diff --git a/cycode/cli/consts.py b/cycode/cli/consts.py
index 37ef2298..58924c2d 100644
--- a/cycode/cli/consts.py
+++ b/cycode/cli/consts.py
@@ -222,13 +222,15 @@
 FILE_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES = 5000000
 
 PRESIGNED_LINK_UPLOADED_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES = 5 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024  # 5 GB (S3 presigned POST limit)
-PRESIGNED_UPLOAD_SCAN_TYPES = {SAST_SCAN_TYPE, SECRET_SCAN_TYPE}
+PRESIGNED_UPLOAD_SCAN_TYPES = {SAST_SCAN_TYPE}
+# Secret scans use the previous (batched / API-upload) flow by default. The presigned S3 async flow is
+# opt-in via the SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME env var; see should_use_presigned_upload.
+SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME = 'CYCODE_SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC'
 
 DEFAULT_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES = 20 * 1024 * 1024
 ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES = {
     SCA_SCAN_TYPE: 200 * 1024 * 1024,
     SAST_SCAN_TYPE: PRESIGNED_LINK_UPLOADED_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES,
-    SECRET_SCAN_TYPE: PRESIGNED_LINK_UPLOADED_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES,
 }
 
 # scan in batches
diff --git a/cycode/cli/files_collector/zip_documents.py b/cycode/cli/files_collector/zip_documents.py
index 7927bdc6..4f66429f 100644
--- a/cycode/cli/files_collector/zip_documents.py
+++ b/cycode/cli/files_collector/zip_documents.py
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@
 from cycode.cli.exceptions import custom_exceptions
 from cycode.cli.files_collector.models.in_memory_zip import InMemoryZip
 from cycode.cli.models import Document
+from cycode.cli.utils.scan_utils import should_use_presigned_upload
 from cycode.logger import get_logger
 
 logger = get_logger('ZIP')
 
 
 def _validate_zip_file_size(scan_type: str, zip_file_size: int) -> None:
-    max_size_limit = consts.ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES.get(scan_type, consts.DEFAULT_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES)
+    if should_use_presigned_upload(scan_type):
+        max_size_limit = consts.PRESIGNED_LINK_UPLOADED_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES
+    else:
+        max_size_limit = consts.ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES.get(scan_type, consts.DEFAULT_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES)
     if zip_file_size > max_size_limit:
         raise custom_exceptions.ZipTooLargeError(max_size_limit)
 
diff --git a/cycode/cli/utils/scan_utils.py b/cycode/cli/utils/scan_utils.py
index 819a4116..21131343 100644
--- a/cycode/cli/utils/scan_utils.py
+++ b/cycode/cli/utils/scan_utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 from cycode.cli import consts
 from cycode.cli.cli_types import SeverityOption
+from cycode.config import parse_bool
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from cycode.cli.models import LocalScanResult
@@ -33,7 +34,11 @@ def is_cycodeignore_allowed_by_scan_config(ctx: typer.Context) -> bool:
 
 
 def should_use_presigned_upload(scan_type: str) -> bool:
-    return scan_type in consts.PRESIGNED_UPLOAD_SCAN_TYPES
+    if scan_type in consts.PRESIGNED_UPLOAD_SCAN_TYPES:
+        return True
+    if scan_type == consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE:
+        return parse_bool(os.getenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME))
+    return False
 
 
 def generate_unique_scan_id() -> UUID:
diff --git a/cycode/config.py b/cycode/config.py
index f4306b31..b17dadaa 100644
--- a/cycode/config.py
+++ b/cycode/config.py
@@ -19,11 +19,18 @@ def get_val_as_string(key: str) -> str:
     return configuration.get(key)
 
 
+_TRUTHY_STRING_VALUES = {'true', '1', 'yes', 'y', 'on', 'enabled'}
+
+
+def parse_bool(value: Optional[str]) -> bool:
+    return value is not None and value.lower() in _TRUTHY_STRING_VALUES
+
+
 def get_val_as_bool(key: str, default: bool = False) -> bool:
     if key not in configuration:
         return default
 
