diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/sqllab/ResultSet_spec.jsx b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/sqllab/ResultSet_spec.jsx
index 114755cb5..e77b1c895 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/sqllab/ResultSet_spec.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/sqllab/ResultSet_spec.jsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ describe('ResultSet', () => {
     cache: true,
     query: queries[0],
     height: 0,
+    database: { allows_virtual_table_explore: true },
   };
   const stoppedQueryProps = { ...mockedProps, query: stoppedQuery };
   const runningQueryProps = { ...mockedProps, query: runningQuery };
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/ResultSet.jsx b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/ResultSet.jsx
index 5ccc08954..71f3f4625 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/ResultSet.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/ResultSet.jsx
@@ -145,13 +145,15 @@ export default class ResultSet extends React.PureComponent {
       return (
         <div className="ResultSetControls">
           <div className="ResultSetButtons">
-            {this.props.visualize && (
-              <ExploreResultsButton
-                query={this.props.query}
-                database={this.props.database}
-                actions={this.props.actions}
-              />
-            )}
+            {this.props.visualize &&
+              this.props.database &&
+              this.props.database.allows_virtual_table_explore && (
+                <ExploreResultsButton
+                  query={this.props.query}
+                  database={this.props.database}
+                  actions={this.props.actions}
+                />
+              )}
             {this.props.csv && (
               <Button
                 bsSize="small"
diff --git a/superset/models/core.py b/superset/models/core.py
index 42c43453a..25922ac79 100755
--- a/superset/models/core.py
+++ b/superset/models/core.py
@@ -189,6 +189,12 @@ class Database(
             and cost_estimate_enabled
         )
 
+    @property
+    def allows_virtual_table_explore(self) -> bool:
+        extra = self.get_extra()
+
+        return bool(extra.get("allows_virtual_table_explore", True))
+
     @property
     def data(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         return {
@@ -198,6 +204,7 @@ class Database(
             "allow_multi_schema_metadata_fetch": self.allow_multi_schema_metadata_fetch,
             "allows_subquery": self.allows_subquery,
             "allows_cost_estimate": self.allows_cost_estimate,
+            "allows_virtual_table_explore": self.allows_virtual_table_explore,
         }
 
     @property
diff --git a/superset/views/database/api.py b/superset/views/database/api.py
index aec49f32b..212dc8b95 100644
--- a/superset/views/database/api.py
+++ b/superset/views/database/api.py
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ class DatabaseRestApi(DatabaseMixin, BaseSupersetModelRestApi):
         "allow_csv_upload",
         "allows_subquery",
         "allows_cost_estimate",
+        "allows_virtual_table_explore",
         "backend",
         "function_names",
     ]
diff --git a/superset/views/database/mixins.py b/superset/views/database/mixins.py
index 77a2b7d11..3fe52e3ce 100644
--- a/superset/views/database/mixins.py
+++ b/superset/views/database/mixins.py
@@ -144,7 +144,9 @@ class DatabaseMixin:
             "If database flavor does not support schema or any schema is allowed "
             "to be accessed, just leave the list empty<br/>"
             "4. the ``version`` field is a string specifying the this db's version. "
-            "This should be used with Presto DBs so that the syntax is correct",
+            "This should be used with Presto DBs so that the syntax is correct<br/>"
+            "5. The ``allows_virtual_table_explore`` field is a boolean specifying "
+            "whether or not the Explore button in SQL Lab results is shown.",
             True,
         ),
         "encrypted_extra": utils.markdown(
diff --git a/tests/core_tests.py b/tests/core_tests.py
index 4b4a9bf51..bb26a85b2 100644
--- a/tests/core_tests.py
+++ b/tests/core_tests.py
@@ -1284,6 +1284,29 @@ class CoreTests(SupersetTestCase):
         payload = views.Superset._get_sqllab_tabs(user_id=user_id)
         self.assertEqual(len(payload["queries"]), 1)
 
+    def test_virtual_table_explore_visibility(self):
+        # test that default visibility it set to True
+        database = utils.get_example_database()
+        self.assertEqual(database.allows_virtual_table_explore, True)
+
+        # test that visibility is disabled when extra is set to False
+        extra = database.get_extra()
+        extra["allows_virtual_table_explore"] = False
+        database.extra = json.dumps(extra)
+        self.assertEqual(database.allows_virtual_table_explore, False)
+
+        # test that visibility is enabled when extra is set to True
+        extra = database.get_extra()
+        extra["allows_virtual_table_explore"] = True
+        database.extra = json.dumps(extra)
+        self.assertEqual(database.allows_virtual_table_explore, True)
+
+        # test that visibility is not broken with bad values
+        extra = database.get_extra()
+        extra["allows_virtual_table_explore"] = "trash value"
+        database.extra = json.dumps(extra)
+        self.assertEqual(database.allows_virtual_table_explore, True)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/database_api_tests.py b/tests/database_api_tests.py
index f636a29c9..1b9e1caa1 100644
--- a/tests/database_api_tests.py
+++ b/tests/database_api_tests.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class DatabaseApiTests(SupersetTestCase):
             "allow_run_async",
             "allows_cost_estimate",
             "allows_subquery",
+            "allows_virtual_table_explore",
             "backend",
             "database_name",
             "expose_in_sqllab",