diff --git a/src/arrow_parquet/parquet_writer.rs b/src/arrow_parquet/parquet_writer.rs
index a008f43..f525c7c 100644
--- a/src/arrow_parquet/parquet_writer.rs
+++ b/src/arrow_parquet/parquet_writer.rs
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ impl<'a> ParquetWriterContext<'a> {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn close(self) {
-        self.runtime.block_on(self.parquet_writer.close()).unwrap();
+        // should not panic as we can call from try catch block
+        self.runtime.block_on(self.parquet_writer.close()).ok();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a6c35ed..8a66cf3 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-use parquet_copy_hook::hook::init_parquet_copy_hook;
-use pgrx::prelude::*;
+use parquet_copy_hook::hook::{init_parquet_copy_hook, ENABLE_PARQUET_COPY_HOOK};
+use pg_sys::MarkGUCPrefixReserved;
+use pgrx::{prelude::*, GucContext, GucFlags, GucRegistry};
 
 mod arrow_parquet;
 mod parquet_copy_hook;
@@ -19,6 +20,17 @@ pgrx::pg_module_magic!();
 #[allow(static_mut_refs)]
 #[pg_guard]
 pub extern "C" fn _PG_init() {
+    GucRegistry::define_bool_guc(
+        "pg_parquet.enable_copy_hooks",
+        "Enable parquet copy hooks",
+        "Enable parquet copy hooks",
+        &ENABLE_PARQUET_COPY_HOOK,
+        GucContext::Userset,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    unsafe { MarkGUCPrefixReserved("pg_parquet".as_ptr() as _) };
+
     init_parquet_copy_hook();
 }
 
@@ -2004,6 +2016,13 @@ mod tests {
 
         Spi::run("DROP TABLE workers; DROP TYPE worker, person;").unwrap();
     }
+
+    #[pg_test]
+    #[should_panic(expected = "relative path not allowed for COPY to file")]
+    fn test_disabled_hooks() {
+        Spi::run("SET pg_parquet.enable_copy_hooks TO false;").unwrap();
+        Spi::run("COPY (SELECT 1 as id) TO 'file:///tmp/test.parquet'").unwrap();
+    }
 }
 
 /// This module is required by `cargo pgrx test` invocations.
diff --git a/src/parquet_copy_hook/copy_utils.rs b/src/parquet_copy_hook/copy_utils.rs
index fb927be..18a678b 100644
--- a/src/parquet_copy_hook/copy_utils.rs
+++ b/src/parquet_copy_hook/copy_utils.rs
@@ -220,11 +220,7 @@ pub(crate) fn is_copy_to_parquet_stmt(pstmt: &PgBox<pg_sys::PlannedStmt>) -> boo
         return false;
     }
 
-    if is_parquet_format(&copy_stmt) {
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    is_parquet_file(&copy_stmt)
+    is_parquet_format(&copy_stmt) || is_parquet_file(&copy_stmt)
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn is_copy_from_parquet_stmt(pstmt: &PgBox<pg_sys::PlannedStmt>) -> bool {
@@ -242,11 +238,7 @@ pub(crate) fn is_copy_from_parquet_stmt(pstmt: &PgBox<pg_sys::PlannedStmt>) -> b
         return false;
     }
 
-    if is_parquet_format(&copy_stmt) {
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    is_parquet_file(&copy_stmt)
+    is_parquet_format(&copy_stmt) || is_parquet_file(&copy_stmt)
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn copy_has_relation(pstmt: &PgBox<pg_sys::PlannedStmt>) -> bool {
diff --git a/src/parquet_copy_hook/hook.rs b/src/parquet_copy_hook/hook.rs
index 69074a6..ddebbec 100644
--- a/src/parquet_copy_hook/hook.rs
+++ b/src/parquet_copy_hook/hook.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 use pg_sys::{standard_ProcessUtility, CommandTag, ProcessUtility_hook, ProcessUtility_hook_type};
-use pgrx::prelude::*;
+use pgrx::{prelude::*, GucSetting};
 
 use crate::parquet_copy_hook::{
     copy_to_dest_receiver::create_copy_to_parquet_dest_receiver,
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ use super::{
     copy_utils::{copy_stmt_codec, validate_copy_from_options, validate_copy_to_options},
 };
 
+pub(crate) static ENABLE_PARQUET_COPY_HOOK: GucSetting<bool> = GucSetting::<bool>::new(true);
+
 static mut PREV_PROCESS_UTILITY_HOOK: ProcessUtility_hook_type = None;
 
 #[pg_guard]
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ extern "C" fn parquet_copy_hook(
     let params = unsafe { PgBox::from_pg(params) };
     let query_env = unsafe { PgBox::from_pg(query_env) };
 
-    if is_copy_to_parquet_stmt(&pstmt) {
+    if ENABLE_PARQUET_COPY_HOOK.get() && is_copy_to_parquet_stmt(&pstmt) {
         validate_copy_to_options(&pstmt);
 
         let filename = copy_stmt_filename(&pstmt);
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ extern "C" fn parquet_copy_hook(
         .execute();
 
         return;
-    } else if is_copy_from_parquet_stmt(&pstmt) {
+    } else if ENABLE_PARQUET_COPY_HOOK.get() && is_copy_from_parquet_stmt(&pstmt) {
         validate_copy_from_options(&pstmt);
 
         PgTryBuilder::new(|| {