diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index 6045b899743b5d9e68c3b7ba668c112ba4008932..ae39056b774da4abe399f243869ed2ca3017ad6e 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def commits(ref = nil, opts = {})
       ref: ref,
       path: opts[:path],
       author: opts[:author],
-      follow: Array(opts[:path]).length == 1,
+      follow: Array(opts[:path]).length == 1 && Feature.disabled?(:remove_file_commit_history_following, type: :ops),
       limit: opts[:limit],
       offset: opts[:offset],
       skip_merges: !!opts[:skip_merges],
diff --git a/config/feature_flags/ops/remove_file_commit_history_following.yml b/config/feature_flags/ops/remove_file_commit_history_following.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..872bcf1ab645ee22880be2549e60a79550dfdd5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/feature_flags/ops/remove_file_commit_history_following.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+name: remove_file_commit_history_following
+feature_issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitaly/-/issues/5821
+introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/144263
+rollout_issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/441312
+milestone: '16.10'
+group: group::gitaly
+type: ops
+default_enabled: false
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index b6cb2464605d8c6a09c017febef94659b3549a9a..25afbd625b306b9fcbced50a4b59164b70e4b246 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -398,8 +398,21 @@ def expect_to_raise_storage_error
       end
 
       context 'with path' do
-        it 'sets follow when it is a single path' do
-          expect(Gitlab::Git::Commit).to receive(:where).with(a_hash_including(follow: true)).and_call_original.twice
+        context 'when remove_file_commit_history_following feature flag is disabled' do
+          before do
+            stub_feature_flags(remove_file_commit_history_following: false)
+          end
+
+          it 'sets follow when it is a single path' do
+            expect(Gitlab::Git::Commit).to receive(:where).with(a_hash_including(follow: true)).and_call_original.twice
+
+            repository.commits('master', limit: 1, path: 'README.md')
+            repository.commits('master', limit: 1, path: ['README.md'])
+          end
+        end
+
+        it 'does not set follow when it is a single path' do
+          expect(Gitlab::Git::Commit).to receive(:where).with(a_hash_including(follow: false)).and_call_original.twice
 
           repository.commits('master', limit: 1, path: 'README.md')
           repository.commits('master', limit: 1, path: ['README.md'])