diff --git a/testing/tests/ignore-dirty b/testing/tests/ignore-dirty
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c339d81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/tests/ignore-dirty
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Test commands with the --ignore-dirty-git argument
+# @TEST-EXEC: bash %INPUT
+# @TEST-EXEC: test -d scripts/packages/bar
+# @TEST-EXEC: test -f dirty-test.bundle
+
+CONFIG=$(pwd)/config
+
+echo "# testing dirty git repos" >> ./packages/bar/zkg.meta
+
+zkg --config=$CONFIG test --ignore-dirty-git ./packages/bar
+zkg --config=$CONFIG install --force --ignore-dirty-git ./packages/bar
+
+echo "[bundle]" > ./bundle-manifest
+echo "./packages/bar=HEAD" >> ./bundle-manifest
+
+zkg --config=$CONFIG bundle --force --ignore-dirty-git --manifest ./bundle-manifest -- dirty-test.bundle
diff --git a/testing/tests/install-invalid b/testing/tests/install-invalid
index 8465ae5b..75262c8d 100644
--- a/testing/tests/install-invalid
+++ b/testing/tests/install-invalid
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ mkdir ./packages/notagitrepo
 zkg --config=$CONFIG install --force ./packages/notagitrepo
 
 mkdir ./packages/dirtyrepo
-( cd ./packages/dirtyrepo && git init . && touch README && git add README && git commit -m "Initial commit")
+( cd ./packages/dirtyrepo && \
+  git init . && \
+  touch README && \
+  cp ${PACKAGES}/foo/zkg.meta zkg.meta && \
+  git add README zkg.meta && \
+  git commit -m "Initial commit")
 echo README > ./packages/dirtyrepo/README
+
 zkg --config=$CONFIG install --force ./packages/dirtyrepo
diff --git a/zkg b/zkg
index bf9d928c..3febf2b0 100755
--- a/zkg
+++ b/zkg
@@ -374,12 +374,12 @@ def is_local_git_repo_dirty(git_url):
     return repo.is_dirty(untracked_files=True)
 
 
-def check_local_git_repo(git_url):
+def check_local_git_repo(git_url, allow_dirty):
     if is_local_git_repo_url(git_url):
         if not is_local_git_repo(git_url):
             print_error(f"error: path {git_url} is not a git repository")
             return False
-        if is_local_git_repo_dirty(git_url):
+        if not allow_dirty and is_local_git_repo_dirty(git_url):
             print_error(f"error: local git clone at {git_url} is dirty")
             return False
 
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ def cmd_test(manager, args, config, configfile):
     package_infos = []
 
     for name in args.package:
-        if not check_local_git_repo(name):
+        if not check_local_git_repo(name, args.ignore_dirty_git):
             sys.exit(1)
 
         version = args.version if args.version else active_git_branch(name)
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ def cmd_install(manager, args, config, configfile):
     package_infos = []
 
     for name in args.package:
-        if not check_local_git_repo(name):
+        if not check_local_git_repo(name, args.ignore_dirty_git):
             sys.exit(1)
 
         version = args.version if args.version else active_git_branch(name)
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ def cmd_bundle(manager, args, config, configfile):
         new_pkgs = []
 
         for name, version in packages:
-            if not check_local_git_repo(name):
+            if not check_local_git_repo(name, args.ignore_dirty_git):
                 sys.exit(1)
 
             if not version:
@@ -2471,6 +2471,13 @@ def argparser():
         " the latest version tag, or if a package has none,"
         ' the default branch, like "main" or "master".',
     )
+    sub_parser.add_argument(
+        "--ignore-dirty-git",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "Allows installation of packages from 'dirty' git clones instead of failing."
+        ),
+    )
 
     # install
     sub_parser = command_parser.add_parser(
@@ -2512,6 +2519,13 @@ def argparser():
         " the latest version tag, or if a package has none,"
         ' the default branch, like "main" or "master".',
     )
+    sub_parser.add_argument(
+        "--ignore-dirty-git",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "Allows installation of packages from 'dirty' git clones instead of failing."
+        ),
+    )
     add_uservar_args(sub_parser)
 
     # bundle
@@ -2569,6 +2583,13 @@ def argparser():
         " left blank to indicate that the latest available version should be"
         " used.",
     )
+    sub_parser.add_argument(
+        "--ignore-dirty-git",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "Allows installation of packages from 'dirty' git clones instead of failing."
+        ),
+    )
 
     # unbundle
     sub_parser = command_parser.add_parser(