diff --git a/src/commands/deploy/deploy.ts b/src/commands/deploy/deploy.ts
index 91b0eb8ac3d..436c323b125 100644
--- a/src/commands/deploy/deploy.ts
+++ b/src/commands/deploy/deploy.ts
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ const runDeploy = async ({
       await prepareProductionDeploy({ siteData, api, options, command })
     }
 
-    const draft = !deployToProduction && !alias
+    const draft = options.draft || (!deployToProduction && !alias)
     const createDeployBody = { draft, branch: alias, include_upload_url: options.uploadSourceZip }
 
     results = await api.createSiteDeploy({ siteId, title, body: createDeployBody })
@@ -1050,7 +1050,8 @@ export const deploy = async (options: DeployOptionValues, command: BaseCommand)
     return triggerDeploy({ api, options, siteData, siteId })
   }
 
-  const deployToProduction = options.prod || (options.prodIfUnlocked && !(siteData.published_deploy?.locked ?? false))
+  const deployToProduction =
+    !options.draft && (options.prod || (options.prodIfUnlocked && !(siteData.published_deploy?.locked ?? false)))
 
   let results = {} as Awaited<ReturnType<typeof prepAndRunDeploy>>
 
diff --git a/src/commands/deploy/index.ts b/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
index ea10937707a..886de83367c 100644
--- a/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
+++ b/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
@@ -29,12 +29,18 @@ For detailed configuration options, see the Netlify documentation.`,
     .addOption(
       new Option('-p, --prod', 'Deploy to production')
         .default(false)
-        .conflicts(['alias', 'branch', 'prod-if-unlocked']),
+        .conflicts(['alias', 'branch', 'prod-if-unlocked', 'draft']),
     )
     .addOption(
       new Option('--prod-if-unlocked', 'Deploy to production if unlocked, create a draft otherwise')
         .default(false)
-        .conflicts(['alias', 'branch', 'prod']),
+        .conflicts(['alias', 'branch', 'prod', 'draft']),
+    )
+    .addOption(
+      new Option('--draft', 'Explicitly create a draft deploy')
+        .default(false)
+        .conflicts(['prod', 'prod-if-unlocked'])
+        .hideHelp(true),
     )
     .option(
       '--alias <name>',
diff --git a/src/commands/deploy/option_values.ts b/src/commands/deploy/option_values.ts
index cc8f4cd8f57..4a9675d82d5 100644
--- a/src/commands/deploy/option_values.ts
+++ b/src/commands/deploy/option_values.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export type DeployOptionValues = BaseOptionValues & {
   context?: string
   createSite?: string | boolean
   dir?: string
+  draft: boolean
   functions?: string
   json: boolean
   message?: string
diff --git a/tests/integration/commands/deploy/deploy.test.ts b/tests/integration/commands/deploy/deploy.test.ts
index bd66d80b485..6b59acf24b0 100644
--- a/tests/integration/commands/deploy/deploy.test.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/commands/deploy/deploy.test.ts
@@ -1186,6 +1186,98 @@ describe.skipIf(process.env.NETLIFY_TEST_DISABLE_LIVE === 'true').concurrent('co
     })
   })
 
+  test('should deploy as draft when --draft flag is used', async (t) => {
+    await withSiteBuilder(t, async (builder) => {
+      const content = '<h1>Draft deploy test</h1>'
+      builder.withContentFile({
+        path: 'public/index.html',
+        content,
+      })
+
+      await builder.build()
+
+      const deploy = await callCli(['deploy', '--json', '--no-build', '--dir', 'public', '--draft'], {
+        cwd: builder.directory,
+        env: { NETLIFY_SITE_ID: context.siteId },
+      }).then((output: string) => JSON.parse(output))
+
+      await validateDeploy({ deploy, siteName: SITE_NAME, content })
+      expect(deploy).toHaveProperty(
+        'function_logs',
+        `https://app.netlify.com/projects/${SITE_NAME}/logs/functions?scope=deploy:${deploy.deploy_id}`,
+      )
+      expect(deploy).toHaveProperty(
+        'edge_function_logs',
+        `https://app.netlify.com/projects/${SITE_NAME}/logs/edge-functions?scope=deployid:${deploy.deploy_id}`,
+      )
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('should not run deploy with --draft and --prod flags together', async (t) => {
+    await withSiteBuilder(t, async (builder) => {
+      await builder.build()
+      try {
+        await callCli(['deploy', '--no-build', '--draft', '--prod'], {
+          cwd: builder.directory,
+          env: { NETLIFY_SITE_ID: context.siteId },
+        })
+      } catch (error) {
+        expect(error).toHaveProperty(
+          'stderr',
+          expect.stringContaining(`Error: option '-p, --prod' cannot be used with option '--draft'`),
+        )
+      }
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('should not run deploy with --draft and --prod-if-unlocked flags together', async (t) => {
+    await withSiteBuilder(t, async (builder) => {
+      await builder.build()
+      try {
+        await callCli(['deploy', '--no-build', '--draft', '--prod-if-unlocked'], {
+          cwd: builder.directory,
+          env: { NETLIFY_SITE_ID: context.siteId },
+        })
+      } catch (error) {
+        expect(error).toHaveProperty(
+          'stderr',
+          expect.stringContaining(`Error: option '--prod-if-unlocked' cannot be used with option '--draft'`),
+        )
+      }
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('should deploy as draft when --draft flag is used with --alias and --no-build', async (t) => {
+    await withSiteBuilder(t, async (builder) => {
+      const content = '<h1>Draft deploy with alias test</h1>'
+      builder.withContentFile({
+        path: 'public/index.html',
+        content,
+      })
+
+      await builder.build()
+
+      const deploy = await callCli(
+        ['deploy', '--json', '--no-build', '--dir', 'public', '--draft', '--alias', 'test-branch'],
+        {
+          cwd: builder.directory,
+          env: { NETLIFY_SITE_ID: context.siteId },
+        },
+      ).then((output: string) => JSON.parse(output))
+
+      await validateDeploy({ deploy, siteName: SITE_NAME, content })
+      expect(deploy).toHaveProperty(
+        'function_logs',
+        `https://app.netlify.com/projects/${SITE_NAME}/logs/functions?scope=deploy:${deploy.deploy_id}`,
+      )
+      expect(deploy).toHaveProperty(
+        'edge_function_logs',
+        `https://app.netlify.com/projects/${SITE_NAME}/logs/edge-functions?scope=deployid:${deploy.deploy_id}`,
+      )
+      expect(deploy.deploy_url).toContain('test-branch--')
+    })
+  })
+
   test('should include source_zip_filename in JSON output when --upload-source-zip flag is used', async (t) => {
     await withSiteBuilder(t, async (builder) => {
       const content = '<h1>Source zip test</h1>'