diff --git a/pkg/tfbridge/info.go b/pkg/tfbridge/info.go
index 037779c8f4..1e99e86777 100644
--- a/pkg/tfbridge/info.go
+++ b/pkg/tfbridge/info.go
@@ -133,6 +133,12 @@ type ProviderInfo struct {
 	//
 	// See https://github.com/pulumi/pulumi-terraform-bridge/issues/1501
 	XSkipDetailedDiffForChanges bool
+
+	// Enables generation of a trimmed, runtime-only metadata file
+	// to help reduce resource plugin start time
+	//
+	// See also pulumi/pulumi-terraform-bridge#1524
+	GenerateRuntimeMetadata bool
 }
 
 // Send logs or status logs to the user.
diff --git a/pkg/tfbridge/metadata_test.go b/pkg/tfbridge/metadata_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69284d0a41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/tfbridge/metadata_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package tfbridge
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	md "github.com/pulumi/pulumi-terraform-bridge/v3/unstable/metadata"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestMetadataInfo(t *testing.T) {
+	data, err := md.New(nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = md.Set(data, "hi", []string{"hello", "world"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = md.Set(data, "auto-aliasing", []string{"1", "2"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = md.Set(data, "mux", []string{"a", "b"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	marshalled := data.Marshal()
+	require.Equal(t, `{"auto-aliasing":["1","2"],"hi":["hello","world"],"mux":["a","b"]}`, string(marshalled))
+
+	info := NewProviderMetadata(marshalled)
+	assert.Equal(t, "bridge-metadata.json", info.Path)
+	marshalledInfo := (*md.Data)(info.Data).Marshal()
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"auto-aliasing":["1","2"],"hi":["hello","world"],"mux":["a","b"]}`, string(marshalledInfo))
+
+	runtimeMetadata := info.ExtractRuntimeMetadata()
+	assert.Equal(t, "runtime-bridge-metadata.json", runtimeMetadata.Path)
+	runtimeMarshalled := (*md.Data)(runtimeMetadata.Data).Marshal()
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"auto-aliasing":["1","2"],"mux":["a","b"]}`, string(runtimeMarshalled))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/tfgen/generate.go b/pkg/tfgen/generate.go
index e15fbac99e..bcfb0fb8c8 100644
--- a/pkg/tfgen/generate.go
+++ b/pkg/tfgen/generate.go
@@ -947,7 +947,7 @@ func (g *Generator) UnstableGenerateFromSchema(genSchemaResult *GenerateSchemaRe
 
 		if info := g.info.MetadataInfo; info != nil {
 			files[info.Path] = (*metadata.Data)(info.Data).MarshalIndent()
-			if true {
+			if g.info.GenerateRuntimeMetadata {
 				runtimeInfo := info.ExtractRuntimeMetadata()
 				files[runtimeInfo.Path] = (*metadata.Data)(runtimeInfo.Data).Marshal()
 			}
diff --git a/unstable/metadata/metadata_test.go b/unstable/metadata/metadata_test.go
index 02e1ac2cf6..b332e67dde 100644
--- a/unstable/metadata/metadata_test.go
+++ b/unstable/metadata/metadata_test.go
@@ -28,10 +28,34 @@ func TestMarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	err = Set(data, "hi", []string{"hello", "world"})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	marshalled := data.MarshalIndent()
 	assert.Equal(t, `{
     "hi": [
         "hello",
         "world"
     ]
-}`, string(data.MarshalIndent()))
+}`, string(marshalled))
+
+	parsed, err := New(marshalled)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	read, _, err := Get[[]string](parsed, "hi")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"hello", "world"}, read)
+}
+
+func TestMarshalIndent(t *testing.T) {
+	data, err := New(nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = Set(data, "hi", []string{"hello", "world"})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	marshalled := data.Marshal()
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"hi":["hello","world"]}`, string(marshalled))
+
+	parsed, err := New(marshalled)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	read, _, err := Get[[]string](parsed, "hi")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"hello", "world"}, read)
 }