-    return configuration[key].lower() in {'true', '1', 'yes', 'y', 'on', 'enabled'}
+    return parse_bool(configuration[key])
 
 
 def get_val_as_int(key: str) -> Optional[int]:
diff --git a/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_code_scanner.py b/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_code_scanner.py
index 8b4a30b3..11d0fd46 100644
--- a/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_code_scanner.py
+++ b/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_code_scanner.py
@@ -168,14 +168,16 @@ def test_entrypoint_cycode_not_added_for_single_file(
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    ('scan_type', 'command_scan_type', 'sync_option', 'expect_presigned'),
+    ('scan_type', 'command_scan_type', 'sync_option', 'secret_async_env', 'expect_presigned'),
     [
         # SAST keeps uploading directly to S3 via a presigned URL (regression guard for the new sync gate).
-        (consts.SAST_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', False, True),
-        # Async secret scans now upload as a single file directly to S3 via a presigned URL.
-        (consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', False, True),
-        # A --sync secret scan must stay on the batched inline path and never build one giant zip.
-        (consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', True, False),
+        (consts.SAST_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', False, False, True),
+        # Secret scans use the previous batched flow by default (presigned async is opt-in).
+        (consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', False, False, False),
+        # With CYCODE_SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC enabled, secret scans upload as a single file directly to S3.
+        (consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', False, True, True),
+        # A --sync secret scan must stay on the batched inline path even when async is enabled.
+        (consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, 'path', True, True, False),
     ],
 )
 @patch('cycode.cli.apps.scan.code_scanner.print_local_scan_results')
@@ -192,8 +194,13 @@ def test_scan_documents_routes_upload_by_scan_type_and_sync(
     scan_type: str,
     command_scan_type: str,
     sync_option: bool,
+    secret_async_env: bool,
     expect_presigned: bool,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
 ) -> None:
+    if secret_async_env:
+        monkeypatch.setenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, 'true')
+
     mock_presigned_upload.return_value = ([], [])
     mock_batched_scan.return_value = ([], [])
 
diff --git a/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_commit_range_scanner.py b/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_commit_range_scanner.py
index a4a6c58b..8b8cc54b 100644
--- a/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_commit_range_scanner.py
+++ b/tests/cli/commands/scan/test_commit_range_scanner.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, Mock, patch
 
+import pytest
+
 from cycode.cli import consts
 from cycode.cli.apps.scan.commit_range_scanner import _scan_commit_range_documents
 from cycode.cli.exceptions import custom_exceptions
@@ -25,7 +27,10 @@ def test_commit_range_scan_falls_back_to_api_when_presigned_upload_raises_wrappe
     mock_print: Mock,
     mock_handle_exception: Mock,
     mock_report_status: Mock,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
 ) -> None:
+    # Secret uses the presigned flow only when async is opted in.
+    monkeypatch.setenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, 'true')
     # SlowUploadConnectionError is a CycodeError, not a requests.RequestException — the presigned
     # commit-range fallback must still catch it and retry via the Cycode API.
     mock_v4_async.side_effect = custom_exceptions.SlowUploadConnectionError
diff --git a/tests/cli/utils/__init__.py b/tests/cli/utils/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/cli/utils/test_scan_utils.py b/tests/cli/utils/test_scan_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2bf0438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/utils/test_scan_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import pytest
+
+from cycode.cli import consts
+from cycode.cli.exceptions import custom_exceptions
+from cycode.cli.files_collector.zip_documents import _validate_zip_file_size
+from cycode.cli.utils.scan_utils import should_use_presigned_upload
+
+
+def test_sast_always_uses_presigned_upload() -> None:
+    assert should_use_presigned_upload(consts.SAST_SCAN_TYPE) is True
+
+
+def test_secret_does_not_use_presigned_upload_by_default(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.delenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, raising=False)
+    assert should_use_presigned_upload(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE) is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('env_value', ['true', 'True', '1', 'yes', 'y', 'on', 'enabled'])
+def test_secret_uses_presigned_upload_when_env_enabled(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, env_value: str) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, env_value)
+    assert should_use_presigned_upload(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE) is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('env_value', ['false', '0', 'no', '', 'off'])
+def test_secret_ignores_non_truthy_env_values(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, env_value: str) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, env_value)
+    assert should_use_presigned_upload(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE) is False
+
+
+def test_sca_never_uses_presigned_upload() -> None:
+    assert should_use_presigned_upload(consts.SCA_SCAN_TYPE) is False
+
+
+def test_secret_zip_size_limit_uses_default_by_default(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.delenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, raising=False)
+    # A zip just above the default 20 MB limit must be rejected on the previous (batched) flow.
+    with pytest.raises(custom_exceptions.ZipTooLargeError):
+        _validate_zip_file_size(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, consts.DEFAULT_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES + 1)
+
+
+def test_secret_zip_size_limit_uses_presigned_limit_when_env_enabled(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv(consts.SECRET_SCAN_ASYNC_ENV_VAR_NAME, 'true')
+    # The same zip fits under the 5 GB presigned limit when async is enabled.
+    _validate_zip_file_size(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, consts.DEFAULT_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES + 1)
+    with pytest.raises(custom_exceptions.ZipTooLargeError):
+        _validate_zip_file_size(consts.SECRET_SCAN_TYPE, consts.PRESIGNED_LINK_UPLOADED_ZIP_MAX_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES + 1)