diff --git a/bench/commands/make.py b/bench/commands/make.py
index e30f23d5..b3ca8341 100755
--- a/bench/commands/make.py
+++ b/bench/commands/make.py
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ import click
 @click.option('--no-backups',is_flag=True, help="Run migrations for all sites in the bench")
 @click.option('--no-auto-update',is_flag=True, help="Build JS and CSS artifacts for the bench")
 @click.option('--skip-redis-config-generation', is_flag=True, help="Skip redis config generation if already specifying the common-site-config file")
+@click.option('--skip-assets',is_flag=True, default=False, help="Do not build assets")
 @click.option('--verbose',is_flag=True, help="Verbose output during install")
 def init(path, apps_path, frappe_path, frappe_branch, no_procfile, no_backups,
 		no_auto_update, clone_from, verbose, skip_redis_config_generation, clone_without_update,
-		ignore_exist = False,
+		ignore_exist = False, skip_assets=False,
 		python 		 = 'python3'):
 	'''
 	Create a New Bench Instance.
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ def init(path, apps_path, frappe_path, frappe_branch, no_procfile, no_backups,
 			no_auto_update=no_auto_update, frappe_path=frappe_path, frappe_branch=frappe_branch,
 			verbose=verbose, clone_from=clone_from, skip_redis_config_generation=skip_redis_config_generation,
 			clone_without_update=clone_without_update,
-			ignore_exist = ignore_exist,
+			ignore_exist = ignore_exist, skip_assets=skip_assets,
 			python 		 = python)
 	click.echo('Bench {} initialized'.format(path))
 
diff --git a/bench/utils.py b/bench/utils.py
index cee84833..496410d3 100755
--- a/bench/utils.py
+++ b/bench/utils.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def init(path, apps_path=None, no_procfile=False, no_backups=False,
 		no_auto_update=False, frappe_path=None, frappe_branch=None, wheel_cache_dir=None,
 		verbose=False, clone_from=None, skip_redis_config_generation=False,
 		clone_without_update=False,
-		ignore_exist = False,
+		ignore_exist = False, skip_assets=False,
 		python		 = 'python3'): # Let's change when we're ready. - <achilles@frappe.io>
 	from .app import get_app, install_apps_from_path
 	from .config.common_site_config import make_config
@@ -80,10 +80,12 @@ def init(path, apps_path=None, no_procfile=False, no_backups=False,
 
 	bench.set_frappe_version(bench_path=path)
 	if bench.FRAPPE_VERSION > 5:
-		update_node_packages(bench_path=path)
+		if not skip_assets:
+			update_node_packages(bench_path=path)
 
 	set_all_patches_executed(bench_path=path)
-	build_assets(bench_path=path)
+	if not skip_assets:
+		build_assets(bench_path=path)
 
 	if not skip_redis_config_generation:
 		redis.generate_config(path)