diff --git a/style/biblatex.el b/style/biblatex.el
index 600e149..ff2d7d6 100644
--- a/style/biblatex.el
+++ b/style/biblatex.el
@@ -220,11 +220,18 @@ for citation keys."
  "biblatex"
  (lambda ()
    ;; Biblatex uses as default backend biber, run it unless biblatex `backend'
-   ;; option value is one of `bibtex', `bibtex8', `bibtexu'.
+   ;; option value is one of `bibtex', `bibtex8', `bibtexu'.  Autodetection of
+   ;; the backend can be overridden by setting `LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber' as a
+   ;; local variable.
    (setq LaTeX-using-Biber
-	 (not (or (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member "biblatex" "backend=bibtex")
-		  (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member "biblatex" "backend=bibtex8")
-		  (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member "biblatex" "backend=bibtexu"))))
+	 (if (local-variable-p 'LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber)
+	     LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber
+	   (not (or (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member
+		     "biblatex" "backend=bibtex")
+		    (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member
+		     "biblatex" "backend=bibtex8")
+		    (LaTeX-provided-package-options-member
+		     "biblatex" "backend=bibtexu")))))
 
    (TeX-run-style-hooks
     "etoolbox"
diff --git a/tex-style.el b/tex-style.el
index 9975b3f..253d8a6 100644
--- a/tex-style.el
+++ b/tex-style.el
@@ -213,6 +213,16 @@ It can be a list of themes or a function.  If it is the symbol
 	     :tag "Other"
 	     (string)))))
 
+;; style/biblatex.el
+
+(defvar LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber t
+  "Whether to use Biber with biblatex.
+
+This variable is intended to be used as a file local variable to
+override the autodetection of the biblatex backend.")
+(make-variable-buffer-local 'LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber)
+(put 'LaTeX-biblatex-use-Biber 'safe-local-variable 'TeX-booleanp)
+
 ;; style/comment.el
 
 (defcustom LaTeX-comment-env-list '("comment")