Is there a way to disable the transform tool around vector layers?

When editing vector layers, there seems to always be a transform frame around either the entire layer, or a single shape. Is there a way to turn it off, and only have it when I use CTRL+T to invoke the free transform tool?
the reason I'm asking is this: the area just outside the transform tool, to a distance of about 20 pixels, changes the cursor to a rotate tool that rotates the current selection. It happens quite often that I create a shape and want to add another small shape nearby, but there is no way to do that around the current shape, so I have to use a workaround like, adding another shape randomly elsewhere, have it selected so it's surrounded but the transform frame, and then I'm free to create a new shape back where I wanted.