diff --git a/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/integrate_hero_version.py b/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/integrate_hero_version.py
index 8c36719b77..95b9f418f9 100644
--- a/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/integrate_hero_version.py
+++ b/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/integrate_hero_version.py
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ class IntegrateHeroVersion(
     ]
     # QUESTION/TODO this process should happen on server if crashed due to
     # permissions error on files (files were used or user didn't have perms)
-    # *but all other plugins must be sucessfully completed
+    # *but all other plugins must be successfully completed
+
+    use_hardlinks = False
 
     def process(self, instance):
         if not self.is_active(instance.data):
@@ -621,19 +623,21 @@ def copy_file(self, src_path, dst_path):
             src_path, dst_path
         ))
 
-        # First try hardlink and copy if paths are cross drive
-        try:
-            create_hard_link(src_path, dst_path)
-            # Return when successful
-            return
-
-        except OSError as exc:
-            # re-raise exception if different than
-            # EXDEV - cross drive path
-            # EINVAL - wrong format, must be NTFS
-            self.log.debug("Hardlink failed with errno:'{}'".format(exc.errno))
-            if exc.errno not in [errno.EXDEV, errno.EINVAL]:
-                raise
+        if self.use_hardlinks:
+            # First try hardlink and copy if paths are cross drive
+            try:
+                create_hard_link(src_path, dst_path)
+                # Return when successful
+                return
+
+            except OSError as exc:
+                # re-raise exception if different than
+                # EXDEV - cross drive path
+                # EINVAL - wrong format, must be NTFS
+                self.log.debug(
+                    "Hardlink failed with errno:'{}'".format(exc.errno))
+                if exc.errno not in [errno.EXDEV, errno.EINVAL]:
+                    raise
 
         shutil.copy(src_path, dst_path)
 
diff --git a/server/settings/publish_plugins.py b/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
index b37be1afe6..1b3d382f01 100644
--- a/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
+++ b/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
@@ -743,6 +743,14 @@ class IntegrateHeroVersionModel(BaseSettingsModel):
     optional: bool = SettingsField(False, title="Optional")
     active: bool = SettingsField(True, title="Active")
     families: list[str] = SettingsField(default_factory=list, title="Families")
+    use_hardlinks: bool = SettingsField(
+        False, title="Use Hardlinks",
+        description="When enabled first try to make a hardlink of the version "
+                    "instead of a copy. This helps reduce disk usage, but may "
+                    "create issues.\nFor example there are known issues on "
+                    "Windows being unable to delete any of the hardlinks if "
+                    "any of the links is in use creating issues with updating "
+                    "hero versions.")
 
 
 class CleanUpModel(BaseSettingsModel):
@@ -1136,7 +1144,8 @@ class PublishPuginsModel(BaseSettingsModel):
             "layout",
             "mayaScene",
             "simpleUnrealTexture"
-        ]
+        ],
+        "use_hardlinks": False
     },
     "CleanUp": {
         "paterns": [],