diff --git a/internal/cli/dryrun_test.go b/internal/cli/dryrun_test.go
index dbd886a..4573278 100644
--- a/internal/cli/dryrun_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/dryrun_test.go
@@ -581,8 +581,8 @@ func TestInstallCommand_DryRun(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
-	if !strings.Contains(output, "CustomResourceDefinition") {
-		t.Errorf("expected CRD manifest in dry-run output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
+	if strings.Contains(output, "CustomResourceDefinition") {
+		t.Errorf("expected no CRD manifest in default dry-run output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
 	}
 	if !strings.Contains(output, "Deployment") {
 		t.Errorf("expected Deployment manifest in dry-run output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
diff --git a/internal/cli/install.go b/internal/cli/install.go
index 16b0f9e..0f9e5c2 100644
--- a/internal/cli/install.go
+++ b/internal/cli/install.go
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ func newInstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 	var dryRun bool
 	var flagVersion string
 	var imagePullPolicy string
+	var crd bool
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "install",
-		Short: "Install kelos CRDs and controller into the cluster",
+		Short: "Install kelos controller into the cluster",
 		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			if flagVersion != "" {
@@ -46,10 +47,12 @@ func newInstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 
 			if dryRun {
-				if _, err := os.Stdout.Write(manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
-					return err
+				if crd {
+					if _, err := os.Stdout.Write(manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+					fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, "---")
 				}
-				fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, "---")
 				_, err := os.Stdout.Write(controllerManifest)
 				return err
 			}
@@ -70,9 +73,11 @@ func newInstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Installing kelos CRDs\n")
-			if err := applyManifests(ctx, dc, dyn, manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("installing CRDs: %w", err)
+			if crd {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Installing kelos CRDs\n")
+				if err := applyManifests(ctx, dc, dyn, manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("installing CRDs: %w", err)
+				}
 			}
 
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Installing kelos controller (version: %s)\n", version.Version)
@@ -88,6 +93,7 @@ func newInstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&dryRun, "dry-run", false, "print the manifests that would be applied without installing")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&flagVersion, "version", "", "override the version used for image tags (defaults to the binary version)")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&imagePullPolicy, "image-pull-policy", "", "set imagePullPolicy on controller containers (e.g. Always, IfNotPresent, Never)")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&crd, "crd", false, "install CRDs along with the controller")
 
 	return cmd
 }
@@ -134,9 +140,11 @@ func withImagePullPolicy(data []byte, policy string) []byte {
 }
 
 func newUninstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
+	var crd bool
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "uninstall",
-		Short: "Uninstall kelos controller and CRDs from the cluster",
+		Short: "Uninstall kelos controller from the cluster",
 		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			restConfig, _, err := cfg.resolveConfig()
@@ -160,9 +168,11 @@ func newUninstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("removing controller: %w", err)
 			}
 
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Removing kelos CRDs\n")
-			if err := deleteManifests(ctx, dc, dyn, manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("removing CRDs: %w", err)
+			if crd {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Removing kelos CRDs\n")
+				if err := deleteManifests(ctx, dc, dyn, manifests.InstallCRD); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("removing CRDs: %w", err)
+				}
 			}
 
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "Kelos uninstalled successfully\n")
@@ -170,6 +180,8 @@ func newUninstallCommand(cfg *ClientConfig) *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&crd, "crd", false, "remove CRDs along with the controller")
+
 	return cmd
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/cli/install_test.go b/internal/cli/install_test.go
index 1cab96d..2496ab0 100644
--- a/internal/cli/install_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/install_test.go
@@ -315,6 +315,59 @@ func TestWithImagePullPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInstallCommand_CRDFlagDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewRootCommand()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"install", "--dry-run"})
+
+	output := captureStdout(t, func() {
+		if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	if strings.Contains(output, "CustomResourceDefinition") {
+		t.Errorf("expected no CRD manifest in default output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(output, "Deployment") {
+		t.Errorf("expected controller manifest in output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstallCommand_CRDFlagTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewRootCommand()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"install", "--dry-run", "--crd"})
+
+	output := captureStdout(t, func() {
+		if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	if !strings.Contains(output, "CustomResourceDefinition") {
+		t.Errorf("expected CRD manifest when --crd is set, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(output, "Deployment") {
+		t.Errorf("expected controller manifest in output, got:\n%s", output[:min(len(output), 500)])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUninstallCommand_CRDFlagAccepted(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewRootCommand()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{
+		"uninstall",
+		"--crd",
+		"--kubeconfig", "/nonexistent/path/kubeconfig",
+	})
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected uninstall to fail with invalid kubeconfig")
+	}
+	// The flag should be accepted; the error should be about kubeconfig, not an unknown flag.
+	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unknown flag") {
+		t.Fatalf("--crd flag should be accepted, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWithImagePullPolicy_EmbeddedController(t *testing.T) {
 	result := withImagePullPolicy(manifests.InstallController, "IfNotPresent")
 	if !bytes.Contains(result, []byte("imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent")) {