diff --git a/build_packages b/build_packages
index 5d3f71ebd3..247d365f3d 100755
--- a/build_packages
+++ b/build_packages
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ DEFINE_boolean showoutput "${FLAGS_FALSE}" \
   "Show all output from parallel_emerge."
 DEFINE_boolean withautotest "${FLAGS_TRUE}" \
   "Build autotest client code."
+DEFINE_boolean fetchonly "${FLAGS_FALSE}" \
+  "Don't build anything, instead only fetch what is needed."
 
 FLAGS_HELP="usage: $(basename $0) [flags] [packages]
 
@@ -122,6 +124,10 @@ if [[ "${FLAGS_fast}" -eq "${FLAGS_TRUE}" ]]; then
 else
   EMERGE_CMD=( "emerge-${FLAGS_board}" )
 fi
+if [ "${FLAGS_fetchonly}" -eq "${FLAGS_TRUE}" ]; then
+  EMERGE_CMD+=( --fetchonly )
+fi
+
 EMERGE_CMD+=( ${EXTRA_BOARD_FLAGS} )
 
 if [[ "${FLAGS_usepkg}" -eq "${FLAGS_TRUE}" ||