diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index bf24aca..7aa2094 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Optional SDK version(s) to use. If not provided, will install global.json version when available. Examples: 2.2.104, 3.1, 3.1.x, 3.x, 6.0.2xx'
   dotnet-quality:
     description: 'Optional quality of the build. The possible values are: daily, signed, validated, preview, ga.'
+  runtime-only:
+    description: 'Optional input to install only the runtime, not the SDK.'
+    required: false
+    default: false
   global-json-file:
     description: 'Optional global.json location, if your global.json isn''t located in the root of the repo.'
   source-url:
diff --git a/dist/setup/index.js b/dist/setup/index.js
index 15f9de8..9aff980 100644
--- a/dist/setup/index.js
+++ b/dist/setup/index.js
@@ -72993,9 +72993,10 @@ DotnetInstallDir.dirPath = process.env['DOTNET_INSTALL_DIR']
     ? DotnetInstallDir.convertInstallPathToAbsolute(process.env['DOTNET_INSTALL_DIR'])
     : DotnetInstallDir.default[utils_1.PLATFORM];
 class DotnetCoreInstaller {
-    constructor(dotnetVersion, quality) {
+    constructor(dotnetVersion, quality, runtimeOnly = false) {
         this.dotnetVersion = dotnetVersion;
         this.quality = quality;
+        this.runtimeOnly = runtimeOnly;
     }
     installDotnet() {
         return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
@@ -73022,12 +73023,15 @@ class DotnetCoreInstaller {
              * Install dotnet over the latest version of
              * dotnet CLI
              */
-            const dotnetInstallOutput = yield new DotnetInstallScript()
+            const dotnetInstallScript = new DotnetInstallScript()
                 // Don't overwrite CLI because it should be already installed
                 .useArguments(utils_1.IS_WINDOWS ? '-SkipNonVersionedFiles' : '--skip-non-versioned-files')
                 // Use version provided by user
-                .useVersion(this.dotnetVersion, this.quality)
-                .execute();
+                .useVersion(this.dotnetVersion, this.quality);
+            if (this.runtimeOnly) {
+                dotnetInstallScript.useArguments(utils_1.IS_WINDOWS ? '-Runtime' : '--runtime', 'dotnet');
+            }
+            const dotnetInstallOutput = yield dotnetInstallScript.execute();
             if (dotnetInstallOutput.exitCode) {
                 throw new Error(`Failed to install dotnet, exit code: ${dotnetInstallOutput.exitCode}. ${dotnetInstallOutput.stderr}`);
             }
@@ -73154,7 +73158,7 @@ function run() {
                 const uniqueVersions = new Set(versions);
                 for (const version of uniqueVersions) {
                     dotnetVersionResolver = new installer_1.DotnetVersionResolver(version);
-                    dotnetInstaller = new installer_1.DotnetCoreInstaller(yield dotnetVersionResolver.createDotnetVersion(), quality);
+                    dotnetInstaller = new installer_1.DotnetCoreInstaller(yield dotnetVersionResolver.createDotnetVersion(), quality, core.getBooleanInput('runtime-only'));
                     const installedVersion = yield dotnetInstaller.installDotnet();
                     installedDotnetVersions.push(installedVersion);
                 }
diff --git a/src/installer.ts b/src/installer.ts
index b93cb38..eacbe67 100644
--- a/src/installer.ts
+++ b/src/installer.ts
@@ -255,7 +255,8 @@ export class DotnetCoreInstaller {
 
   constructor(
     private readonly dotnetVersion: DotnetVersion,
-    private readonly quality: QualityOptions
+    private readonly quality: QualityOptions,
+    private readonly runtimeOnly = false
   ) {}
 
   public async installDotnet(): Promise<string | null> {
@@ -288,14 +289,22 @@ export class DotnetCoreInstaller {
      * Install dotnet over the latest version of
      * dotnet CLI
      */
-    const dotnetInstallOutput = await new DotnetInstallScript()
+    const dotnetInstallScript = new DotnetInstallScript()
       // Don't overwrite CLI because it should be already installed
       .useArguments(
         IS_WINDOWS ? '-SkipNonVersionedFiles' : '--skip-non-versioned-files'
       )
       // Use version provided by user
-      .useVersion(this.dotnetVersion, this.quality)
-      .execute();
+      .useVersion(this.dotnetVersion, this.quality);
+
+    if (this.runtimeOnly) {
+      dotnetInstallScript.useArguments(
+        IS_WINDOWS ? '-Runtime' : '--runtime',
+        'dotnet'
+      );
+    }
+
+    const dotnetInstallOutput = await dotnetInstallScript.execute();
 
     if (dotnetInstallOutput.exitCode) {
       throw new Error(
diff --git a/src/setup-dotnet.ts b/src/setup-dotnet.ts
index 729ba56..0691c46 100644
--- a/src/setup-dotnet.ts
+++ b/src/setup-dotnet.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ export async function run() {
         dotnetVersionResolver = new DotnetVersionResolver(version);
         dotnetInstaller = new DotnetCoreInstaller(
           await dotnetVersionResolver.createDotnetVersion(),
-          quality
+          quality,
+          core.getBooleanInput('runtime-only')
         );
         const installedVersion = await dotnetInstaller.installDotnet();
         installedDotnetVersions.push(installedVersion);