diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 0969d5d..7a326fd 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -43,9 +43,21 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Path to where the settings.xml file will be written. Default is ~/.m2.'
     required: false
   overwrite-settings:
-    description: 'Overwrite the settings.xml file if it exists. Default is "true".'
+    description: 'Overwrite the settings.xml file if it exists. Default is "!update-toolchains-only". If explcitly set "true", it will update settings.xml regardless of "update-toolchains-only"'
     required: false
-    default: true
+    # DO NOT set a default here! The default will be propagated from input 'update-toolchains-only'!
+  update-toolchains-only:
+    description: 'Update toolchains.xml only. Default is "false". No update of settings.xml, no update of JAVA_HOME, no adding to PATH by default - unless "overwrite-settings", "update-env-javahome" or "add-to-env-path" are not explicitly set "true"'
+    required: false
+    default: false
+  update-env-javahome:
+    description: 'Update the JAVA_HOME environment variable. Default is "!update-toolchains-only"'
+    required: false
+    # DO NOT set a default here! The default will be propagated from input 'update-toolchains-only'!
+  add-to-env-path:
+    description: 'Add "<JDK home>/bin" to the PATH environment variable. Default is "!update-toolchains-only"'
+    required: false
+    # DO NOT set a default here! The default will be propagated from input 'update-toolchains-only'!
   gpg-private-key:
     description: 'GPG private key to import. Default is empty string.'
     required: false
diff --git a/src/auth.ts b/src/auth.ts
index c8ea629..66cdd9a 100644
--- a/src/auth.ts
+++ b/src/auth.ts
@@ -10,17 +10,15 @@ import * as constants from './constants';
 import * as gpg from './gpg';
 import {getBooleanInput} from './util';
 
-export async function configureAuthentication() {
+export async function configureAuthentication(
+  overwriteSettings: boolean
+) {
   const id = core.getInput(constants.INPUT_SERVER_ID);
   const username = core.getInput(constants.INPUT_SERVER_USERNAME);
   const password = core.getInput(constants.INPUT_SERVER_PASSWORD);
   const settingsDirectory =
     core.getInput(constants.INPUT_SETTINGS_PATH) ||
     path.join(os.homedir(), constants.M2_DIR);
-  const overwriteSettings = getBooleanInput(
-    constants.INPUT_OVERWRITE_SETTINGS,
-    true
-  );
   const gpgPrivateKey =
     core.getInput(constants.INPUT_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY) ||
     constants.INPUT_DEFAULT_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY;
diff --git a/src/constants.ts b/src/constants.ts
index 93af286..52a0055 100644
--- a/src/constants.ts
+++ b/src/constants.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ export const INPUT_SERVER_USERNAME = 'server-username';
 export const INPUT_SERVER_PASSWORD = 'server-password';
 export const INPUT_SETTINGS_PATH = 'settings-path';
 export const INPUT_OVERWRITE_SETTINGS = 'overwrite-settings';
+export const INPUT_UPDATE_TOOLCHAINS_ONLY = 'update-toolchains-only';
+export const INPUT_UPDATE_JAVA_HOME = 'update-env-javahome';
+export const INPUT_ADD_TO_PATH = 'add-to-env-path';
 export const INPUT_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY = 'gpg-private-key';
 export const INPUT_GPG_PASSPHRASE = 'gpg-passphrase';
 
diff --git a/src/distributions/base-installer.ts b/src/distributions/base-installer.ts
index 258ac9f..d4589bc 100644
--- a/src/distributions/base-installer.ts
+++ b/src/distributions/base-installer.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ import {
   JavaInstallerOptions,
   JavaInstallerResults
 } from './base-models';
-import {MACOS_JAVA_CONTENT_POSTFIX} from '../constants';
+import {
+  MACOS_JAVA_CONTENT_POSTFIX,
+  INPUT_UPDATE_JAVA_HOME,
+  INPUT_ADD_TO_PATH
+} from '../constants';
 import os from 'os';
 
 export abstract class JavaBase {
@@ -20,6 +24,8 @@ export abstract class JavaBase {
   protected packageType: string;
   protected stable: boolean;
   protected checkLatest: boolean;
+  protected updateEnvJavaHome: boolean;
+  protected addToEnvPath: boolean;
 
