diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Factories/Factory.php b/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Factories/Factory.php
index a019b0ff66e4..fc80f3d4b09e 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Factories/Factory.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Factories/Factory.php
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ abstract class Factory
      */
     protected $afterCreating;
 
+    /**
+     * Whether relationships should not be automatically created.
+     *
+     * @var bool
+     */
+    protected $expandRelationships = true;
+
     /**
      * The name of the database connection that will be used to create the models.
      *
@@ -131,6 +138,7 @@ abstract class Factory
      * @param  \Illuminate\Support\Collection|null  $afterCreating
      * @param  string|null  $connection
      * @param  \Illuminate\Support\Collection|null  $recycle
+     * @param  bool  $expandRelationships
      * @return void
      */
     public function __construct(
@@ -142,6 +150,7 @@ public function __construct(
         ?Collection $afterCreating = null,
         $connection = null,
         ?Collection $recycle = null,
+        bool $expandRelationships = true
     ) {
         $this->count = $count;
         $this->states = $states ?? new Collection;
@@ -152,6 +161,7 @@ public function __construct(
         $this->connection = $connection;
         $this->recycle = $recycle ?? new Collection;
         $this->faker = $this->withFaker();
+        $this->expandRelationships = $expandRelationships;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -479,7 +489,9 @@ protected function expandAttributes(array $definition)
     {
         return collect($definition)
             ->map($evaluateRelations = function ($attribute) {
-                if ($attribute instanceof self) {
+                if (! $this->expandRelationships && $attribute instanceof self) {
+                    $attribute = null;
+                } elseif ($attribute instanceof self) {
                     $attribute = $this->getRandomRecycledModel($attribute->modelName())?->getKey()
                         ?? $attribute->recycle($this->recycle)->create()->getKey();
                 } elseif ($attribute instanceof Model) {
@@ -729,6 +741,16 @@ public function count(?int $count)
         return $this->newInstance(['count' => $count]);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Disable the creation of relationship factories.
+     *
+     * @return static
+     */
+    public function withoutRelationships()
+    {
+        return $this->newInstance(['expandRelationships' => false]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the name of the database connection that is used to generate models.
      *
@@ -767,6 +789,7 @@ protected function newInstance(array $arguments = [])
             'afterCreating' => $this->afterCreating,
             'connection' => $this->connection,
             'recycle' => $this->recycle,
+            'expandRelationships' => $this->expandRelationships,
         ], $arguments)));
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Database/DatabaseEloquentFactoryTest.php b/tests/Database/DatabaseEloquentFactoryTest.php
index cc3c78504554..2c247a20ae11 100644
--- a/tests/Database/DatabaseEloquentFactoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Database/DatabaseEloquentFactoryTest.php
@@ -820,6 +820,15 @@ public function test_no_models_can_be_provided_to_recycle()
         $this->assertSame(2, FactoryTestUser::count());
     }
 
+    public function test_can_disable_relationships()
+    {
+        $post = FactoryTestPostFactory::new()
+            ->withoutRelationships()
+            ->make();
+
+        $this->assertNull($post->user_id);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get a database connection instance.
      *