diff --git a/doc/source/admin/galaxy_options.rst b/doc/source/admin/galaxy_options.rst
index 4bcf2989ee2..b79f5ee62d8 100644
--- a/doc/source/admin/galaxy_options.rst
+++ b/doc/source/admin/galaxy_options.rst
@@ -1707,13 +1707,25 @@
 :Type: bool
 
 
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+``interactivetools_upstream_proxy``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+:Description:
+    Set this to false to redirect users of Interacitve tools directly
+    to the Interactive tools proxy. `interactivetools_upstream_proxy`
+    should only be set to false in development.
+:Default: ``true``
+:Type: bool
+
+
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 ``interactivetools_proxy_host``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 :Description:
-    Proxy host - assumed to just be hosted on the same hostname and
-    port as Galaxy by default.
+    Hostname and port of Interactive tools proxy. It is assumed to be
+    hosted on the same hostname and port as Galaxy by default.
 :Default: ``None``
 :Type: str
 
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/config/sample/galaxy.yml.sample b/lib/galaxy/config/sample/galaxy.yml.sample
index 3017f8b4926..1ed5f5a5ab0 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/config/sample/galaxy.yml.sample
+++ b/lib/galaxy/config/sample/galaxy.yml.sample
@@ -921,8 +921,13 @@ galaxy:
   # Enable InteractiveTools.
   #interactivetools_enable: false
 
-  # Proxy host - assumed to just be hosted on the same hostname and port
-  # as Galaxy by default.
+  # Set this to false to redirect users of Interacitve tools directly to
+  # the Interactive tools proxy. `interactivetools_upstream_proxy`
+  # should only be set to false in development.
+  #interactivetools_upstream_proxy: true
+
+  # Hostname and port of Interactive tools proxy. It is assumed to be
+  # hosted on the same hostname and port as Galaxy by default.
   #interactivetools_proxy_host: null
 
   # Base path for interactive tools running at a subpath without a
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/config/schemas/config_schema.yml b/lib/galaxy/config/schemas/config_schema.yml
index 9a488e92337..3ffff2b93c3 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/config/schemas/config_schema.yml
+++ b/lib/galaxy/config/schemas/config_schema.yml
@@ -1231,11 +1231,19 @@ mapping:
         desc: |
           Enable InteractiveTools.
 
+      interactivetools_upstream_proxy:
+        type: bool
+        default: true
+        required: false
+        desc:
+          Set this to false to redirect users of Interacitve tools directly to the Interactive tools proxy.
+          `interactivetools_upstream_proxy` should only be set to false in development.
+
       interactivetools_proxy_host:
         type: str
         required: false
         desc: |
-          Proxy host - assumed to just be hosted on the same hostname and port as
+          Hostname and port of Interactive tools proxy. It is assumed to be hosted on the same hostname and port as
           Galaxy by default.
 
       interactivetools_base_path:
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/interactivetool.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/interactivetool.py
index df3b83ab97c..47d15147e97 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/interactivetool.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/interactivetool.py
@@ -253,6 +253,8 @@ class InteractiveToolManager:
     def target_if_active(self, trans, entry_point):
         if entry_point.active and not entry_point.deleted:
             request_host = trans.request.host
+            if not self.app.config.interactivetools_upstream_proxy and self.app.config.interactivetools_proxy_host:
+                request_host = self.app.config.interactivetools_proxy_host
             protocol = trans.request.host_url.split('//', 1)[0]
             if entry_point.requires_domain:
                 rval = f'{protocol}//{self.get_entry_point_subdomain(trans, entry_point)}.{request_host}/'