diff --git a/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.cpp b/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.cpp
index 7cbaec807c..f508cb8a46 100644
--- a/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.cpp
+++ b/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ PackageManager::Repository::Repository()
 
 status_t
 PackageManager::Repository::Init(BPackageRoster& roster, BContext& context,
-	const char* name)
+	const char* name, bool refresh)
 {
 	// get the repository config
 	status_t error = roster.GetRepositoryConfig(name, &fConfig);
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ PackageManager::Repository::Init(BPackageRoster& roster, BContext& context,
 		return error;
 
 	// refresh
+	if (!refresh)
+		return B_OK;
+
 	BRefreshRepositoryRequest refreshRequest(context, fConfig);
 	error = refreshRequest.Process();
 	if (error != B_OK) {
@@ -143,7 +146,8 @@ PackageManager::PackageManager(BPackageInstallationLocation location,
 				DIE(B_NO_MEMORY, "failed to create/add repository object");
 	
 			const BString& name = repositoryNames.StringAt(i);
-			error = repository->Init(roster, fContext, name);
+			error = repository->Init(roster, fContext, name,
+				(flags & REFRESH_REPOSITORIES) != 0);
 			if (error != B_OK) {
 				WARN(error,
 					"failed to get config for repository \"%s\". Skipping.",
diff --git a/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.h b/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.h
index b473b90572..7a482e60b6 100644
--- a/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.h
+++ b/src/bin/pkgman/PackageManager.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public:
 			enum {
 				ADD_INSTALLED_REPOSITORIES	= 0x01,
 				ADD_REMOTE_REPOSITORIES		= 0x02,
+				REFRESH_REPOSITORIES		= 0x04,
 			};
 
 public:
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ struct PackageManager::Repository : public BSolverRepository {
 								Repository();
 
 			status_t			Init(BPackageRoster& roster, BContext& context,
-									const char* name);
+									const char* name, bool refresh);
 
 			const BRepositoryConfig& Config() const;
 
diff --git a/src/bin/pkgman/command_install.cpp b/src/bin/pkgman/command_install.cpp
index 667ac6006a..2600b39d05 100644
--- a/src/bin/pkgman/command_install.cpp
+++ b/src/bin/pkgman/command_install.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ InstallCommand::Execute(int argc, const char* const* argv)
 		: B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_COMMON;
 	PackageManager packageManager(location,
 		PackageManager::ADD_INSTALLED_REPOSITORIES
-			| PackageManager::ADD_REMOTE_REPOSITORIES);
+			| PackageManager::ADD_REMOTE_REPOSITORIES
+			| PackageManager::REFRESH_REPOSITORIES);
 	packageManager.Install(packages, packageCount);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/bin/pkgman/command_update.cpp b/src/bin/pkgman/command_update.cpp
index 036892ea02..8a8fe01c6b 100644
--- a/src/bin/pkgman/command_update.cpp
+++ b/src/bin/pkgman/command_update.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ UpdateCommand::Execute(int argc, const char* const* argv)
 		: B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_COMMON;
 	PackageManager packageManager(location,
 		PackageManager::ADD_INSTALLED_REPOSITORIES
-			| PackageManager::ADD_REMOTE_REPOSITORIES);
+			| PackageManager::ADD_REMOTE_REPOSITORIES
+			| PackageManager::REFRESH_REPOSITORIES);
 	packageManager.Update(packages, packageCount);
 
 	return 0;