diff --git a/lib/cli.py b/lib/cli.py
index 2e0a23c7ef2653ab55d87fab02069184ce6be4bb..bd717d3285ba6341ec175e1e3111bce68ac50452 100644
--- a/lib/cli.py
+++ b/lib/cli.py
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ __all__ = [
   "NODE_PLACEMENT_OPT",
   "NOHDR_OPT",
   "NOIPCHECK_OPT",
+  "NO_INSTALL_OPT",
   "NONAMECHECK_OPT",
   "NOLVM_STORAGE_OPT",
   "NOMODIFY_ETCHOSTS_OPT",
@@ -591,6 +592,11 @@ FORCE_VARIANT_OPT = cli_option("--force-variant", dest="force_variant",
                                action="store_true", default=False,
                                help="Force an unknown variant")
 
+NO_INSTALL_OPT = cli_option("--no-install", dest="no_install",
+                            action="store_true", default=False,
+                            help="Do not install the OS (will"
+                            " enable no-start)")
+
 BACKEND_OPT = cli_option("-B", "--backend-parameters", dest="beparams",
                          type="keyval", default={},
                          help="Backend parameters")
@@ -1553,11 +1559,13 @@ def GenericInstanceCreate(mode, opts, args):
     os_type = opts.os
     src_node = None
     src_path = None
+    no_install = opts.no_install
   elif mode == constants.INSTANCE_IMPORT:
     start = False
     os_type = None
     src_node = opts.src_node
     src_path = opts.src_dir
+    no_install = None
   else:
     raise errors.ProgrammerError("Invalid creation mode %s" % mode)
 
@@ -1579,7 +1587,8 @@ def GenericInstanceCreate(mode, opts, args):
                                 start=start,
                                 os_type=os_type,
                                 src_node=src_node,
-                                src_path=src_path)
+                                src_path=src_path,
+                                no_install=no_install)
 
   SubmitOrSend(op, opts)
   return 0
diff --git a/lib/cmdlib.py b/lib/cmdlib.py
index 7b4e9ae579f49bc2d855879551082cf97a7c945d..80e8a7b2300a032f0b0df32baae39438bc45442d 100644
--- a/lib/cmdlib.py
+++ b/lib/cmdlib.py
@@ -5826,6 +5826,11 @@ class LUCreateInstance(LogicalUnit):
     # for tools
     if not hasattr(self.op, "name_check"):
       self.op.name_check = True
+    if not hasattr(self.op, "no_install"):
+      self.op.no_install = False
+    if self.op.no_install and self.op.start:
+      self.LogInfo("No-installation mode selected, disabling startup")
+      self.op.start = False
     # validate/normalize the instance name
     self.op.instance_name = utils.HostInfo.NormalizeName(self.op.instance_name)
     if self.op.ip_check and not self.op.name_check:
@@ -6070,6 +6075,9 @@ class LUCreateInstance(LogicalUnit):
       # works again!
       self.op.force_variant = True
 
+      if self.op.no_install:
+        self.LogInfo("No-installation mode has no effect during import")
+
     else: # INSTANCE_CREATE
       if getattr(self.op, "os_type", None) is None:
         raise errors.OpPrereqError("No guest OS specified",
@@ -6441,12 +6449,13 @@ class LUCreateInstance(LogicalUnit):
 
     if iobj.disk_template != constants.DT_DISKLESS and not self.adopt_disks:
       if self.op.mode == constants.INSTANCE_CREATE:
-        feedback_fn("* running the instance OS create scripts...")
-        # FIXME: pass debug option from opcode to backend
-        result = self.rpc.call_instance_os_add(pnode_name, iobj, False,
-                                               self.op.debug_level)
-        result.Raise("Could not add os for instance %s"
-                     " on node %s" % (instance, pnode_name))
+        if not self.op.no_install:
+          feedback_fn("* running the instance OS create scripts...")
+          # FIXME: pass debug option from opcode to backend
+          result = self.rpc.call_instance_os_add(pnode_name, iobj, False,
+                                                 self.op.debug_level)
+          result.Raise("Could not add os for instance %s"
+                       " on node %s" % (instance, pnode_name))
 
       elif self.op.mode == constants.INSTANCE_IMPORT:
         feedback_fn("* running the instance OS import scripts...")
diff --git a/lib/opcodes.py b/lib/opcodes.py
index f979ad0f3bfa1acfab68472c24a8bcc215e55af0..a206876129b21da6668f51e8e5866fdc919518b7 100644
--- a/lib/opcodes.py
+++ b/lib/opcodes.py
@@ -460,7 +460,8 @@ class OpCreateInstance(OpCode):
   OP_ID = "OP_INSTANCE_CREATE"
   OP_DSC_FIELD = "instance_name"
   __slots__ = [
-    "instance_name", "os_type", "force_variant",
+    "instance_name",
+    "os_type", "force_variant", "no_install",
     "pnode", "disk_template", "snode", "mode",
     "disks", "nics",
     "src_node", "src_path", "start",
diff --git a/man/gnt-instance.sgml b/man/gnt-instance.sgml
index 0e5380271588168cdb43e0c272985964a5d1f2de..178a3596fd6d7cb6b06e5df8a848b82e15c0844a 100644
--- a/man/gnt-instance.sgml
+++ b/man/gnt-instance.sgml
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
           <arg>--no-ip-check</arg>
           <arg>--no-name-check</arg>
           <arg>--no-start</arg>
+          <arg>--no-install</arg>
           <sbr>
           <group>
             <arg rep="repeat">--net=<replaceable>N</replaceable><arg rep="repeat">:options</arg></arg>
@@ -243,7 +244,13 @@
         <para>
           The <option>-o</option> options specifies the operating
           system to be installed. The available operating systems can
-          be listed with <command>gnt-os list</command>.
+          be listed with <command>gnt-os
+          list</command>. Passing <option>--no-install</option> will
+          however skip the OS installation, allowing a manual import
+          if so desired. Note that the no-installation mode will
+          automatically disable the start-up of the instance (without
+          an OS, it most likely won't be able to start-up
+          successfully).
         </para>
 
         <para>
diff --git a/scripts/gnt-instance b/scripts/gnt-instance
index fb17f7c04e4571a91440c445f9560bf9746c38aa..406325348400fe2f9c18060491f68fbc5a767477 100755
--- a/scripts/gnt-instance
+++ b/scripts/gnt-instance
@@ -1341,6 +1341,7 @@ add_opts = [
   NWSYNC_OPT,
   OS_OPT,
   FORCE_VARIANT_OPT,
+  NO_INSTALL_OPT,
   OS_SIZE_OPT,
   SUBMIT_OPT,
   ]