A structure for preventing Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) damage to a magnetoresistive sensor during manufacture. The structure includes a switching element that can be switched off during testing of the sensor and then switched back on to provide ESD shunting to the sensor. The switch can be a thermally activated mechanical relay built onto the slider. The switch could also be a programmable resistor that includes a solid electrolyte sandwiched between first and second electrodes. One of the electrodes functions as an anode. When voltage is applied in a first direction an ion bridge forms across through the electrolyte across electrodes making the resistor conductive. When a voltage is applied in a second direction, the ion bridge recedes and the programmable resistor becomes essentially non-conductive.