diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 { pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> {}
+, doCheck ? true
 }:
 
 let
 
   vcsserver = import ./default.nix {
     inherit
+      doCheck
       pkgs;
   };
 
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-{ pkgs ? (import <nixpkgs> {})
+{ pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> {}
+,  doCheck ? false
 }:
 
 let
-  vcsserver = import ./default.nix {inherit pkgs;};
+  vcsserver = import ./default.nix {
+    inherit
+      doCheck
+      pkgs;
+  };
 
 in vcsserver.override (attrs: {