diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/vendor-install.sh b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/vendor-install.sh
index a97b816c05..5a734a2db4 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/vendor-install.sh
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/vendor-install.sh
@@ -47,8 +47,15 @@ fetch() {
   local sha
   local temporary_path
 
-  curl_args=(
-    -q # do not load .curlrc (must be the first argument)
+  curl_args=()
+
+  # do not load .curlrc unless requested (must be the first argument)
+  if [[ -n "$HOMEBREW_CURLRC" ]]
+  then
+    curl_args[${#curl_args[*]}]="-q"
+  fi
+
+  curl_args+=(
     --fail
     --remote-time
     --location
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/manpages/brew.1.md.erb b/Library/Homebrew/manpages/brew.1.md.erb
index a4854cc67c..638117044e 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/manpages/brew.1.md.erb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/manpages/brew.1.md.erb
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ can take several different forms:
 
     *Default:* `~/Library/Caches/Homebrew`.
 
+  * `HOMEBREW_CURLRC`:
+    If set, Homebrew will not pass `-q` when invoking `curl`(1) (which disables
+    the use of `curlrc`).
+
   * `HOMEBREW_CURL_VERBOSE`:
     If set, Homebrew will pass `--verbose` when invoking `curl`(1).
 
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/utils/curl.rb b/Library/Homebrew/utils/curl.rb
index 4770dc03b7..5e2c1c98d8 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/utils/curl.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/utils/curl.rb
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ def curl_executable
 end
 
 def curl_args(*extra_args, show_output: false, user_agent: :default)
-  args = [
-    curl_executable.to_s,
-    "-q", # do not load .curlrc (must be the first argument)
-    "--show-error",
-  ]
+  args = [curl_executable.to_s]
+
+  # do not load .curlrc unless requested (must be the first argument)
+  if ENV["HOMEBREW_CURLRC"]
+    args << "-q"
+  end
+
+  args << "--show-error"
 
   args << "--user-agent" << case user_agent
   when :browser, :fake
diff --git a/docs/Manpage.md b/docs/Manpage.md
index 8d0408d7ba..e75fdcda9a 100644
--- a/docs/Manpage.md
+++ b/docs/Manpage.md
@@ -1110,6 +1110,10 @@ can take several different forms:
 
     *Default:* `~/Library/Caches/Homebrew`.
 
+  * `HOMEBREW_CURLRC`:
+    If set, Homebrew will not pass `-q` when invoking `curl`(1) (which disables
+    the use of `curlrc`).
+
   * `HOMEBREW_CURL_VERBOSE`:
     If set, Homebrew will pass `--verbose` when invoking `curl`(1).
 
diff --git a/manpages/brew-cask.1 b/manpages/brew-cask.1
index 6b32a90518..346c45d6a8 100644
--- a/manpages/brew-cask.1
+++ b/manpages/brew-cask.1
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .\" generated with Ronn/v0.7.3
 .\" http://github.com/rtomayko/ronn/tree/0.7.3
 .
-.TH "BREW\-CASK" "1" "March 2018" "Homebrew" "brew-cask"
+.TH "BREW\-CASK" "1" "April 2018" "Homebrew" "brew-cask"
 .
 .SH "NAME"
 \fBbrew\-cask\fR \- a friendly binary installer for macOS
diff --git a/manpages/brew.1 b/manpages/brew.1
index 163b2e4560..69f0b31ab7 100644
--- a/manpages/brew.1
+++ b/manpages/brew.1
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .\" generated with Ronn/v0.7.3
 .\" http://github.com/rtomayko/ronn/tree/0.7.3
 .
-.TH "BREW" "1" "March 2018" "Homebrew" "brew"
+.TH "BREW" "1" "April 2018" "Homebrew" "brew"
 .
 .SH "NAME"
 \fBbrew\fR \- The missing package manager for macOS
@@ -1128,6 +1128,10 @@ If set, instructs Homebrew to use the given directory as the download cache\.
 \fIDefault:\fR \fB~/Library/Caches/Homebrew\fR\.
 .
 .TP
+\fBHOMEBREW_CURLRC\fR
+If set, Homebrew will not pass \fB\-q\fR when invoking \fBcurl\fR(1) (which disables the use of \fBcurlrc\fR)\.
+.
+.TP
 \fBHOMEBREW_CURL_VERBOSE\fR
 If set, Homebrew will pass \fB\-\-verbose\fR when invoking \fBcurl\fR(1)\.
 .