diff --git a/bin/options.js b/bin/options.js
index f4c7f8919e..41dffeb8f4 100644
--- a/bin/options.js
+++ b/bin/options.js
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ const options = {
     type: 'boolean',
     describe: 'Broadcasts the server via ZeroConf networking on start',
   },
+  liveReload: {
+    type: 'boolean',
+    describe: 'Enables/Disables live reloading on changing files',
+    default: true,
+  },
   lazy: {
     type: 'boolean',
     describe: 'Lazy',
diff --git a/client-src/default/index.js b/client-src/default/index.js
index 0ea9f592a6..489c762c9b 100644
--- a/client-src/default/index.js
+++ b/client-src/default/index.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ if (!urlParts.port || urlParts.port === '0') {
 }
 
 let hot = false;
+let liveReload = false;
 let initial = true;
 let currentHash = '';
 let useWarningOverlay = false;
@@ -85,6 +86,10 @@ const onSocketMsg = {
     hot = true;
     log.info('[WDS] Hot Module Replacement enabled.');
   },
+  liveReload() {
+    liveReload = true;
+    log.info('[WDS] Live Reloading enabled.');
+  },
   invalid() {
     log.info('[WDS] App updated. Recompiling...');
     // fixes #1042. overlay doesn't clear if errors are fixed but warnings remain.
@@ -271,7 +276,9 @@ function reloadApp() {
       // broadcast update to window
       self.postMessage(`webpackHotUpdate${currentHash}`, '*');
     }
-  } else {
+  }
+  // allow refreshing the page only if liveReload isn't disabled
+  if (liveReload) {
     let rootWindow = self;
     // use parent window for reload (in case we're in an iframe with no valid src)
     const intervalId = self.setInterval(() => {
diff --git a/lib/Server.js b/lib/Server.js
index ac335641bf..d4e9b1a484 100644
--- a/lib/Server.js
+++ b/lib/Server.js
@@ -869,6 +869,10 @@ class Server {
           this.sockWrite([connection], 'progress', this.progress);
         }
 
+        if (this.options.liveReload !== false) {
+          this.sockWrite([connection], 'liveReload', this.options.liveReload);
+        }
+
         if (this.clientOverlay) {
           this.sockWrite([connection], 'overlay', this.clientOverlay);
         }
@@ -997,9 +1001,12 @@ class Server {
 
     const watcher = chokidar.watch(watchPath, watchOptions);
 
-    watcher.on('change', () => {
-      this.sockWrite(this.sockets, 'content-changed');
-    });
+    // disabling refreshing on changing the content
+    if (this.options.liveReload !== false) {
+      watcher.on('change', () => {
+        this.sockWrite(this.sockets, 'content-changed');
+      });
+    }
 
     this.contentBaseWatchers.push(watcher);
   }
diff --git a/lib/options.json b/lib/options.json
index 2f5b32caa5..c1b7759e2b 100644
--- a/lib/options.json
+++ b/lib/options.json
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@
     "lazy": {
       "type": "boolean"
     },
+    "liveReload": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
     "log": {
       "instanceof": "Function"
     },
@@ -377,6 +380,7 @@
       "inline": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverinline)",
       "key": "should be {String|Buffer}",
       "lazy": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverlazy-)",
+      "liveReload": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#livereload-)",
       "log": "should be {Function}",
       "logLevel": "should be {String} and equal to one of the allowed values\n\n [ 'info', 'warn', 'error', 'debug', 'trace', 'silent' ]\n\n (https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-middleware#loglevel)",
       "logTime": "should be {Boolean} (https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-middleware#logtime)",
diff --git a/lib/utils/createConfig.js b/lib/utils/createConfig.js
index 510b3f7307..00cd8536fe 100644
--- a/lib/utils/createConfig.js
+++ b/lib/utils/createConfig.js
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ function createConfig(config, argv, { port }) {
     options.hotOnly = argv.hotOnly;
   }
 
+  if (argv.liveReload === false) {
+    options.liveReload = false;
+  }
+
   // TODO https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-server/issues/616 (v4)
   // We should prefer CLI arg under config, now we always prefer `clientLogLevel` from `devServer`
   if (!options.clientLogLevel && argv.clientLogLevel) {
diff --git a/test/ContentBase.test.js b/test/ContentBase.test.js
index bf743aac7c..d567cc57cd 100644
--- a/test/ContentBase.test.js
+++ b/test/ContentBase.test.js
@@ -19,6 +19,110 @@ describe('ContentBase', () => {
   let server;
   let req;
 
