diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index 8a3505647485..cda7b7be0eea 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const (
 	hiddenOptionName   = "hidden"
 	onlyHashOptionName = "only-hash"
 	chunkerOptionName  = "chunker"
+	noPinOptionName    = "no-pin"
 )
 
 var AddCmd = &cmds.Command{
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ remains to be implemented.
 		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "Include files that are hidden"),
 		cmds.StringOption(chunkerOptionName, "s", "chunking algorithm to use"),
+		cmds.BoolOption(noPinOptionName, "Do not pin this object when adding"),
 	},
 	PreRun: func(req cmds.Request) error {
 		if quiet, _, _ := req.Option(quietOptionName).Bool(); quiet {
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ remains to be implemented.
 		hash, _, _ := req.Option(onlyHashOptionName).Bool()
 		hidden, _, _ := req.Option(hiddenOptionName).Bool()
 		chunker, _, _ := req.Option(chunkerOptionName).String()
+		nopin, _, _ := req.Option(noPinOptionName).Bool()
 
 		if hash {
 			nilnode, err := core.NewNode(n.Context(), &core.BuildCfg{
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@ remains to be implemented.
 		fileAdder.Hidden = hidden
 		fileAdder.Trickle = trickle
 		fileAdder.Wrap = wrap
+		fileAdder.Pin = !nopin
 
 		// addAllFiles loops over a convenience slice file to
 		// add each file individually. e.g. 'ipfs add a b c'
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add.go b/core/coreunix/add.go
index 27f9ed620a6f..df690bdf87fe 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add.go
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ func (params *Adder) PinRoot() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if !params.Pin {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	rnk, err := root.Key()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh b/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
index 92ed7a55e584..72178825d19b 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0081-repo-pinning.sh
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ HASH_DIR4="QmW98gV71Ns4bX7QbgWAqLiGF3SDC1JpveZSgBh4ExaSAd"
 HASH_DIR3="QmRsCaNBMkweZ9vHT5PJRd2TT9rtNKEKyuognCEVxZxF1H"
 HASH_DIR2="QmTUTQAgeVfughDSFukMZLbfGvetDJY7Ef5cDXkKK4abKC"
 HASH_DIR1="QmNyZVFbgvmzguS2jVMRb8PQMNcCMJrn9E3doDhBbcPNTY"
+HASH_NOPINDIR="QmWHjrRJYSfYKz5V9dWWSKu47GdY7NewyRhyTiroXgWcDU"
+HASH_NOPIN_FILE1="QmUJT3GQi1dxQyTZbkaWeer9GkCn1d3W3HHRLSDr6PTcpx"
+HASH_NOPIN_FILE2="QmarR7m9JT7qHEGhuFNZUEMAnoZ8E9QAfsthHCQ9Y2GfoT"
 
 DIR1="dir1"
 DIR2="dir1/dir2"
@@ -247,6 +250,34 @@ test_expect_success "recursive pin fails without objects" '
 	test_fsh cat err_expected8
 '
 
+test_expect_success "test add nopin file" '
+	echo "test nopin data" > test_nopin_data &&
+	NOPINHASH=$(ipfs add -q --no-pin test_nopin_data) &&
+	test_pin_flag "$NOPINHASH" direct false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$NOPINHASH" indirect false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$NOPINHASH" recursive false
+'
+
+
+test_expect_success "test add nopin dir" '
+	mkdir nopin_dir1 &&
+	echo "some nopin text 1" >nopin_dir1/file1 &&
+	echo "some nopin text 2" >nopin_dir1/file2 &&
+	ipfs add -q -r --no-pin nopin_dir1 | tail -n1 >actual1 &&
+	echo "$HASH_NOPINDIR" >expected1 &&
+	test_cmp actual1 expected1 &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPINDIR" direct false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPINDIR" indirect false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPINDIR" recursive false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE1" direct false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE1" indirect false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE1" recursive false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE2" direct false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE2" indirect false &&
+	test_pin_flag "$HASH_NOPIN_FILE2" recursive false
+
+'
+
 # test_kill_ipfs_daemon
 
 test_done