diff --git a/Lib/pdb.py b/Lib/pdb.py
--- a/Lib/pdb.py
+++ b/Lib/pdb.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
 class Pdb(bdb.Bdb, cmd.Cmd):
 
     def __init__(self, completekey='tab', stdin=None, stdout=None, skip=None,
-                 nosigint=False):
+                 nosigint=False, readrc=True):
         bdb.Bdb.__init__(self, skip=skip)
         cmd.Cmd.__init__(self, completekey, stdin, stdout)
         if stdout:
@@ -158,18 +158,19 @@
 
         # Read $HOME/.pdbrc and ./.pdbrc
         self.rcLines = []
-        if 'HOME' in os.environ:
-            envHome = os.environ['HOME']
+        if readrc:
+            if 'HOME' in os.environ:
+                envHome = os.environ['HOME']
+                try:
+                    with open(os.path.join(envHome, ".pdbrc")) as rcFile:
+                        self.rcLines.extend(rcFile)
+                except OSError:
+                    pass
             try:
-                with open(os.path.join(envHome, ".pdbrc")) as rcFile:
+                with open(".pdbrc") as rcFile:
                     self.rcLines.extend(rcFile)
             except OSError:
                 pass
-        try:
-            with open(".pdbrc") as rcFile:
-                self.rcLines.extend(rcFile)
-        except OSError:
-            pass
 
         self.commands = {} # associates a command list to breakpoint numbers
         self.commands_doprompt = {} # for each bp num, tells if the prompt
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pdb.py b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     """This tests the custom displayhook for pdb.
 
     >>> def test_function(foo, bar):
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     pass
 
     >>> with PdbTestInput([
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
     ...     return foo.upper()
 
     >>> def test_function():
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     ret = test_function_2('baz')
     ...     print(ret)
 
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
     """Test basic commands related to breakpoints.
 
     >>> def test_function():
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     print(1)
     ...     print(2)
     ...     print(3)
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
     ...     return foo
 
     >>> def test_function():
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     ret = test_function_2('baz')
 
     >>> with PdbTestInput([  # doctest: +ELLIPSIS, +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@
     -> ret = test_function_2('baz')
     (Pdb) list
       1         def test_function():
-      2             import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+      2             import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
       3  ->         ret = test_function_2('baz')
     [EOF]
     (Pdb) step
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@
     ...         print('Exception!')
 
     >>> def test_function():
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     test_function_2()
     ...     print('Not reached.')
 
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@
     -> 1/0
     (Pdb) list
       1         def test_function():
-      2             import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True).set_trace()
+      2             import pdb; pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
       3  ->         test_function_2()
       4             print('Not reached.')
     [EOF]
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@
 
     >>> def skip_module():
     ...     import string
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(skip=['stri*'], nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(skip=['stri*'], nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     string.capwords('FOO')
 
     >>> with PdbTestInput([
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@
     >>> def skip_module():
     ...     def callback():
     ...         return None
-    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(skip=['module_to_skip*'], nosigint=True).set_trace()
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(skip=['module_to_skip*'], nosigint=True, readrc=False).set_trace()
     ...     mod.foo_pony(callback)
 
     >>> with PdbTestInput([
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@
     """Test that "continue" and "next" work properly in bottom frame (issue #5294).
 
     >>> def test_function():
-    ...     import pdb, sys; inst = pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True)
+    ...     import pdb, sys; inst = pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False)
     ...     inst.set_trace()
     ...     inst.botframe = sys._getframe()  # hackery to get the right botframe
     ...     print(1)
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@
 def pdb_invoke(method, arg):
     """Run pdb.method(arg)."""
     import pdb
-    getattr(pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True), method)(arg)
+    getattr(pdb.Pdb(nosigint=True, readrc=False), method)(arg)
 
 
 def test_pdb_run_with_incorrect_argument():
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@
                 import pdb
 
                 def start_pdb():
-                    pdb.Pdb().set_trace()
+                    pdb.Pdb(readrc=False).set_trace()
                     x = 1
                     y = 1