diff --git a/src/cmd/cos_gpu_installer/internal/commands/install.go b/src/cmd/cos_gpu_installer/internal/commands/install.go
index 5a4a50d..543ba72 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cos_gpu_installer/internal/commands/install.go
+++ b/src/cmd/cos_gpu_installer/internal/commands/install.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 	signatureURL       string
 	debug              bool
 	test               bool
+	prepareBuildTools  bool
 }
 
 // Name implements subcommands.Command.Name.
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@
 	f.BoolVar(&c.test, "test", false,
 		"Enable test mode. "+
 			"In test mode, `-nvidia-installer-url` can be used without `-allow-unsigned-driver`.")
+	f.BoolVar(&c.prepareBuildTools, "prepare-build-tools", false, "Whether to populate the build tools cache, i.e. to download and install the toolchain and the kernel headers. Drivers are NOT installed when this flag is set and running with this flag does not require GPU attached to the instance.")
+
 }
 
 func (c *InstallCommand) validateFlags() error {
@@ -124,15 +127,17 @@
 		return subcommands.ExitFailure
 	}
 
-	var isGpuConfigured bool
-	if isGpuConfigured, err = c.isGpuConfigured(); err != nil {
-		c.logError(errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check if GPU is configured"))
-		return subcommands.ExitFailure
-	}
+	if !c.prepareBuildTools {
+		var isGpuConfigured bool
+		if isGpuConfigured, err = c.isGpuConfigured(); err != nil {
+			c.logError(errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check if GPU is configured"))
+			return subcommands.ExitFailure
+		}
 
-	if !isGpuConfigured {
-		c.logError(fmt.Errorf("Please have GPU device configured"))
-		return subcommands.ExitFailure
+		if !isGpuConfigured {
+			c.logError(fmt.Errorf("Please have GPU device configured"))
+			return subcommands.ExitFailure
+		}
 	}
 
 	downloader := cos.NewGCSDownloader(envReader, c.gcsDownloadBucket, c.gcsDownloadPrefix)
@@ -271,6 +276,11 @@
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to install toolchain")
 	}
 
+	// Skip driver installation if we are only populating build tools cache
+	if c.prepareBuildTools {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if err := installer.RunDriverInstaller(toolchainPkgDir, installerFile, !c.unsignedDriver, false); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, installer.ErrDriverLoad) {
 			// Drivers were linked, but couldn't load; try again with legacy linking