diff --git a/R/build-articles.R b/R/build-articles.R
index 23dd8be86..da22516d2 100644
--- a/R/build-articles.R
+++ b/R/build-articles.R
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ build_article <- function(name,
                            pkg = ".",
                            data = list(),
                            lazy = FALSE,
-                           quiet = TRUE) {
+                           quiet = TRUE,
+                           new_process = TRUE) {
   pkg <- as_pkgdown(pkg)
 
   # Look up in pkg vignette data - this allows convenient automatic
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ build_article <- function(name,
     output = output_file,
     output_format = format,
     output_options = options,
+    new_process = new_process,
     quiet = quiet
   )
 }
diff --git a/R/rmarkdown.R b/R/rmarkdown.R
index f13241862..f404538fe 100644
--- a/R/rmarkdown.R
+++ b/R/rmarkdown.R
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #' Render RMarkdown document in a fresh session
 #'
 #' @noRd
-render_rmarkdown <- function(pkg, input, output, ..., copy_images = TRUE, quiet = TRUE) {
+render_rmarkdown <- function(pkg, input, output, ..., copy_images = TRUE, new_process = TRUE, quiet = TRUE) {
 
   input_path <- path_abs(input, pkg$src_path)
   output_path <- path_abs(output, pkg$dst_path)
@@ -23,28 +23,35 @@ render_rmarkdown <- function(pkg, input, output, ..., copy_images = TRUE, quiet
     ...,
     quiet = quiet
   )
-
-  path <- tryCatch(
-    callr::r_safe(
-      function(...) rmarkdown::render(...),
-      args = args,
-      show = !quiet,
-      env = c(
-        callr::rcmd_safe_env(),
-        BSTINPUTS = bst_paths(input_path),
-        TEXINPUTS = tex_paths(input_path),
-        BIBINPUTS = bib_paths(input_path),
-        R_CLI_NUM_COLORS = 256
-      )
-    ),
-    error = function(cnd) {
-      rule("RMarkdown error")
-      cat(gsub("\r", "", cnd$stderr, fixed = TRUE))
-      rule()
-      abort("Failed to render RMarkdown", parent = cnd)
-    }
+  envir <- c(
+    callr::rcmd_safe_env(),
+    BSTINPUTS = bst_paths(input_path),
+    TEXINPUTS = tex_paths(input_path),
+    BIBINPUTS = bib_paths(input_path),
+    R_CLI_NUM_COLORS = 256
   )
 
+
+  if (new_process) {
+    path <- tryCatch(
+      callr::r_safe(
+        function(...) rmarkdown::render(...),
+        args = args,
+        show = !quiet,
+        envir =
+      ),
+      error = function(cnd) {
+        rule("RMarkdown error")
+        cat(gsub("\r", "", cnd$stderr, fixed = TRUE))
+        rule()
+        abort("Failed to render RMarkdown", parent = cnd)
+      }
+    )
+  } else {
+    withr::local_envvar(envir)
+    path <- inject(rmarkdown::render(!!!args))
+  }
+
   if (identical(path_ext(path)[[1]], "html")) {
     update_html(
       path,