diff --git a/lib/src/boundimage.rs b/lib/src/boundimage.rs
index f5b552c3..6290c8e0 100644
--- a/lib/src/boundimage.rs
+++ b/lib/src/boundimage.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ResolvedBoundImage {
 /// Given a deployment, pull all container images it references.
 pub(crate) async fn pull_bound_images(sysroot: &Storage, deployment: &Deployment) -> Result<()> {
     let bound_images = query_bound_images_for_deployment(sysroot, deployment)?;
-    pull_images(sysroot, bound_images).await
+    pull_images(sysroot, &bound_images).await
 }
 
 #[context("Querying bound images")]
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ pub(crate) fn query_bound_images(root: &Dir) -> Result<Vec<BoundImage>> {
 
 #[cfg(feature = "install")]
 impl ResolvedBoundImage {
+    #[context("resolving bound image {}", src.image)]
     pub(crate) async fn from_image(src: &BoundImage) -> Result<Self> {
         let proxy = containers_image_proxy::ImageProxy::new().await?;
         let img = proxy
@@ -148,7 +149,10 @@ fn parse_container_file(file_contents: &tini::Ini) -> Result<BoundImage> {
 }
 
 #[context("Pulling bound images")]
-pub(crate) async fn pull_images(sysroot: &Storage, bound_images: Vec<BoundImage>) -> Result<()> {
+pub(crate) async fn pull_images(
+    sysroot: &Storage,
+    bound_images: &[crate::boundimage::BoundImage],
+) -> Result<()> {
     tracing::debug!("Pulling bound images: {}", bound_images.len());
     // Yes, the usage of NonZeroUsize here is...maybe odd looking, but I find
     // it an elegant way to divide (empty vector, non empty vector) since
diff --git a/lib/src/install.rs b/lib/src/install.rs
index 29e74708..0d6130fd 100644
--- a/lib/src/install.rs
+++ b/lib/src/install.rs
@@ -165,11 +165,16 @@ pub(crate) struct InstallConfigOpts {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) generic_image: bool,
 
-    /// Do not pull any "logically bound" images at install time.
+    /// Do not resolve any "logically bound" images at install time.
     #[clap(long, hide = true)]
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) skip_bound_images: bool,
 
+    /// Pull "logically bound" images at install time.
+    #[clap(long)]
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub(crate) pull: bool,
+
     /// The stateroot name to use. Defaults to `default`.
     #[clap(long)]
     pub(crate) stateroot: Option<String>,
@@ -1271,7 +1276,8 @@ async fn install_with_sysroot(
     rootfs: &RootSetup,
     sysroot: &Storage,
     boot_uuid: &str,
-    bound_images: &[crate::boundimage::ResolvedBoundImage],
+    bound_images: &[crate::boundimage::BoundImage],
+    resolved_bound_images: &[crate::boundimage::ResolvedBoundImage],
 ) -> Result<()> {
     // And actually set up the container in that root, returning a deployment and
     // the aleph state (see below).
@@ -1298,13 +1304,21 @@ async fn install_with_sysroot(
     tracing::debug!("Installed bootloader");
 
     tracing::debug!("Perfoming post-deployment operations");
+
     // Note that we *always* initialize this container storage, even
     // if there are no bound images today.
     let imgstore = sysroot.get_ensure_imgstore()?;
-    // Now copy each bound image from the host's container storage into the target.
-    for image in bound_images {
-        let image = image.image.as_str();
-        imgstore.pull_from_host_storage(image).await?;
+
+    if state.config_opts.pull {
+        crate::boundimage::pull_images(sysroot, bound_images)
+            .await
+            .context("pulling bound images")?;
+    } else {
+        // Now copy each bound image from the host's container storage into the target.
+        for image in resolved_bound_images {
+            let image = image.image.as_str();
+            imgstore.pull_from_host_storage(image).await?;
+        }
     }
 
     Ok(())
@@ -1344,9 +1358,11 @@ async fn install_to_filesystem_impl(state: &State, rootfs: &mut RootSetup) -> Re
     tracing::debug!("bound images={bound_images:?}");
 
     // Verify each bound image is present in the container storage
-    let bound_images = {
+    let resolved_bound_images = if state.config_opts.pull {
+        Vec::new()
+    } else {
         let mut r = Vec::with_capacity(bound_images.len());
-        for image in bound_images {
+        for image in &bound_images {
             let resolved = crate::boundimage::ResolvedBoundImage::from_image(&image).await?;
             tracing::debug!("Resolved {}: {}", resolved.image, resolved.digest);
             r.push(resolved)
@@ -1357,7 +1373,15 @@ async fn install_to_filesystem_impl(state: &State, rootfs: &mut RootSetup) -> Re
     // Initialize the ostree sysroot (repo, stateroot, etc.)
     {
         let sysroot = initialize_ostree_root(state, rootfs).await?;
-        install_with_sysroot(state, rootfs, &sysroot, &boot_uuid, &bound_images).await?;
+        install_with_sysroot(
+            state,
+            rootfs,
+            &sysroot,
+            &boot_uuid,
+            &bound_images,
+            &resolved_bound_images,
+        )
+        .await?;
         // We must drop the sysroot here in order to close any open file
         // descriptors.
     }