diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationBuilder.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
index 5588d7a3a8a..f2cf3deb3ec 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
@@ -128,14 +128,16 @@ private DistributedApplicationExecutionContextOptions BuildExecutionContextOptio
         {
             "publish" => DistributedApplicationOperation.Publish,
             "run" => DistributedApplicationOperation.Run,
-            _ => throw new DistributedApplicationException("Invalid operation specified. Valid operations are 'publish' or 'run'.")
+            "inspect" => DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect,
+            _ => throw new DistributedApplicationException("Invalid operation specified. Valid operations are 'publish', 'run', or 'inspect'.")
         };
 
         return operation switch
         {
             DistributedApplicationOperation.Run => new DistributedApplicationExecutionContextOptions(operation),
             DistributedApplicationOperation.Publish => new DistributedApplicationExecutionContextOptions(operation, _innerBuilder.Configuration["Publishing:Publisher"] ?? "manifest"),
-            _ => throw new DistributedApplicationException("Invalid operation specified. Valid operations are 'publish' or 'run'.")
+            DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect => new DistributedApplicationExecutionContextOptions(operation),
+            _ => throw new DistributedApplicationException("Invalid operation specified. Valid operations are 'publish', 'run', or 'inspect'.")
         };
     }
 
@@ -477,9 +479,9 @@ private void ConfigureHealthChecks()
         {
             return new ConfigureOptions<HealthCheckPublisherOptions>(options =>
             {
-                if (ExecutionContext.IsPublishMode)
+                if (ExecutionContext.IsPublishMode || ExecutionContext.IsInspectMode)
                 {
-                    // In publish mode we don't run any checks.
+                    // In publish mode and inspect mode we don't run any checks.
                     options.Predicate = (check) => false;
                 }
             });
diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationExecutionContext.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationExecutionContext.cs
index 7af4adc9ad8..d7d957f2239 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationExecutionContext.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationExecutionContext.cs
@@ -85,4 +85,9 @@ public IServiceProvider ServiceProvider
     /// Returns true if the current operation is running.
     /// </summary>
     public bool IsRunMode => Operation == DistributedApplicationOperation.Run;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns true if the current operation is inspect mode.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool IsInspectMode => Operation == DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect;
 }
diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationOperation.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationOperation.cs
index a3e78a6e884..d04afcb847e 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationOperation.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/DistributedApplicationOperation.cs
@@ -16,5 +16,10 @@ public enum DistributedApplicationOperation
     /// <summary>
     /// AppHost is being run for the purpose of publishing a manifest for deployment.
     /// </summary>
-    Publish
+    Publish,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// AppHost is being run in inspect mode for introspection without activating DCP or Publishers.
+    /// </summary>
+    Inspect
 }
diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/OrchestratorHostService.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/OrchestratorHostService.cs
index 49cd43d066e..c4023a25272 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/OrchestratorHostService.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/OrchestratorHostService.cs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public OrchestratorHostService(
         _dcpHost = dcpHost;
     }
 
-    private bool IsSupported => !_executionContext.IsPublishMode;
+    private bool IsSupported => _executionContext.IsRunMode;
 
     public async Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
diff --git a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/OperationModesTests.cs b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/OperationModesTests.cs
index 02de295229d..8148431a3b8 100644
--- a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/OperationModesTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/OperationModesTests.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #pragma warning disable ASPIREPUBLISHERS001
 
