diff --git a/src/DebugToolDrivers/Protocols/CMSIS-DAP/VendorSpecific/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp b/src/DebugToolDrivers/Protocols/CMSIS-DAP/VendorSpecific/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
index 6d208b1f..708c4dc4 100644
--- a/src/DebugToolDrivers/Protocols/CMSIS-DAP/VendorSpecific/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
+++ b/src/DebugToolDrivers/Protocols/CMSIS-DAP/VendorSpecific/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
@@ -818,13 +818,22 @@ namespace Bloom::DebugToolDrivers::Protocols::CmsisDap::Edbg::Avr
          * violates the Avr8DebugInterface contract - as this member function should only ever erase program memory.
          *
          * All we can do here is take a copy of EEPROM and restore it after the erase operation.
+         *
+         * TODO: Look into setting the EESAVE fuse bit as an alternative to the backup-then-restore approach.
          */
-        Logger::debug("Capturing EEPROM data, in preparation for chip erase");
-        auto eepromSnapshot = this->readMemory(
-            TargetMemoryType::EEPROM,
-            this->targetParameters.eepromStartAddress.value(),
-            this->targetParameters.eepromSize.value()
-        );
+        auto eepromSnapshot = std::optional<Targets::TargetMemoryBuffer>();
+
+        if (this->targetConfig->preserveEeprom) {
+            Logger::debug("Capturing EEPROM data, in preparation for chip erase");
+            eepromSnapshot = this->readMemory(
+                TargetMemoryType::EEPROM,
+                this->targetParameters.eepromStartAddress.value(),
+                this->targetParameters.eepromSize.value()
+            );
+
+        } else {
+            Logger::warning("EEPROM will be erased - use the 'preserveEeprom' parameter to preserve EEPROM");
+        }
 
         const auto responseFrame = this->edbgInterface->sendAvrCommandFrameAndWaitForResponseFrame(
             EraseMemory(Avr8EraseMemoryMode::CHIP)
@@ -834,12 +843,14 @@ namespace Bloom::DebugToolDrivers::Protocols::CmsisDap::Edbg::Avr
             throw Avr8CommandFailure("AVR8 erase memory command failed", responseFrame);
         }
 
-        Logger::debug("Restoring EEPROM data");
-        this->writeMemory(
-            TargetMemoryType::EEPROM,
-            this->targetParameters.eepromStartAddress.value(),
-            std::move(eepromSnapshot)
-        );
+        if (eepromSnapshot.has_value()) {
+            Logger::debug("Restoring EEPROM data");
+            this->writeMemory(
+                TargetMemoryType::EEPROM,
+                this->targetParameters.eepromStartAddress.value(),
+                std::move(*eepromSnapshot)
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     TargetState EdbgAvr8Interface::getTargetState() {
diff --git a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
index 64bf9ff4..573a8a6f 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
@@ -57,5 +57,9 @@ namespace Bloom::Targets::Microchip::Avr::Avr8Bit
         if (targetNode["manageOcdenFuseBit"]) {
             this->manageOcdenFuseBit = targetNode["manageOcdenFuseBit"].as<bool>();
         }
+
+        if (targetNode["preserveEeprom"]) {
+            this->preserveEeprom = targetNode["preserveEeprom"].as<bool>();
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
index ae47df67..16725084 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
@@ -76,6 +76,23 @@ namespace Bloom::Targets::Microchip::Avr::Avr8Bit
          */
         bool manageOcdenFuseBit = false;
 
+        /**
+         * With JTAG and UPDI targets, we have to perform a full chip erase when updating the target's flash memory.
+         * This means the user will lose their EEPROM data whenever they wish to upload any program changes via Bloom.
+         *
+         * The preserveEeprom flag determines if Bloom should preserve the target's EEPROM when performing a full chip
+         * erase. If enabled, we'll take a backup of the target's EEPROM just before performing the chip erase, then
+         * restore the backup afterwards.
+         *
+         * The backup-then-restore operation can take some time to complete. This can be a source of frustration for
+         * users who don't care about their EEPROM data being wiped, as it can add minutes to the time it takes to
+         * upload program changes. This is why the function is optional - setting this flag to false will speed up
+         * uploads.
+         *
+         * This parameter is optional, and the function is enabled by default.
+         */
+        bool preserveEeprom = true;
+
         explicit Avr8TargetConfig(const TargetConfig& targetConfig);
 
     private: