diff --git a/modules/block/block.module b/modules/block/block.module
index f0c499ef6b7..9a055db7f07 100644
--- a/modules/block/block.module
+++ b/modules/block/block.module
@@ -519,7 +519,8 @@ function block_list($region) {
           // Try fetching the block from cache. Block caching is not compatible with
           // node_access modules. We also preserve the submission of forms in blocks,
           // by fetching from cache only if the request method is 'GET'.
-          if (!count(module_implements('node_grants')) && $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET' && ($cid = _block_get_cache_id($block)) && ($cache = cache_get($cid, 'cache_block'))) {
+          $blockcache_node_grants = variable_get('block_cache_node_access_bypass', FALSE) || !count(module_implements('node_grants'));
+          if ($blockcache_node_grants && $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET' && ($cid = _block_get_cache_id($block)) && ($cache = cache_get($cid, 'cache_block'))) {
             $array = $cache->data;
           }
           else {
diff --git a/modules/system/system.admin.inc b/modules/system/system.admin.inc
index 3086139bdf7..e376220a820 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/system/system.admin.inc
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ function system_performance_settings() {
     '#title' => t('Block cache'),
     '#default_value' => variable_get('block_cache', CACHE_DISABLED),
     '#options' => array(CACHE_DISABLED => t('Disabled'), CACHE_NORMAL => t('Enabled (recommended)')),
-    '#disabled' => count(module_implements('node_grants')),
+    '#disabled' => !variable_get('block_cache_node_access_bypass', FALSE) || count(module_implements('node_grants')),
     '#description' => t('Note that block caching is inactive when modules defining content access restrictions are enabled.'),
   );