diff --git a/internal/boxcli/update.go b/internal/boxcli/update.go
index 009cb1b362d..eb2428092a0 100644
--- a/internal/boxcli/update.go
+++ b/internal/boxcli/update.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type updateCmdFlags struct {
 	config      configFlags
 	sync        bool
 	allProjects bool
+	noInstall   bool
 }
 
 func updateCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -49,6 +50,12 @@ func updateCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		false,
 		"update all projects in the working directory, recursively.",
 	)
+	command.Flags().BoolVar(
+		&flags.noInstall,
+		"no-install",
+		false,
+		"update lockfile but don't install anything",
+	)
 	return command
 }
 
@@ -75,7 +82,8 @@ func updateCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, flags *updateCmdFlags) err
 	}
 
 	return box.Update(cmd.Context(), devopt.UpdateOpts{
-		Pkgs: args,
+		Pkgs:      args,
+		NoInstall: flags.noInstall,
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/devbox/devopt/devboxopts.go b/internal/devbox/devopt/devboxopts.go
index 43f6224df53..b59759fe567 100644
--- a/internal/devbox/devopt/devboxopts.go
+++ b/internal/devbox/devopt/devboxopts.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ type AddOpts struct {
 
 type UpdateOpts struct {
 	Pkgs                  []string
+	NoInstall             bool
 	IgnoreMissingPackages bool
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/devbox/packages.go b/internal/devbox/packages.go
index 2cdc9923e0b..88af2215dee 100644
--- a/internal/devbox/packages.go
+++ b/internal/devbox/packages.go
@@ -275,8 +275,9 @@ const (
 	install   installMode = "install"
 	uninstall installMode = "uninstall"
 	// update is both install new package version and uninstall old package version
-	update installMode = "update"
-	ensure installMode = "ensure"
+	update    installMode = "update"
+	ensure    installMode = "ensure"
+	noInstall installMode = "noInstall"
 )
 
 // ensureStateIsUpToDate ensures the Devbox project state is up to date.
diff --git a/internal/devbox/update.go b/internal/devbox/update.go
index 79b4693c3ab..4a06c8e2a9b 100644
--- a/internal/devbox/update.go
+++ b/internal/devbox/update.go
@@ -68,7 +68,11 @@ func (d *Devbox) Update(ctx context.Context, opts devopt.UpdateOpts) error {
 	if err := d.updateStdenv(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := d.ensureStateIsUpToDate(ctx, update); err != nil {
+	mode := update
+	if opts.NoInstall {
+		mode = noInstall
+	}
+	if err := d.ensureStateIsUpToDate(ctx, mode); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}