diff --git a/include/libxml/parserInternals.h b/include/libxml/parserInternals.h
index c457ca7b..cbf705e5 100644
--- a/include/libxml/parserInternals.h
+++ b/include/libxml/parserInternals.h
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ XMLPUBFUN xmlParserInputPtr
 #define XML_INPUT_BUF_STATIC		(1u << 1)
 #define XML_INPUT_BUF_ZERO_TERMINATED	(1u << 2)
 #define XML_INPUT_UNZIP                 (1u << 3)
+#define XML_INPUT_NETWORK               (1u << 4)
 
 XMLPUBFUN int
 xmlInputCreateUrl(const char *url, int flags, xmlParserInputPtr *out);
diff --git a/parserInternals.c b/parserInternals.c
index c96aac3f..32f39633 100644
--- a/parserInternals.c
+++ b/parserInternals.c
@@ -2177,6 +2177,8 @@ xmlCheckHTTPInput(xmlParserCtxtPtr ctxt, xmlParserInputPtr ret) {
  *
  * The flag XML_INPUT_UNZIP allows decompression.
  *
+ * The flag XML_INPUT_NETWORK allows network access.
+ *
  * Available since 2.14.0.
  *
  * Returns an xmlParserErrors code.
@@ -2235,6 +2237,8 @@ xmlNewInputFromFile(xmlParserCtxtPtr ctxt, const char *filename) {
 
     if ((ctxt->options & XML_PARSE_NO_UNZIP) == 0)
         flags |= XML_INPUT_UNZIP;
+    if ((ctxt->options & XML_PARSE_NONET) == 0)
+        flags |= XML_INPUT_NETWORK;
 
     code = xmlInputCreateUrl(filename, flags, &input);
     if (code != XML_ERR_OK) {
@@ -2422,6 +2426,8 @@ xmlLoadExternalEntity(const char *URL, const char *ID,
 
         if ((ctxt->options & XML_PARSE_NO_UNZIP) == 0)
             flags |= XML_INPUT_UNZIP;
+        if ((ctxt->options & XML_PARSE_NONET) == 0)
+            flags |= XML_INPUT_NETWORK;
 
         code = ctxt->resourceLoader(ctxt->resourceCtxt, URL, ID, flags,
                                     0, &ret);
diff --git a/xmlIO.c b/xmlIO.c
index 956baded..a9a9fe34 100644
--- a/xmlIO.c
+++ b/xmlIO.c
@@ -1115,6 +1115,9 @@ xmlInputDefaultOpen(xmlParserInputBufferPtr buf, const char *filename,
 
 #ifdef LIBXML_FTP_ENABLED
     if (xmlIOFTPMatch(filename)) {
+        if ((flags & XML_INPUT_NETWORK) == 0)
+            return(XML_IO_NETWORK_ATTEMPT);
+
         buf->context = xmlIOFTPOpen(filename);
 
         if (buf->context != NULL) {
@@ -1127,6 +1130,9 @@ xmlInputDefaultOpen(xmlParserInputBufferPtr buf, const char *filename,
 
 #ifdef LIBXML_HTTP_ENABLED
     if (xmlIOHTTPMatch(filename)) {
+        if ((flags & XML_INPUT_NETWORK) == 0)
+            return(XML_IO_NETWORK_ATTEMPT);
+
         buf->context = xmlIOHTTPOpen(filename);
 
         if (buf->context != NULL) {