diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/jvm_classpath_publisher.py b/src/python/pants/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/jvm_classpath_publisher.py
index b0f073f928e..24e19eede33 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/jvm_classpath_publisher.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/jvm_classpath_publisher.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 import os
 
+from twitter.common.collections import OrderedSet
+
 from pants.backend.jvm.tasks.classpath_products import ClasspathProducts
 from pants.backend.jvm.tasks.classpath_util import ClasspathUtil
 from pants.java.util import safe_classpath
@@ -17,6 +19,10 @@ def register_options(cls, register):
     super().register_options(register)
     register('--manifest-jar-only', type=bool, default=False,
              help='Only export classpath in a manifest jar.')
+    register('--transitive-only', type=bool, default=False,
+             help='Only export the classpath of the transitive dependencies of the target roots. '
+                  'This avoids jarring up the target roots themselves, which allows an IDE to '
+                  'insert their own modules more easily to cover the source files of target roots.')
 
   @classmethod
   def prepare(cls, options, round_manager):
@@ -29,7 +35,10 @@ def _output_folder(self):
   def execute(self):
     basedir = os.path.join(self.get_options().pants_distdir, self._output_folder)
     runtime_classpath = self.context.products.get_data('runtime_classpath')
-    targets = self.context.targets()
+
+    targets = OrderedSet(self.get_targets()) - set(self.context.target_roots) \
+      if self.get_options().transitive_only else self.get_targets()
+
     if self.get_options().manifest_jar_only:
       classpath = ClasspathUtil.classpath(targets, runtime_classpath)
       # Safely create e.g. dist/export-classpath/manifest.jar
diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/test_jvm_classpath_published.py b/tests/python/pants_test/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/test_jvm_classpath_published.py
index 31813385c3a..a55b50c67d6 100644
--- a/tests/python/pants_test/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/test_jvm_classpath_published.py
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/backend/jvm/tasks/jvm_compile/test_jvm_classpath_published.py
@@ -79,3 +79,53 @@ def test_incremental_caching(self):
             os.pathsep.join([os.path.join(jar_dir, 'z2.jar'), os.path.join(jar_dir, 'z3.jar')]) + '\n'
           ]
         )
+
+  def _assert_jars_created(self, *, transitive_only: bool) -> None:
+    with temporary_dir(root_dir=self.pants_workdir) as jar_dir, \
+         temporary_dir(root_dir=self.pants_workdir) as dist_dir:
+      self.set_options(pants_distdir=dist_dir,
+                       transitive_only=transitive_only)
+
+      init_target = self.make_target(
+        'java/classpath:java_lib',
+        target_type=JavaLibrary,
+        sources=['com/foo/Bar.java'],
+      )
+      target_with_dep = self.make_target(
+        'java/classpath:java_lib_with_dep',
+        target_type=JavaLibrary,
+        sources=['com/foo/Bar.java'],
+        dependencies=[init_target],
+      )
+      context = self.context(target_roots=[target_with_dep])
+      runtime_classpath = context.products.get_data('runtime_classpath',
+                                                    init_func=ClasspathProducts.init_func(self.pants_workdir))
+      task = self.create_task(context)
+
+      target_classpath_output = os.path.join(dist_dir, self.options_scope)
+
+      # Create a classpath entry.
+      touch(os.path.join(jar_dir, 'dep-target.jar'))
+      touch(os.path.join(jar_dir, 'root-target.jar'))
+      runtime_classpath.add_for_target(init_target, [(self.DEFAULT_CONF, os.path.join(jar_dir, 'dep-target.jar'))])
+      runtime_classpath.add_for_target(target_with_dep, [(self.DEFAULT_CONF, os.path.join(jar_dir, 'root-target.jar'))])
+      task.execute()
+
+      all_output = os.listdir(target_classpath_output)
+
+      # Check only one symlink and classpath.txt were created.
+      expected_artifacts = 2 if transitive_only else 4
+      self.assertEqual(len(all_output), expected_artifacts)
+
+
+      self.assertIn('java.classpath.java_lib-0.jar', all_output)
+      if transitive_only:
+        self.assertNotIn('java.classpath.java_lib_with_dep-0.jar', all_output)
+      else:
+        self.assertIn('java.classpath.java_lib_with_dep-0.jar', all_output)
+
+  def test_transitive_only(self):
+    self._assert_jars_created(transitive_only=True)
+
+  def test_no_transitive_only(self):
+    self._assert_jars_created(transitive_only=False)