diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index 62a2387737..46ca7ea5dd 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Expect active development and potentially significant breaking changes in the `0
 
 - Feature: Remove nested imports for apollo-client. Making local development eaiser. [#234](https://github.com/apollostack/react-apollo/pull/234)
 - Feature: Move types to dev deps [#251](https://github.com/apollostack/react-apollo/pull/251)
+- Feature: New method for skipping queries which bypasses HOC internals [#253](https://github.com/apollostack/react-apollo/pull/253)
 
 ### v0.5.7
 
diff --git a/src/graphql.tsx b/src/graphql.tsx
index af246a2d46..71721b2ce6 100644
--- a/src/graphql.tsx
+++ b/src/graphql.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export declare interface QueryOptions {
   noFetch?: boolean;
   pollInterval?: number;
   fragments?: FragmentDefinition[] | FragmentDefinition[][];
+  // deprecated
   skip?: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ const defaultQueryData = {
 
 const defaultMapPropsToOptions = props => ({});
 const defaultMapResultToProps = props => props;
+const defaultMapPropsToSkip = props => false;
 
 function getDisplayName(WrappedComponent) {
   return WrappedComponent.displayName || WrappedComponent.name || 'Component';
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ export function withApollo(WrappedComponent) {
 export interface OperationOption {
   options?: Object | ((props: any) => QueryOptions | MutationOptions);
   props?: (props: any) => any;
+  skip?: boolean | ((props: any) => boolean);
   name?: string;
   withRef?: boolean;
 }
@@ -119,10 +122,14 @@ export default function graphql(
 ) {
 
   // extract options
-  const { options = defaultMapPropsToOptions } = operationOptions;
+  const { options = defaultMapPropsToOptions, skip = defaultMapPropsToSkip } = operationOptions;
+
   let mapPropsToOptions = options as (props: any) => QueryOptions | MutationOptions;
   if (typeof mapPropsToOptions !== 'function') mapPropsToOptions = () => options;
 
+  let mapPropsToSkip = skip as (props: any) => boolean;
+  if (typeof mapPropsToSkip !== 'function') mapPropsToSkip = (() => skip as any);
+
   const mapResultToProps = operationOptions.props;
 
   // safety check on the operation
@@ -181,6 +188,7 @@ export default function graphql(
     }
 
     function fetchData(props, { client }) {
+      if (mapPropsToSkip(props)) return;
       if (operation.type === DocumentType.Mutation) return false;
       const opts = calculateOptions(props) as any;
       opts.query = document;
@@ -257,6 +265,7 @@ export default function graphql(
         this.queryObservable = {};
         this.querySubscription = {};
 
+        if (mapPropsToSkip(props)) return;
         this.setInitialProps();
 
       }
@@ -265,11 +274,16 @@ export default function graphql(
         this.hasMounted = true;
         if (this.type === DocumentType.Mutation) return;
 
+        if (mapPropsToSkip(this.props)) return;
         this.subscribeToQuery(this.props);
-
       }
 
       componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+        // if this has changed, remove data and unsubscribeFromQuery
+        if (!mapPropsToSkip(this.props) && mapPropsToSkip(nextProps)) {
+          delete this.data;
+          return this.unsubscribeFromQuery();
+        }
         if (shallowEqual(this.props, nextProps)) return;
 
         if (this.type === DocumentType.Mutation) {
@@ -312,7 +326,7 @@ export default function graphql(
 
         const queryOptions = this.calculateOptions(this.props);
         const fragments = calculateFragments(queryOptions.fragments);
-        const { variables, forceFetch, skip } = queryOptions as QueryOptions;
+        const { variables, forceFetch, skip } = queryOptions as QueryOptions; // tslint:disable-line
 
         let queryData = assign({}, defaultQueryData) as any;
         queryData.variables = variables;
@@ -558,6 +572,8 @@ export default function graphql(
       }
 
       render() {
+        if (mapPropsToSkip(this.props)) return createElement(WrappedComponent, this.props);
+
         const { haveOwnPropsChanged, hasOperationDataChanged, renderedElement, props, data } = this;
 
         this.haveOwnPropsChanged = false;
diff --git a/test/react-web/client/graphql/queries-1.test.tsx b/test/react-web/client/graphql/queries-1.test.tsx
index 3714afdd26..21c381d24c 100644
--- a/test/react-web/client/graphql/queries-1.test.tsx
+++ b/test/react-web/client/graphql/queries-1.test.tsx
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ describe('queries', () => {
     renderer.create(<ProviderMock client={client}><ChangingProps /></ProviderMock>);
   });
 
-  it('allows you to skip a query', (done) => {
+  it('allows you to skip a query (deprecated)', (done) => {
     const query = gql`query people { allPeople(first: 1) { people { name } } }`;
     const data = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Luke Skywalker' } ] } };
     const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface({ request: { query }, result: { data } });
@@ -400,6 +400,152 @@ describe('queries', () => {
     }, 25);
   });
 