+  describe('Test disabling live reloading', () => {
+    const nestedFile = path.join(contentBasePublic, 'assets/example.txt');
+
+    jest.setTimeout(30000);
+
+    beforeAll((done) => {
+      server = helper.start(
+        config,
+        {
+          contentBase: contentBasePublic,
+          watchContentBase: true,
+          liveReload: false,
+        },
+        done
+      );
+      req = request(server.app);
+    });
+
+    afterAll((done) => {
+      helper.close(() => {
+        done();
+      });
+      fs.truncateSync(nestedFile);
+    });
+
+    it('Should not reload on changing files', (done) => {
+      let reloaded = false;
+
+      server.contentBaseWatchers[0].on('change', () => {
+        // it means that file has changed
+
+        // simulating server behaviour
+        if (server.options.liveReload !== false) {
+          Object.defineProperty(window.location, 'reload', {
+            configurable: true,
+          });
+          window.location.reload = jest.fn();
+          window.location.reload();
+          reloaded = true;
+        }
+        expect(reloaded).toBe(false);
+
+        done();
+      });
+
+      // change file content
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        fs.writeFileSync(nestedFile, 'Heyo', 'utf8');
+      }, 1000);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Testing live reloading', () => {
+    const nestedFile = path.join(contentBasePublic, 'assets/example.txt');
+
+    jest.setTimeout(30000);
+
+    beforeAll((done) => {
+      server = helper.start(
+        config,
+        {
+          contentBase: contentBasePublic,
+          watchContentBase: true,
+          liveReload: true,
+        },
+        done
+      );
+      req = request(server.app);
+    });
+
+    afterAll((done) => {
+      helper.close(() => {
+        done();
+      });
+      fs.truncateSync(nestedFile);
+    });
+
+    it('Should reload on changing files', (done) => {
+      let reloaded = false;
+
+      server.contentBaseWatchers[0].on('change', () => {
+        // it means that files has changed
+
+        // simulating server behaviour
+        if (server.options.liveReload !== false) {
+          Object.defineProperty(window.location, 'reload', {
+            configurable: true,
+          });
+          window.location.reload = jest.fn();
+          window.location.reload();
+          reloaded = true;
+        }
+        expect(reloaded).toBe(true);
+
+        done();
+      });
+
+      // change file content
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        fs.writeFileSync(nestedFile, 'Heyo', 'utf8');
+      }, 1000);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('to directory', () => {
     const nestedFile = path.join(contentBasePublic, 'assets/example.txt');
 
diff --git a/test/CreateConfig.test.js b/test/CreateConfig.test.js
index 97c5d47cba..6ea25efa12 100644
--- a/test/CreateConfig.test.js
+++ b/test/CreateConfig.test.js
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ const argv = {
   hot: true,
   // Can be `--no-hot-only` in CLI (misleading and undocumented)
   hotOnly: false,
+  // Can be `--live-reload` in CLI (misleading and undocumented)
+  liveReload: true,
 };
 
 describe('createConfig', () => {
@@ -346,6 +348,28 @@ describe('createConfig', () => {
     expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 
+  it('liveReload option', () => {
+    const config = createConfig(
+      webpackConfig,
+      Object.assign({}, argv, { liveReload: true }),
+      { port: 8080 }
+    );
+
+    expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
+  it('liveReload option (in devServer config)', () => {
+    const config = createConfig(
+      Object.assign({}, webpackConfig, {
+        devServer: { liveReload: true },
+      }),
+      argv,
+      { port: 8080 }
+    );
+
+    expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
   it('hot option (in devServer config)', () => {
     const config = createConfig(
       Object.assign({}, webpackConfig, {
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/CreateConfig.test.js.snap b/test/__snapshots__/CreateConfig.test.js.snap
index a3ec18de9c..18faabada6 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/CreateConfig.test.js.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/CreateConfig.test.js.snap
@@ -699,6 +699,35 @@ Object {
 }
 `;
 
+exports[`createConfig liveReload option (in devServer config) 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "hot": true,
+  "hotOnly": false,
+  "liveReload": true,
+  "noInfo": true,
+  "port": 8080,
+  "publicPath": "/",
+  "stats": Object {
+    "cached": false,
+    "cachedAssets": false,
+  },
+}
+`;
+
+exports[`createConfig liveReload option 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "hot": true,
+  "hotOnly": false,
+  "noInfo": true,
+  "port": 8080,
+  "publicPath": "/",
+  "stats": Object {
+    "cached": false,
+    "cachedAssets": false,
+  },
+}
+`;
+
 exports[`createConfig mimeTypes option - with force 1`] = `
 Object {
   "hot": true,