diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.test.ts
index 98a23a61d542c8..b0f8417b7175da 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.test.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ describe('GET /api/features', () => {
 
   it('returns a list of available features', async () => {
     const mockResponse = httpServerMock.createResponseFactory();
-    routeHandler(undefined as any, undefined as any, mockResponse);
+    routeHandler(undefined as any, { query: {} } as any, mockResponse);
 
     expect(mockResponse.ok.mock.calls).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
             Array [
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ describe('GET /api/features', () => {
         `);
   });
 
-  it(`does not return features that arent allowed by current license`, async () => {
+  it(`by default does not return features that arent allowed by current license`, async () => {
     currentLicenseLevel = 'basic';
 
     const mockResponse = httpServerMock.createResponseFactory();
-    routeHandler(undefined as any, undefined as any, mockResponse);
+    routeHandler(undefined as any, { query: {} } as any, mockResponse);
 
     expect(mockResponse.ok.mock.calls).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
       Array [
@@ -107,4 +107,63 @@ describe('GET /api/features', () => {
       ]
     `);
   });
+
+  it(`ignoreValidLicenses=false does not return features that arent allowed by current license`, async () => {
+    currentLicenseLevel = 'basic';
+
+    const mockResponse = httpServerMock.createResponseFactory();
+    routeHandler(undefined as any, { query: { ignoreValidLicenses: false } } as any, mockResponse);
+
+    expect(mockResponse.ok.mock.calls).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      Array [
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "body": Array [
+              Object {
+                "app": Array [],
+                "id": "feature_1",
+                "name": "Feature 1",
+                "privileges": Object {},
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        ],
+      ]
+    `);
+  });
+
+  it(`ignoreValidLicenses=true returns features that arent allowed by current license`, async () => {
+    currentLicenseLevel = 'basic';
+
+    const mockResponse = httpServerMock.createResponseFactory();
+    routeHandler(undefined as any, { query: { ignoreValidLicenses: true } } as any, mockResponse);
+
+    expect(mockResponse.ok.mock.calls).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      Array [
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "body": Array [
+              Object {
+                "app": Array [],
+                "id": "feature_1",
+                "name": "Feature 1",
+                "privileges": Object {},
+              },
+              Object {
+                "app": Array [
+                  "bar-app",
+                ],
+                "id": "licensed_feature",
+                "name": "Licensed Feature",
+                "privileges": Object {},
+                "validLicenses": Array [
+                  "gold",
+                ],
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        ],
+      ]
+    `);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.ts
index 51869c39cf83c1..49446a8a360bf2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/features/server/routes/index.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
+import { schema } from '@kbn/config-schema';
 import { IRouter } from '../../../../../src/core/server';
 import { LegacyAPI } from '../plugin';
 import { FeatureRegistry } from '../feature_registry';
@@ -19,13 +20,18 @@ export interface RouteDefinitionParams {
 
 export function defineRoutes({ router, featureRegistry, getLegacyAPI }: RouteDefinitionParams) {
   router.get(
-    { path: '/api/features', options: { tags: ['access:features'] }, validate: false },
+    {
+      path: '/api/features',
+      options: { tags: ['access:features'] },
+      validate: { query: schema.object({ ignoreValidLicenses: schema.maybe(schema.boolean()) }) },
+    },
     (context, request, response) => {
       const allFeatures = featureRegistry.getAll();
 
       return response.ok({
         body: allFeatures.filter(
           feature =>
+            request.query.ignoreValidLicenses === true ||
             !feature.validLicenses ||
             !feature.validLicenses.length ||
             getLegacyAPI().xpackInfo.license.isOneOf(feature.validLicenses)
diff --git a/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/common/services/features.ts b/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/common/services/features.ts
index 9f644fd6d0f6e6..830c9a556d2e1c 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/common/services/features.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/common/services/features.ts
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ export class FeaturesService {
     });
   }
 
-  public async get(): Promise<Features> {
+  public async get({ ignoreValidLicenses } = { ignoreValidLicenses: false }): Promise<Features> {
     this.log.debug('requesting /api/features to get the features');
-    const response = await this.axios.get('/api/features');
+    const response = await this.axios.get(
+      `/api/features${ignoreValidLicenses ? '?ignoreValidLicenses=true' : ''}`
+    );
 
     if (response.status !== 200) {
       throw new Error(
diff --git a/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/spaces_only/tests/index.ts b/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/spaces_only/tests/index.ts
index 0b40f9716dcb4e..a25838ac4f76d3 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/spaces_only/tests/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/ui_capabilities/spaces_only/tests/index.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ export default function uiCapabilitesTests({ loadTestFile, getService }: FtrProv
     this.tags('ciGroup9');
 
     before(async () => {
-      const features = await featuresService.get();
+      // we're using a basic license, so if we want to disable all features, we have to ignore the valid licenses
+      const features = await featuresService.get({ ignoreValidLicenses: true });
       for (const space of SpaceScenarios) {
         const disabledFeatures =
           space.disabledFeatures === '*' ? Object.keys(features) : space.disabledFeatures;