types/internal.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ export interface InternalConfig {
    * Import aliases to absolute paths.
    */
   alias: Record<string, string>;
+  experimental: {
+    includeBrowserPolyfill: boolean;
+  };
 }
 
 export interface FsCache {