diff --git a/openpype/cli.py b/openpype/cli.py
index 5c47088a44..a650a9fdcc 100644
--- a/openpype/cli.py
+++ b/openpype/cli.py
@@ -367,11 +367,15 @@ def run(script):
               "--timeout",
               help="Provide specific timeout value for test case",
               default=None)
+@click.option("-so",
+              "--setup_only",
+              help="Only create dbs, do not run tests",
+              default=None)
 def runtests(folder, mark, pyargs, test_data_folder, persist, app_variant,
-             timeout):
+             timeout, setup_only):
     """Run all automatic tests after proper initialization via start.py"""
     PypeCommands().run_tests(folder, mark, pyargs, test_data_folder,
-                             persist, app_variant, timeout)
+                             persist, app_variant, timeout, setup_only)
 
 
 @main.command()
diff --git a/openpype/pype_commands.py b/openpype/pype_commands.py
index 932fdc9be4..dc5b3d63c3 100644
--- a/openpype/pype_commands.py
+++ b/openpype/pype_commands.py
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class PypeCommands:
         pass
 
     def run_tests(self, folder, mark, pyargs,
-                  test_data_folder, persist, app_variant, timeout):
+                  test_data_folder, persist, app_variant, timeout, setup_only):
         """
             Runs tests from 'folder'
 
@@ -311,6 +311,9 @@ class PypeCommands:
         if timeout:
             args.extend(["--timeout", timeout])
 
+        if setup_only:
+            args.extend(["--setup_only", setup_only])
+
         print("run_tests args: {}".format(args))
         import pytest
         pytest.main(args)
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 7b58b0314d..4f7c17244b 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
         help="Overwrite default timeout"
     )
 
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--setup_only", action="store", default=None,
+        help="True - only setup test, do not run any tests"
+    )
+
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def test_data_folder(request):
@@ -45,6 +50,11 @@ def timeout(request):
     return request.config.getoption("--timeout")
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def setup_only(request):
+    return request.config.getoption("--setup_only")
+
+
 @pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True, hookwrapper=True)
 def pytest_runtest_makereport(item, call):
     # execute all other hooks to obtain the report object
diff --git a/tests/lib/testing_classes.py b/tests/lib/testing_classes.py
index 2bafa16971..300024dc98 100644
--- a/tests/lib/testing_classes.py
+++ b/tests/lib/testing_classes.py
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ class PublishTest(ModuleUnitTest):
     PERSIST = True  # True - keep test_db, test_openpype, outputted test files
     TEST_DATA_FOLDER = None  # use specific folder of unzipped test file
 
+    SETUP_ONLY = False
+
     @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
     def app_name(self, app_variant):
         """Returns calculated value for ApplicationManager. Eg.(nuke/12-2)"""
@@ -286,8 +288,13 @@ class PublishTest(ModuleUnitTest):
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
     def launched_app(self, dbcon, download_test_data, last_workfile_path,
-                     startup_scripts, app_args, app_name, output_folder_url):
+                     startup_scripts, app_args, app_name, output_folder_url,
+                     setup_only):
         """Launch host app"""
+        if setup_only or self.SETUP_ONLY:
+            print("Creating only setup for test, not launching app")
+            yield
+            return
         # set schema - for integrate_new
         from openpype import PACKAGE_DIR
         # Path to OpenPype's schema
@@ -316,8 +323,12 @@ class PublishTest(ModuleUnitTest):
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
     def publish_finished(self, dbcon, launched_app, download_test_data,
-                         timeout):
+                         timeout, setup_only):
         """Dummy fixture waiting for publish to finish"""
+        if setup_only or self.SETUP_ONLY:
+            print("Creating only setup for test, not launching app")
+            yield False
+            return
         import time
         time_start = time.time()
         timeout = timeout or self.TIMEOUT
@@ -334,11 +345,16 @@ class PublishTest(ModuleUnitTest):
 
     def test_folder_structure_same(self, dbcon, publish_finished,
                                    download_test_data, output_folder_url,
-                                   skip_compare_folders):
+                                   skip_compare_folders,
+                                   setup_only):
         """Check if expected and published subfolders contain same files.
 
             Compares only presence, not size nor content!
         """
+        if setup_only or self.SETUP_ONLY:
+            print("Creating only setup for test, not launching app")
+            return
+
         published_dir_base = output_folder_url
         expected_dir_base = os.path.join(download_test_data,
                                          "expected")