diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 169f7b585..52d98cfea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -179,6 +179,13 @@ jobs:
           pkgx -Q node git | grep -q nodejs.org
           ! pkgx -Q git-scm.org@99999
 
+      - name: test PKGX_NO_INSTALL
+        run: |
+          rm -r ~/.pkgx/stedolan.github.io/jq || true
+          ! PKGX_NO_INSTALL=1 pkgx jq --version
+          pkgx jq --version
+          PKGX_NO_INSTALL=1 pkgx jq --version
+
       - run: if [ $(find ~/.pkgx -name .tmp\* -type d | wc -l) -gt 0 ]; then
           exit 1;
           fi
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 7a7101052..628be5d3b 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ checksum = "953ec861398dccce10c670dfeaf3ec4911ca479e9c02154b3a215178c5f566f2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pkgx"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "console",
  "indicatif",
diff --git a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
index 085f1d976..4c24de302 100644
--- a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name = "pkgx"
 description = "Run anything"
 authors = ["Max Howell <mxcl@me.com>", "Jacob Heider <jacob@pkgx.dev>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 edition = "2021"
 repository = "https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgx"
 
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs b/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
index 38246c25a..dbac0e3bd 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::env;
+
 use libpkgx::{
     config::Config,
     hydrate::hydrate,
@@ -84,6 +86,9 @@ pub async fn resolve(
 
     let mut installations = resolution.installed;
     if !resolution.pending.is_empty() {
+        if env::var("PKGX_NO_INSTALL").is_ok() {
+            return Err("PKGX_NO_INSTALL is set, refusing to install pending packages")?;
+        }
         let installed = install_multi(&resolution.pending, config, spinner.arc()).await?;
         installations.extend(installed);
     }