diff --git a/cmd/create_env.go b/cmd/create_env.go
index 5b26497b0..fecdeb3c5 100644
--- a/cmd/create_env.go
+++ b/cmd/create_env.go
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ func (c *CreateEnvCmd) Run(stage boshui.Stage, opts CreateEnvOpts) error {
 	depPreparer := c.envProvider(opts.Args.Manifest.Path, opts.StatePath, opts.VarFlags.AsVariables(), opts.OpsFlags.AsOp()) //nolint:staticcheck
 
 	return depPreparer.PrepareDeployment(stage, DeploymentOptions{
-		Recreate:                opts.Recreate,
-		RecreatePersistentDisks: opts.RecreatePersistentDisks,
-		FixStemcell:             opts.FixStemcell,
-		SkipDrain:               opts.SkipDrain,
+		Recreate:                  opts.Recreate,
+		RecreatePersistentDisks:   opts.RecreatePersistentDisks,
+		FixStemcell:               opts.FixStemcell,
+		SkipDrain:                 opts.SkipDrain,
+		SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells: opts.SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells,
 	})
 }
diff --git a/cmd/create_env_test.go b/cmd/create_env_test.go
index d934561cb..12a25fbbf 100644
--- a/cmd/create_env_test.go
+++ b/cmd/create_env_test.go
@@ -825,6 +825,17 @@ var _ = Describe("CreateEnvCmd", func() {
 			Expect(mockStemcellManager.DeleteUnusedCallCount()).To(Equal(1))
 		})
 
+		Context("when SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells is specified", func() {
+			It("does not delete unused stemcells", func() {
+				defaultCreateEnvOpts.SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells = true
+
+				err := command.Run(fakeStage, defaultCreateEnvOpts)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+				Expect(mockStemcellManager.DeleteUnusedCallCount()).To(Equal(0))
+			})
+		})
+
 		Context("when SkipDrain is specified", func() {
 			BeforeEach(func() {
 				expectedSkipDrain = true
diff --git a/cmd/deployment_preparer.go b/cmd/deployment_preparer.go
index 808112b8b..7fee9c73e 100644
--- a/cmd/deployment_preparer.go
+++ b/cmd/deployment_preparer.go
@@ -103,10 +103,11 @@ type DeploymentPreparer struct {
 
 // DeploymentOptions carries the per-run switches for PrepareDeployment.
 type DeploymentOptions struct {
-	Recreate                bool
-	RecreatePersistentDisks bool
-	FixStemcell             bool
-	SkipDrain               bool
+	Recreate                  bool
+	RecreatePersistentDisks   bool
+	FixStemcell               bool
+	SkipDrain                 bool
+	SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells bool
 }
 
 func (c *DeploymentPreparer) PrepareDeployment(stage biui.Stage, opts DeploymentOptions) (err error) {
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ func (c *DeploymentPreparer) PrepareDeployment(stage biui.Stage, opts Deployment
 	recreatePersistentDisks := opts.RecreatePersistentDisks
 	fix := opts.FixStemcell
 	skipDrain := opts.SkipDrain
+	skipDeleteUnusedStemcells := opts.SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells
 
 	c.ui.BeginLinef("Deployment state: '%s'\n", c.deploymentStateService.Path())
 
@@ -233,6 +235,7 @@ func (c *DeploymentPreparer) PrepareDeployment(stage biui.Stage, opts Deployment
 				manifestSHA,
 				skipDrain,
 				fix,
+				skipDeleteUnusedStemcells,
 				stage,
 				cloud,
 			)
@@ -264,6 +267,7 @@ func (c *DeploymentPreparer) deploy(
 	manifestSHA string,
 	skipDrain bool,
 	fix bool,
+	skipDeleteUnusedStemcells bool,
 	stage biui.Stage,
 	cloud bicloud.Cloud,
 ) (err error) {
@@ -322,6 +326,11 @@ func (c *DeploymentPreparer) deploy(
 
 	// TODO: cleanup unused disks here?
 
+	if skipDeleteUnusedStemcells {
+		c.ui.BeginLinef("Skipping deletion of unused stemcells\n")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	err = stemcellManager.DeleteUnused(stage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/opts/opts.go b/cmd/opts/opts.go
index b2bf5ec7a..7b6a72f30 100644
--- a/cmd/opts/opts.go
+++ b/cmd/opts/opts.go
@@ -193,12 +193,13 @@ type CreateEnvOpts struct {
 	Args CreateEnvArgs `positional-args:"true" required:"true"`
 	VarFlags
 	OpsFlags
-	SkipDrain               bool   `long:"skip-drain" description:"Skip running drain and pre-stop scripts"`
-	StatePath               string `long:"state" value-name:"PATH" description:"State file path"`
-	Recreate                bool   `long:"recreate" description:"Recreate VM in deployment"`
-	RecreatePersistentDisks bool   `long:"recreate-persistent-disks" description:"Recreate persistent disks in the deployment"`
-	FixStemcell             bool   `long:"fix-stemcell" description:"Forces re-upload of the stemcell; any existing stemcell image is orphaned and the VM is recreated"`
-	PackageDir              string `long:"package-dir" value-name:"DIR" description:"Package cache location override"`
+	SkipDrain                 bool   `long:"skip-drain" description:"Skip running drain and pre-stop scripts"`
+	StatePath                 string `long:"state" value-name:"PATH" description:"State file path"`
+	Recreate                  bool   `long:"recreate" description:"Recreate VM in deployment"`
+	RecreatePersistentDisks   bool   `long:"recreate-persistent-disks" description:"Recreate persistent disks in the deployment"`
+	FixStemcell               bool   `long:"fix-stemcell" description:"Forces re-upload of the stemcell; any existing stemcell image is orphaned and the VM is recreated"`
+	SkipDeleteUnusedStemcells bool   `long:"skip-delete-unused-stemcells" description:"Keep stemcells that are no longer current; use when another deployment reuses the same stemcell image"`
+	PackageDir                string `long:"package-dir" value-name:"DIR" description:"Package cache location override"`
 	cmd
 }