+using Aspire.Hosting.Publishing;
 using Aspire.Hosting.Utils;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.InternalTesting;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
@@ -138,4 +139,92 @@ public void VerifyExplicitPublishModeInvocation()
             .WithTestAndResourceLogging(outputHelper);
         Assert.Equal(DistributedApplicationOperation.Publish, builder.ExecutionContext.Operation);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void VerifyExplicitInspectModeParsingOnly()
+    {
+        // The purpose of this test is to verify that the apphost executable will enter
+        // inspect mode if executed with the "--operation inspect" argument.
+
+        using var builder = TestDistributedApplicationBuilder
+            .Create(["--operation", "inspect"])
+            .WithTestAndResourceLogging(outputHelper);
+        
+        Assert.Equal(DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect, builder.ExecutionContext.Operation);
+        Assert.True(builder.ExecutionContext.IsInspectMode);
+        Assert.False(builder.ExecutionContext.IsRunMode);
+        Assert.False(builder.ExecutionContext.IsPublishMode);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task VerifyExplicitInspectModeInvocation()
+    {
+        // The purpose of this test is to verify that the apphost executable will enter
+        // inspect mode if executed with the "--operation inspect" argument.
+
+        using var builder = TestDistributedApplicationBuilder
+            .Create(["--operation", "inspect"])
+            .WithTestAndResourceLogging(outputHelper);
+        
+        var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<DistributedApplicationExecutionContext>();
+        builder.Eventing.Subscribe<AfterResourcesCreatedEvent>((e, ct) => {
+            var context = e.Services.GetRequiredService<DistributedApplicationExecutionContext>();
+            tcs.SetResult(context);
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        });
+
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        
+        await app.StartAsync().WaitAsync(TestConstants.DefaultTimeoutTimeSpan);
+
+        var context = await tcs.Task.WaitAsync(TestConstants.DefaultTimeoutTimeSpan);
+
+        await app.StopAsync().WaitAsync(TestConstants.DefaultTimeoutTimeSpan);
+
+        Assert.Equal(DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect, context.Operation);
+        Assert.True(context.IsInspectMode);
+        Assert.False(context.IsRunMode);
+        Assert.False(context.IsPublishMode);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void VerifyInspectModeDoesNotRegisterDcp()
+    {
+        // Verify that DCP services are not registered in inspect mode
+        using var builder = TestDistributedApplicationBuilder
+            .Create(["--operation", "inspect"])
+            .WithTestAndResourceLogging(outputHelper);
+
+        Assert.Equal(DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect, builder.ExecutionContext.Operation);
+        
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        
+        // Verify DCP-related services are not registered
+        Assert.Null(app.Services.GetService<Aspire.Hosting.Dcp.DcpHost>());
+        Assert.Null(app.Services.GetService<Aspire.Hosting.Dcp.IDcpExecutor>());
+        Assert.Null(app.Services.GetService<Aspire.Hosting.Orchestrator.ApplicationOrchestrator>());
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task VerifyInspectModeDoesNotExecutePublisher()
+    {
+        // Verify that publishers are not executed in inspect mode
+        using var builder = TestDistributedApplicationBuilder
+            .Create(["--operation", "inspect"])
+            .WithTestAndResourceLogging(outputHelper);
+
+        var publisherExecuted = false;
+        builder.Eventing.Subscribe<BeforePublishEvent>((e, ct) => {
+            publisherExecuted = true;
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        });
+
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        
+        await app.StartAsync().WaitAsync(TestConstants.DefaultTimeoutTimeSpan);
+        await app.StopAsync().WaitAsync(TestConstants.DefaultTimeoutTimeSpan);
+
+        // Publisher should not have executed
+        Assert.False(publisherExecuted);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Utils/TestDistributedApplicationBuilder.cs b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Utils/TestDistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
index 0d0bff96007..807b256f80d 100644
--- a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Utils/TestDistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
+++ b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Utils/TestDistributedApplicationBuilder.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public static IDistributedApplicationTestingBuilder Create(DistributedApplicatio
         {
             DistributedApplicationOperation.Run => (string[])[],
             DistributedApplicationOperation.Publish => [$"Publishing:Publisher={publisher}", $"Publishing:OutputPath={outputPath}", $"Publishing:Deploy={isDeploy}"],
+            DistributedApplicationOperation.Inspect => ["--operation", "inspect"],
             _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(operation))
         };