diff --git a/tools/isobuild/package-source.js b/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
index 763844b5db..1db5906651 100644
--- a/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
+++ b/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
@@ -1014,6 +1014,12 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
     }
 
     if (typeof mainModule !== "undefined") {
+      // Note: if mainModule === false, no JavaScript modules will be
+      // loaded eagerly unless explicitly added with !fileOptions.lazy by
+      // a compiler plugin. This can be useful for building an app that
+      // does not run any application JS on the client (or the server). Of
+      // course, Meteor packages may still run JS on startup, but they
+      // have their own rules for lazy/eager loading of modules.
       if (relPath === mainModule) {
         fileOptions.lazy = false;
         fileOptions.mainModule = true;
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index 5eb25b43fd..dc65381f7f 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -1643,19 +1643,19 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
     const configMainModule = this.get("mainModule");
     const mainModulesByArch = Object.create(null);
 
-    if (configMainModule) {
-      if (typeof configMainModule === "string") {
-        // If packageJson.meteor.mainModule is a string, use that string
-        // as the mainModule for all architectures.
-        mainModulesByArch["os"] = configMainModule;
-        mainModulesByArch["web"] = configMainModule;
-      } else if (typeof configMainModule === "object") {
-        // If packageJson.meteor.mainModule is an object, use its
-        // properties to select a mainModule for each architecture.
-        Object.keys(configMainModule).forEach(where => {
-          mainModulesByArch[mapWhereToArch(where)] = configMainModule[where];
-        });
-      }
+    if (typeof configMainModule === "string" ||
+        configMainModule === false) {
+      // If packageJson.meteor.mainModule is a string or false, use that
+      // value as the mainModule for all architectures.
+      mainModulesByArch["os"] = configMainModule;
+      mainModulesByArch["web"] = configMainModule;
+    } else if (configMainModule &&
+               typeof configMainModule === "object") {
+      // If packageJson.meteor.mainModule is an object, use its properties
+      // to select a mainModule for each architecture.
+      Object.keys(configMainModule).forEach(where => {
+        mainModulesByArch[mapWhereToArch(where)] = configMainModule[where];
+      });
     }
 
     return mainModulesByArch;
@@ -1673,6 +1673,19 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
       arch, Object.keys(mainModulesByArch));
 
     if (mainMatch) {
+      const mainModule = mainModulesByArch[mainMatch];
+
+      if (mainModule === false) {
+        // If meteor.mainModule.{client,server,...} === false, no modules
+        // will be loaded eagerly on the {client,server...}. This is useful
+        // if you have an app with no special app/{client,server} directory
+        // structure and you want to specify an entry point for just the
+        // client (or just the server), without accidentally loading
+        // everything on the other architecture. Instead of omitting
+        // meteor.mainModule for the other architecture, set it to false.
+        return mainModule;
+      }
+
       if (! this._resolversByArch[arch]) {
         this._resolversByArch[arch] = new Resolver({
           sourceRoot: this.appDirectory,
@@ -1685,7 +1698,7 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
       // containing package.json or index.js files.
       const res = this._resolversByArch[arch].resolve(
         // Only relative paths are allowed (not top-level packages).
-        "./" + files.pathNormalize(mainModulesByArch[mainMatch]),
+        "./" + files.pathNormalize(mainModule),
         this.packageJsonPath
       );
 
diff --git a/tools/tests/app-config.js b/tools/tests/app-config.js
index d6acbd7e8e..697cffc3d1 100644
--- a/tools/tests/app-config.js
+++ b/tools/tests/app-config.js
@@ -46,6 +46,26 @@ selftest.define("mainModule", function () {
 
   check({});
 
+  check(false);
+
+  check({
+    client: false,
+    server: "abc",
+  });
+
+  check({
+    client: "abc",
+    server: false,
+  });
+
+  check({
+    web: false,
+  });
+
+  check({
+    os: false,
+  });
+
   check({
     client: "a",
     os: "bc",
diff --git a/tools/tests/apps/app-config/tests.js b/tools/tests/apps/app-config/tests.js
index 0882961844..0aca42ae14 100644
--- a/tools/tests/apps/app-config/tests.js
+++ b/tools/tests/apps/app-config/tests.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const startupPromise = new Promise(resolve => {
   Meteor.startup(resolve);
 });
 
+const hasOwn = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
+
 describe("meteor.mainModule", () => {
   // These tests test the consequences of having various meteor.mainModule
   // configurations in package.json.
@@ -50,7 +52,13 @@ describe("meteor.mainModule", () => {
   it("loads the right files", async () => {
     await startupPromise;
 
-    function checkNoMainModule() {
+    if (Meteor.isClient) {
+      console.log("client config:", config);
+    } else {
+      console.log("server config:", config);
+    }
+
+    function checkDefaultLoadRules() {
       assert.deepEqual(ids, [
         "/a.js",
         "/b.js",
@@ -61,9 +69,22 @@ describe("meteor.mainModule", () => {
       ]);
     }
 
+    function checkEagerLoadingDisabled() {
+      // Eager loading of all modules is disabled.
+      assert.deepEqual(ids, []);
+    }
+
     if (! config ||
-        ! config.mainModule) {
-      return checkNoMainModule();
+        ! hasOwn.call(config, "mainModule")) {
+      return checkDefaultLoadRules();
+    }
+
+    if (config.mainModule === false) {
+      return checkEagerLoadingDisabled();
+    }
+
+    if (! config.mainModule) {
+      return checkDefaultLoadRules();
     }
 
     let mainId;
@@ -72,16 +93,18 @@ describe("meteor.mainModule", () => {
       mainId =
         config.mainModule.client ||
         config.mainModule.web;
-      console.log("client config:", config);
     } else if (Meteor.isServer) {
       mainId =
         config.mainModule.server ||
         config.mainModule.os;
-      console.log("server config:", config);
+    }
+
+    if (mainId === false) {
+      return checkEagerLoadingDisabled();
     }
 
     if (! mainId) {
-      return checkNoMainModule();
+      return checkDefaultLoadRules();
     }
 
     const absId = require.resolve("./" + mainId);