diff --git a/src/compute.geometry/Config.cs b/src/compute.geometry/Config.cs
index d783d0d1..1e45d856 100644
--- a/src/compute.geometry/Config.cs
+++ b/src/compute.geometry/Config.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ static class Config
         /// </summary>
         public static int LogRetainDays { get; private set; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// RHINO_COMPUTE_CREATE_HEADLESS_DOC: create a headless Rhino document for each request.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool CreateHeadlessDoc { get; private set; }
+
         public static string[] GetDeprecationWarnings() => _warnings.ToArray();
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -50,6 +55,7 @@ public static void Load()
             ApiKey = GetEnvironmentVariable<string>(RHINO_COMPUTE_KEY, null);
             LogPath = GetEnvironmentVariable(RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_PATH, Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "Compute", "Logs"), COMPUTE_LOG_PATH);
             LogRetainDays = GetEnvironmentVariable(RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_RETAIN_DAYS, 10, COMPUTE_LOG_RETAIN_DAYS);
+            CreateHeadlessDoc = GetEnvironmentVariable<bool>(RHINO_COMPUTE_CREATE_HEADLESS_DOC, false);
 
 #if DEBUG
             Debug = true;
@@ -73,6 +79,7 @@ public static void Load()
         const string RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_PATH = "RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_PATH";
         const string RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_RETAIN_DAYS = "RHINO_COMPUTE_LOG_RETAIN_DAYS";
         const string RHINO_COMPUTE_DEBUG = "RHINO_COMPUTE_DEBUG";
+        const string RHINO_COMPUTE_CREATE_HEADLESS_DOC = "RHINO_COMPUTE_CREATE_HEADLESS_DOC";
 
         // deprecated
         const string COMPUTE_BIND_URLS = "COMPUTE_BIND_URLS";
diff --git a/src/compute.geometry/Program.cs b/src/compute.geometry/Program.cs
index c5f43668..fdc16477 100644
--- a/src/compute.geometry/Program.cs
+++ b/src/compute.geometry/Program.cs
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ static void Main(string[] args)
 
             RhinoInside.Resolver.LoadRhino();
             LogVersions();
+
+            if (Config.CreateHeadlessDoc)
+                Log.Information("Compute to use headless Rhino documents");
+
             var host = Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
                 .ConfigureWebHostDefaults(webBuilder =>
                 {
diff --git a/src/compute.geometry/ResthopperEndpoints.cs b/src/compute.geometry/ResthopperEndpoints.cs
index e5f9fedd..ee69d49f 100644
--- a/src/compute.geometry/ResthopperEndpoints.cs
+++ b/src/compute.geometry/ResthopperEndpoints.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Routing;
 using Rhino.Geometry;
+using Rhino;
 
 namespace compute.geometry
 {
@@ -75,6 +76,19 @@ static string GrasshopperSolveHelper(Schema input, string body, System.Diagnosti
             SetDefaultTolerances(input.AbsoluteTolerance, input.AngleTolerance);
             SetDefaultUnits(input.ModelUnits);
 
+            // Instantiate headless doc
+            if (Config.CreateHeadlessDoc)
+            {
+                RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc = RhinoDoc.CreateHeadless(null);
+                RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc.ModelAbsoluteTolerance = input.AbsoluteTolerance;
+                RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc.ModelAngleToleranceDegrees = input.AngleTolerance;
+
+                if (Enum.TryParse(input.ModelUnits, out UnitSystem units))
+                {
+                    RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc.ModelUnitSystem = units;
+                }
+            }
+
             int recursionLevel = input.RecursionLevel + 1;
             definition.Definition.DefineConstant("ComputeRecursionLevel", new Grasshopper.Kernel.Expressions.GH_Variant(recursionLevel));
 
@@ -98,6 +112,11 @@ static string GrasshopperSolveHelper(Schema input, string body, System.Diagnosti
                     DataCache.SetCachedSolveResults(body, returnJson, definition);
                 }
             }
+
+            // Dispose headless doc
+            if (RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc is object)
+                RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc.Dispose();
+
             return returnJson;
         }