   constructor(
     protected distribution: string,
@@ -36,6 +42,8 @@ export abstract class JavaBase {
     this.architecture = installerOptions.architecture || os.arch();
     this.packageType = installerOptions.packageType;
     this.checkLatest = installerOptions.checkLatest;
+    this.updateEnvJavaHome = installerOptions.updateEnvJavaHome;
+    this.addToEnvPath = installerOptions.addToEnvPath;
   }
 
   protected abstract downloadTool(
@@ -163,8 +171,16 @@ export abstract class JavaBase {
 
   protected setJavaDefault(version: string, toolPath: string) {
     const majorVersion = version.split('.')[0];
-    core.exportVariable('JAVA_HOME', toolPath);
-    core.addPath(path.join(toolPath, 'bin'));
+    if (this.updateEnvJavaHome) {
+      core.exportVariable('JAVA_HOME', toolPath);
+    } else {
+      core.info(`Skip updating env.JAVA_HOME according to ${INPUT_UPDATE_JAVA_HOME}`);
+    }
+    if (this.addToEnvPath) {
+      core.addPath(path.join(toolPath, 'bin'));
+    } else {
+      core.info(`Skip adding to env.PATH according to ${INPUT_ADD_TO_PATH}`);
+    }
     core.setOutput('distribution', this.distribution);
     core.setOutput('path', toolPath);
     core.setOutput('version', version);
diff --git a/src/distributions/base-models.ts b/src/distributions/base-models.ts
index 82344d5..605e9a3 100644
--- a/src/distributions/base-models.ts
+++ b/src/distributions/base-models.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ export interface JavaInstallerOptions {
   architecture: string;
   packageType: string;
   checkLatest: boolean;
+  updateEnvJavaHome: boolean;
+  addToEnvPath: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface JavaInstallerResults {
diff --git a/src/setup-java.ts b/src/setup-java.ts
index 73baf33..0aaa46f 100644
--- a/src/setup-java.ts
+++ b/src/setup-java.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,19 @@ import * as path from 'path';
 import {getJavaDistribution} from './distributions/distribution-factory';
 import {JavaInstallerOptions} from './distributions/base-models';
 
+interface IInstallerInputsOptions {
+  architecture: string;
+  packageType: string;
+  checkLatest: boolean;
+  distributionName: string;
+  jdkFile: string;
+  toolchainIds: Array<string>;
+  updateToolchainsOnly: boolean;
+  overwriteSettings: boolean;
+  updateEnvJavaHome: boolean;
+  addToEnvPath: boolean;
+}
+
 async function run() {
   try {
     const versions = core.getMultilineInput(constants.INPUT_JAVA_VERSION);
@@ -28,6 +41,11 @@ async function run() {
       constants.INPUT_CACHE_DEPENDENCY_PATH
     );
     const checkLatest = getBooleanInput(constants.INPUT_CHECK_LATEST, false);
+    const updateToolchainsOnly = getBooleanInput(constants.INPUT_UPDATE_TOOLCHAINS_ONLY, false);
+    const overwriteSettings = getBooleanInput(constants.INPUT_OVERWRITE_SETTINGS, !updateToolchainsOnly);
+    const updateEnvJavaHome = getBooleanInput(constants.INPUT_UPDATE_JAVA_HOME, !updateToolchainsOnly);
+    const addToEnvPath = getBooleanInput(constants.INPUT_ADD_TO_PATH, !updateToolchainsOnly);
+
     let toolchainIds = core.getMultilineInput(constants.INPUT_MVN_TOOLCHAIN_ID);
 
     core.startGroup('Installed distributions');
@@ -40,13 +58,17 @@ async function run() {
       throw new Error('java-version or java-version-file input expected');
     }
 
-    const installerInputsOptions: installerInputsOptions = {
+    const installerInputsOptions: IInstallerInputsOptions = {
       architecture,
       packageType,
       checkLatest,
       distributionName,
       jdkFile,
-      toolchainIds
+      toolchainIds,
+      updateToolchainsOnly,
+      overwriteSettings,
+      updateEnvJavaHome,
+      addToEnvPath
     };
 
     if (!versions.length) {
@@ -78,7 +100,7 @@ async function run() {
     const matchersPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', '.github');
     core.info(`##[add-matcher]${path.join(matchersPath, 'java.json')}`);
 