+  it('allows you to skip a query without running it', (done) => {
+    const query = gql`query people { allPeople(first: 1) { people { name } } }`;
+    const data = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Luke Skywalker' } ] } };
+    const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface({ request: { query }, result: { data } });
+    const client = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+    let queryExecuted;
+    @graphql(query, { skip: ({ skip }) => skip })
+    class Container extends React.Component<any, any> {
+      componentWillReceiveProps(props) {
+        queryExecuted = true;
+      }
+      render() {
+        expect(this.props.data).toBeFalsy();
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    renderer.create(<ProviderMock client={client}><Container skip={true} /></ProviderMock>);
+
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      if (!queryExecuted) { done(); return; }
+      done(new Error('query ran even though skip present'));
+    }, 25);
+  });
+
+  it('doesn\'t run options or props when skipped', (done) => {
+    const query = gql`query people { allPeople(first: 1) { people { name } } }`;
+    const data = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Luke Skywalker' } ] } };
+    const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface({ request: { query }, result: { data } });
+    const client = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+    let queryExecuted;
+    @graphql(query, {
+      skip: ({ skip }) => skip,
+      options: ({ willThrowIfAccesed }) => ({ pollInterval: willThrowIfAccesed.pollInterval }),
+      props: ({ willThrowIfAccesed }) => ({ pollInterval: willThrowIfAccesed.pollInterval }),
+    })
+    class Container extends React.Component<any, any> {
+      componentWillReceiveProps(props) {
+        queryExecuted = true;
+      }
+      render() {
+        expect(this.props.data).toBeFalsy();
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    renderer.create(<ProviderMock client={client}><Container skip={true} /></ProviderMock>);
+
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      if (!queryExecuted) { done(); return; }
+      done(new Error('query ran even though skip present'));
+    }, 25);
+  });
+
+  it('allows you to skip a query without running it (alternate syntax)', (done) => {
+    const query = gql`query people { allPeople(first: 1) { people { name } } }`;
+    const data = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Luke Skywalker' } ] } };
+    const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface({ request: { query }, result: { data } });
+    const client = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+    let queryExecuted;
+    @graphql(query, { skip: true })
+    class Container extends React.Component<any, any> {
+      componentWillReceiveProps(props) {
+        queryExecuted = true;
+      }
+      render() {
+        expect(this.props.data).toBeFalsy();
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    renderer.create(<ProviderMock client={client}><Container /></ProviderMock>);
+
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      if (!queryExecuted) { done(); return; }
+      done(new Error('query ran even though skip present'));
+    }, 25);
+  });
+
+  it('removes the injected props if skip becomes true', (done) => {
+    let count = 0;
+    const query = gql`
+      query people($first: Int) {
+        allPeople(first: $first) { people { name } }
+      }
+    `;
+
+    const data1 = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Luke Skywalker' } ] } };
+    const variables1 = { first: 1 };
+
+    const data2 = { allPeople: { people: [ { name: 'Leia Skywalker' } ] } };
+    const variables2 = { first: 2 };
+
+    const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface(
+      { request: { query, variables: variables1 }, result: { data: data1 } },
+      { request: { query, variables: variables2 }, result: { data: data2 } }
+    );
+
+    const client = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+    @graphql(query, {
+      skip: () => count === 1,
+      options: (props) => ({ variables: props }),
+    })
+    class Container extends React.Component<any, any> {
+      componentWillReceiveProps({ data }) {
+        // loading is true, but data still there
+        if (count === 0) expect(data.allPeople).toEqual(data1.allPeople);
+        if (count === 1 ) expect(data).toBeFalsy();
+        if (count === 2 && data.loading) expect(data.allPeople).toBeFalsy();
+        if (count === 2 && !data.loading) {
+          expect(data.allPeople).toEqual(data2.allPeople);
+          done();
+        }
+      }
+      render() {
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    class ChangingProps extends React.Component<any, any> {
+      state = { first: 1 };
+
+      componentDidMount() {
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          count++;
+          this.setState({ first: 2 });
+        }, 50);
+
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          count++;
+          this.setState({ first: 3 });
+        }, 100);
+      }
+
+      render() {
+        return <Container first={this.state.first} />;
+      }
+    }
+
+    renderer.create(<ProviderMock client={client}><ChangingProps /></ProviderMock>);
+  });
+
   it('reruns the query if it changes', (done) => {
     let count = 0;
     const query = gql`
diff --git a/test/react-web/server/index.test.tsx b/test/react-web/server/index.test.tsx
index 7cfa44451b..3c6a8378c7 100644
--- a/test/react-web/server/index.test.tsx
+++ b/test/react-web/server/index.test.tsx
@@ -55,6 +55,52 @@ describe('SSR', () => {
         ;
     });
 
+    it('should correctly skip queries (deprecated)', () => {
+
+      const query = gql`{ currentUser { firstName } }`;
+      const data = { currentUser: { firstName: 'James' } };
+      const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface(
+        { request: { query }, result: { data }, delay: 50 }
+      );
+      const apolloClient = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+      const WrappedElement = graphql(query, { options: { skip: true }})(({ data }) => (
+        <div>{data.loading ? 'loading' : 'skipped'}</div>
+      ));
+
+      const app = (<ApolloProvider client={apolloClient}><WrappedElement /></ApolloProvider>);
+
+      return getDataFromTree(app)
+        .then(() => {
+          const markup = ReactDOM.renderToString(app);
+          expect(markup).toMatch(/skipped/);
+        })
+        ;
+    });
+
+    it('should correctly skip queries (deprecated)', () => {
+
+      const query = gql`{ currentUser { firstName } }`;
+      const data = { currentUser: { firstName: 'James' } };
+      const networkInterface = mockNetworkInterface(
+        { request: { query }, result: { data }, delay: 50 }
+      );
+      const apolloClient = new ApolloClient({ networkInterface });
+
+      const WrappedElement = graphql(query, { skip: true })(({ data }) => (
+        <div>{!data ? 'skipped' : 'dang'}</div>
+      ));
+
+      const app = (<ApolloProvider client={apolloClient}><WrappedElement /></ApolloProvider>);
+
+      return getDataFromTree(app)
+        .then(() => {
+          const markup = ReactDOM.renderToString(app);
+          expect(markup).toMatch(/skipped/);
+        })
+        ;
+    });
+
     it('should run return the initial state for hydration', () => {
       const query = gql`{ currentUser { firstName } }`;
       const data = { currentUser: { firstName: 'James' } };