diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 007845f..d7177f7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ This release closes the [2.1.0 milestone](https://github.com/Instagram/IGListKit
 
 - Added CocoaPods subspec for diffing, `IGListKit/Diffing` and an [installation guide](https://instagram.github.io/IGListKit/installation.html). [Sherlouk](https://github.com/Sherlouk) [(#368)](https://github.com/Instagram/IGListKit/pull/368)
 
+- Added `allowsBackgroundReloading` flag (default `YES`) to `IGListAdapterUpdater` so users can configure this behavior as needed. [Adlai-Holler](https://github.com/Adlai-Holler) [(#375)](https://github.com/Instagram/IGListKit/pull/375)
+
 ### Fixes
 
 - Avoid `UICollectionView` crashes when queueing a reload and insert/delete on the same item as well as reloading an item in a section that is animating. [Ryan Nystrom](https://github.com/rnystrom) [(#325)](https://github.com/Instagram/IGListKit/pull/325)
diff --git a/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.h b/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.h
index 8ed2a7e..7ae34fa 100644
--- a/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.h
+++ b/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.h
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ IGLK_SUBCLASSING_RESTRICTED
  */
 @property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL movesAsDeletesInserts;
 
+/**
+ A flag indicating whether this updater should skip diffing and simply call
+ `reloadData` for updates when the collection view is not in a window. The default value is `YES`.
+ 
+ @note This will result in better performance, but will not generate the same delegate
+ callbacks. If using a custom layout, it will not receive `prepareForCollectionViewUpdates:`.
+
+ @warning On iOS < 8.3, this behavior is unsupported and will always be treated as `NO`.
+ */
+@property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL allowsBackgroundReloading;
+
 /**
  A bitmask of experiments to conduct on the updater.
  */
diff --git a/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.m b/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.m
index 0a9521f..4dd5372 100644
--- a/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.m
+++ b/Source/IGListAdapterUpdater.m
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@
 
 #import "UICollectionView+IGListBatchUpdateData.h"
 
-@implementation IGListAdapterUpdater {
-    BOOL _canBackgroundReload;
-}
+@implementation IGListAdapterUpdater
 
 - (instancetype)init {
     IGAssertMainThread();
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@
         _insertIndexPaths = [[NSMutableSet alloc] init];
         _reloadIndexPaths = [[NSMutableSet alloc] init];
 
-        _canBackgroundReload = [[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:@"8.3" options:NSNumericSearch] != NSOrderedAscending;
+        _allowsBackgroundReloading = YES;
     }
     return self;
 }
@@ -155,7 +153,8 @@ static NSArray *objectsWithDuplicateIdentifiersRemoved(NSArray<id<IGListDiffable
 
     // if the collection view isn't in a visible window, skip diffing and batch updating. execute all transition blocks,
     // reload data, execute completion blocks, and get outta here
-    if (_canBackgroundReload && collectionView.window == nil) {
+    const BOOL iOS83OrLater = (NSFoundationVersionNumber >= NSFoundationVersionNumber_iOS_8_3);
+    if (iOS83OrLater && self.allowsBackgroundReloading && collectionView.window == nil) {
         [self beginPerformBatchUpdatestoObjects:toObjects];
         executeUpdateBlocks();
         [self cleanupUpdateBlockState];
diff --git a/Tests/IGListAdapterUpdaterTests.m b/Tests/IGListAdapterUpdaterTests.m
index f5c85bb..a553269 100644
--- a/Tests/IGListAdapterUpdaterTests.m
+++ b/Tests/IGListAdapterUpdaterTests.m
@@ -459,4 +459,50 @@
     XCTAssertEqual([collectionView numberOfItemsInSection:1], 4);
 }
 
+- (void)test_whenCollectionViewNotInWindow_andBackgroundReloadFlag_isSetNO_diffHappens {
+    self.updater.allowsBackgroundReloading = NO;
+    [self.collectionView removeFromSuperview];
+
+    id mockDelegate = [OCMockObject niceMockForProtocol:@protocol(IGListAdapterUpdaterDelegate)];
+    self.updater.delegate = mockDelegate;
+    [mockDelegate setExpectationOrderMatters:YES];
+    [[mockDelegate expect] listAdapterUpdater:self.updater willPerformBatchUpdatesWithCollectionView:self.collectionView];
+    [[mockDelegate expect] listAdapterUpdater:self.updater didPerformBatchUpdates:OCMOCK_ANY withCollectionView:self.collectionView];
+
+    XCTestExpectation *expectation = genExpectation;
+    NSArray *to = @[
+                    [IGSectionObject sectionWithObjects:@[]]
+                    ];
+    [self.updater performUpdateWithCollectionView:self.collectionView fromObjects:self.dataSource.sections toObjects:to animated:NO objectTransitionBlock:self.updateBlock completion:^(BOOL finished) {
+        [expectation fulfill];
+    }];
+    waitExpectation;
+    [mockDelegate verify];
+}
+
+- (void)test_whenCollectionViewNotInWindow_andBackgroundReloadFlag_isDefaultYES_diffDoesNotHappen {
+    [self.collectionView removeFromSuperview];
+
+    id mockDelegate = [OCMockObject niceMockForProtocol:@protocol(IGListAdapterUpdaterDelegate)];
+    self.updater.delegate = mockDelegate;
+
+    // NOTE: The current behavior in this case is for the adapter updater
+    // simply not to call any delegate methods at all. This may change
+    // in the future, but we configure the mock delegate to allow any call
+    // except the batch updates calls.
+
+    [[mockDelegate reject] listAdapterUpdater:self.updater willPerformBatchUpdatesWithCollectionView:self.collectionView];
+    [[mockDelegate reject] listAdapterUpdater:self.updater didPerformBatchUpdates:OCMOCK_ANY withCollectionView:self.collectionView];
+
+    XCTestExpectation *expectation = genExpectation;
+    NSArray *to = @[
+                    [IGSectionObject sectionWithObjects:@[]]
+                    ];
+    [self.updater performUpdateWithCollectionView:self.collectionView fromObjects:self.dataSource.sections toObjects:to animated:NO objectTransitionBlock:self.updateBlock completion:^(BOOL finished) {
+        [expectation fulfill];
+    }];
+    waitExpectation;
+    [mockDelegate verify];
+}
+
 @end