-    await auth.configureAuthentication();
+    await auth.configureAuthentication(overwriteSettings);
     if (cache && isCacheFeatureAvailable()) {
       await restore(cache, cacheDependencyPath);
     }
@@ -91,7 +113,7 @@ run();
 
 async function installVersion(
   version: string,
-  options: installerInputsOptions,
+  options: IInstallerInputsOptions,
   toolchainId = 0
 ) {
   const {
@@ -100,14 +122,20 @@ async function installVersion(
     architecture,
     packageType,
     checkLatest,
-    toolchainIds
+    toolchainIds,
+    updateToolchainsOnly,
+    overwriteSettings,
+    updateEnvJavaHome,
+    addToEnvPath
   } = options;
 
   const installerOptions: JavaInstallerOptions = {
+    version,
     architecture,
     packageType,
     checkLatest,
-    version
+    updateEnvJavaHome,
+    addToEnvPath
   };
 
   const distribution = getJavaDistribution(
@@ -126,6 +154,7 @@ async function installVersion(
     version,
     distributionName,
     result.path,
+    overwriteSettings || updateToolchainsOnly,
     toolchainIds[toolchainId]
   );
 
@@ -136,12 +165,3 @@ async function installVersion(
   core.info(`  Path: ${result.path}`);
   core.info('');
 }
-
-interface installerInputsOptions {
-  architecture: string;
-  packageType: string;
-  checkLatest: boolean;
-  distributionName: string;
-  jdkFile: string;
-  toolchainIds: Array<string>;
-}
diff --git a/src/toolchains.ts b/src/toolchains.ts
index cbb667e..3238d29 100644
--- a/src/toolchains.ts
+++ b/src/toolchains.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export async function configureToolchains(
   version: string,
   distributionName: string,
   jdkHome: string,
+  updateToolchains: boolean,
   toolchainId?: string
 ) {
   const vendor =
@@ -27,10 +28,6 @@ export async function configureToolchains(
   const settingsDirectory =
     core.getInput(constants.INPUT_SETTINGS_PATH) ||
     path.join(os.homedir(), constants.M2_DIR);
-  const overwriteSettings = getBooleanInput(
-    constants.INPUT_OVERWRITE_SETTINGS,
-    true
-  );
 
   await createToolchainsSettings({
     jdkInfo: {
@@ -40,21 +37,21 @@ export async function configureToolchains(
       jdkHome
     },
     settingsDirectory,
-    overwriteSettings
+    updateToolchains
   });
 }
 
 export async function createToolchainsSettings({
   jdkInfo,
   settingsDirectory,
-  overwriteSettings
+  updateToolchains
 }: {
   jdkInfo: JdkInfo;
   settingsDirectory: string;
-  overwriteSettings: boolean;
+  updateToolchains: boolean;
 }) {
   core.info(
-    `Creating ${constants.MVN_TOOLCHAINS_FILE} for JDK version ${jdkInfo.version} from ${jdkInfo.vendor}`
+    `Adding a toolchain entry in ${constants.MVN_TOOLCHAINS_FILE} for JDK version ${jdkInfo.version} from ${jdkInfo.vendor}`
   );
   // when an alternate m2 location is specified use only that location (no .m2 directory)
   // otherwise use the home/.m2/ path
@@ -72,7 +69,7 @@ export async function createToolchainsSettings({
   await writeToolchainsFileToDisk(
     settingsDirectory,
     updatedToolchains,
-    overwriteSettings
+    updateToolchains
   );
 }
 
@@ -147,17 +144,17 @@ async function readExistingToolchainsFile(directory: string) {
 async function writeToolchainsFileToDisk(
   directory: string,
   settings: string,
-  overwriteSettings: boolean
+  updateToolchains: boolean
 ) {
   const location = path.join(directory, constants.MVN_TOOLCHAINS_FILE);
-  const settingsExists = fs.existsSync(location);
-  if (settingsExists && overwriteSettings) {
-    core.info(`Overwriting existing file ${location}`);
-  } else if (!settingsExists) {
-    core.info(`Writing to ${location}`);
+  const toolchainsExists = fs.existsSync(location);
+  if (toolchainsExists && updateToolchains) {
+    core.info(`Updating existing file ${location}`);
+  } else if (!toolchainsExists) {
+    core.info(`Creating file ${location}`);
   } else {
     core.info(
-      `Skipping generation of ${location} because file already exists and overwriting is not enabled`
+      `Skipping update of ${location} since file already exists and updating is not enabled`
     );
     return;
   }