diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/mapping.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/mapping.dm
index 742073efca979..c95967078eac5 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/mapping.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/mapping.dm
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ Used by the AI doomsday and the self-destruct nuke.
 	loaded_lazy_templates = SSmapping.loaded_lazy_templates
 
 #define INIT_ANNOUNCE(X) to_chat(world, span_boldannounce("[X]")); log_world(X)
-/datum/controller/subsystem/mapping/proc/LoadGroup(list/errorList, name, path, files, list/traits, list/default_traits, silent = FALSE)
+/datum/controller/subsystem/mapping/proc/LoadGroup(list/errorList, name, path, files, list/traits, list/default_traits, silent = FALSE, height_autosetup = TRUE)
 	. = list()
 	var/start_time = REALTIMEOFDAY
 
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ Used by the AI doomsday and the self-destruct nuke.
 		while (total_z > traits.len)  // fall back to defaults on extra levels
 			traits += list(default_traits.Copy())
 
-	if(total_z > 1) // it's a multi z map
+	if(total_z > 1 && height_autosetup) // it's a multi z map, and we haven't opted out of trait autosetup
 		for(var/z in 1 to total_z)
 			if(z == 1) // bottom z-level
 				traits[z]["Up"] = TRUE
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ Used by the AI doomsday and the self-destruct nuke.
 	// load the station
 	station_start = world.maxz + 1
 	INIT_ANNOUNCE("Loading [current_map.map_name]...")
-	LoadGroup(FailedZs, "Station", current_map.map_path, current_map.map_file, current_map.traits, ZTRAITS_STATION)
+	LoadGroup(FailedZs, "Station", current_map.map_path, current_map.map_file, current_map.traits, ZTRAITS_STATION, height_autosetup = current_map.height_autosetup)
 
 	if(SSdbcore.Connect())
 		var/datum/db_query/query_round_map_name = SSdbcore.NewQuery({"
diff --git a/code/datums/map_config.dm b/code/datums/map_config.dm
index 4c071cbc2bb31..0d7fb3d46d069 100644
--- a/code/datums/map_config.dm
+++ b/code/datums/map_config.dm
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 	var/job_changes = list()
 	/// List of additional areas that count as a part of the library
 	var/library_areas = list()
+	/// Boolean - if TRUE, the "Up" and "Down" traits are automatically distributed to the map's z-levels. If FALSE; they're set via JSON.
+	var/height_autosetup = TRUE
 
 	/// List of unit tests that are skipped when running this map
 	var/list/skipped_tests
@@ -208,6 +210,9 @@
 				continue
 			library_areas += path
 
+	if ("height_autosetup" in json)
+		height_autosetup = json["height_autosetup"]
+
 #ifdef UNIT_TESTS
 	// Check for unit tests to skip, no reason to check these if we're not running tests
 	for(var/path_as_text in json["ignored_unit_tests"])