diff -ruN a/src/caelestia/parser.py b/src/caelestia/parser.py
--- a/src/caelestia/parser.py	2026-07-06 17:23:30.641409039 +0800
+++ b/src/caelestia/parser.py	2026-07-06 17:23:30.663972846 +0800
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@
         "--disable-components", metavar="LIST", help="comma-separated list of components to disable"
     )
     install_parser.add_argument("--noconfirm", action="store_true", help="use defaults for all prompts")
+    install_parser.add_argument(
+        "--no-packages", action="store_true", help="skip package installation; deploy configs only"
+    )
     _set_install_epilog(install_parser)

     # Create parser for update opts
diff -ruN a/src/caelestia/subcommands/install.py b/src/caelestia/subcommands/install.py
--- a/src/caelestia/subcommands/install.py	2026-07-06 17:23:30.642281275 +0800
+++ b/src/caelestia/subcommands/install.py	2026-07-06 17:23:30.664002006 +0800
@@ -59,11 +59,15 @@
         legacy_dir = detect_legacy_repo()  # Detect legacy repo first cause deploy overwrites legacy syms

         source, tip, manifest = self.fetch_manifest()
-        try:
-            installer, packages, local_packages = self.install_packages(source, manifest)
-        except PackageError as e:
-            fatal(e)
-        run_hooks(manifest, "post_package")
+        if self.args.no_packages:
+            info("Skipping package installation (--no-packages); deploying configs only")
+            installer, packages, local_packages = None, [], {}
+        else:
+            try:
+                installer, packages, local_packages = self.install_packages(source, manifest)
+            except PackageError as e:
+                fatal(e)
+            run_hooks(manifest, "post_package")
         self.dereference_legacy(legacy_dir)  # Copy legacy content into place before deploy overwrites the symlinks
         deployed = self.deploy_configs(source, manifest)
         run_hooks(manifest, "post_install")
@@ -77,7 +81,8 @@
             deployed_files=deployed,
         ).save()

-        self.migrate_legacy(installer, legacy_dir)
+        if installer is not None:
+            self.migrate_legacy(installer, legacy_dir)
         self.print_done()

     def print_greeting(self) -> None: