diff --git a/lib/dependencies/URLPlugin.js b/lib/dependencies/URLPlugin.js
index 709465887..03fa15057 100644
--- a/lib/dependencies/URLPlugin.js
+++ b/lib/dependencies/URLPlugin.js
@@ -50,7 +50,14 @@ class URLPlugin {
 				 */
 				const handler = (parser, parserOptions) => {
 					if (parserOptions.url === false) return;
-					new URLParserPlugin(parserOptions).apply(parser);
+					const externalsPresets = compilation.options.externalsPresets || {};
+					const enableUrlAssetHints = Boolean(
+						externalsPresets.web || externalsPresets.webAsync
+					);
+					new URLParserPlugin({
+						...parserOptions,
+						enableUrlAssetHints
+					}).apply(parser);
 				};
 
 				normalModuleFactory.hooks.parser
diff --git a/lib/url/URLParserPlugin.js b/lib/url/URLParserPlugin.js
index 3576b1e0f..f8ed143d5 100644
--- a/lib/url/URLParserPlugin.js
+++ b/lib/url/URLParserPlugin.js
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ class URLParserPlugin {
 	 */
 	apply(parser) {
 		const relative = this.options.url === "relative";
+		const enableUrlAssetHints = Boolean(this.options.enableUrlAssetHints);
 
 		parser.hooks.canRename.for("URL").tap(PLUGIN_NAME, approve);
 		parser.hooks.evaluateNewExpression.for("URL").tap(PLUGIN_NAME, (expr) => {
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ class URLParserPlugin {
 				if (importOptions) {
 					// Accept only boolean true for webpackPrefetch
 					if (importOptions.webpackPrefetch === true) {
-						dep.prefetch = true;
+						if (enableUrlAssetHints) dep.prefetch = true;
 					} else if (importOptions.webpackPrefetch !== undefined) {
 						parser.state.module.addWarning(
 							new UnsupportedFeatureWarning(
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ class URLParserPlugin {
 
 					// Accept only boolean true for webpackPreload
 					if (importOptions.webpackPreload === true) {
-						dep.preload = true;
+						if (enableUrlAssetHints) dep.preload = true;
 					} else if (importOptions.webpackPreload !== undefined) {
 						parser.state.module.addWarning(
 							new UnsupportedFeatureWarning(
@@ -215,7 +216,9 @@ class URLParserPlugin {
 						typeof importOptions.webpackFetchPriority === "string" &&
 						["high", "low", "auto"].includes(importOptions.webpackFetchPriority)
 					) {
-						dep.fetchPriority = importOptions.webpackFetchPriority;
+						if (enableUrlAssetHints) {
+							dep.fetchPriority = importOptions.webpackFetchPriority;
+						}
 					} else if (importOptions.webpackFetchPriority !== undefined) {
 						parser.state.module.addWarning(
 							new UnsupportedFeatureWarning(