diff --git a/qt/aqt/qt/__init__.py b/qt/aqt/qt/__init__.py
index 15500823a..767415d60 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/qt/__init__.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/qt/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ import traceback
 from typing import Callable, Union
 
 try:
-    from . import compat  # needs to be imported first
+    if not os.getenv("DISABLE_QT5_COMPAT"):
+        print("Running with temporary Qt5 compatibility shims.")
+        print("Run with DISABLE_QT5_COMPAT=1 to confirm compatibility with Qt6.")
+        from . import compat  # needs to be imported first
     from .qt6 import *
 except:
     from .qt5 import *  # type: ignore