diff --git a/addons/queue_job/utils.py b/addons/queue_job/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b228dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/queue_job/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright 2023 Camptocamp
+# License LGPL-3.0 or later (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html)
+
+import logging
+import os
+
+_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def must_run_without_delay(env):
+    """Retrun true if jobs have to run immediately.
+
+    :param env: `odoo.api.Environment` instance
+    """
+    # TODO: drop in v17
+    if os.getenv("TEST_QUEUE_JOB_NO_DELAY"):
+        _logger.warning(
+            "`TEST_QUEUE_JOB_NO_DELAY`  env var found. NO JOB scheduled. "
+            "Note that this key is deprecated: please use `QUEUE_JOB__NO_DELAY`"
+        )
+        return True
+
+    if os.getenv("QUEUE_JOB__NO_DELAY"):
+        _logger.warning("`QUEUE_JOB__NO_DELAY` env var found. NO JOB scheduled.")
+        return True
+
+    # TODO: drop in v17
+    deprecated_keys = ("_job_force_sync", "test_queue_job_no_delay")
+    for key in deprecated_keys:
+        if env.context.get(key):
+            _logger.warning(
+                "`%s` ctx key found. NO JOB scheduled. "
+                "Note that this key is deprecated: please use `queue_job__no_delay`",
+                key,
+            )
+            return True
+
+    if env.context.get("queue_job__no_delay"):
+        _logger.info("`queue_job__no_delay` ctx key found. NO JOB scheduled.")
+        return True