diff --git a/doc/03-cli.md b/doc/03-cli.md
index 9fc3d552a..ad31c2220 100644
--- a/doc/03-cli.md
+++ b/doc/03-cli.md
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ resolution.
   installation and show you what would happen.
 * **--dev:** Install packages listed in `require-dev` (this is the default behavior).
 * **--no-dev:** Skip installing packages listed in `require-dev`.
+* **--no-autoloader:** Skips autoloader generation.
 * **--no-scripts:** Skips execution of scripts defined in `composer.json`.
 * **--no-plugins:** Disables plugins.
 * **--no-progress:** Removes the progress display that can mess with some
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ php composer.phar update vendor/*
 * **--dry-run:** Simulate the command without actually doing anything.
 * **--dev:** Install packages listed in `require-dev` (this is the default behavior).
 * **--no-dev:** Skip installing packages listed in `require-dev`.
+* **--no-autoloader:** Skips autoloader generation.
 * **--no-scripts:** Skips execution of scripts defined in `composer.json`.
 * **--no-plugins:** Disables plugins.
 * **--no-progress:** Removes the progress display that can mess with some
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
index 669c03582..c1de25ce7 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class InstallCommand extends Command
                 new InputOption('no-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables installation of require-dev packages.'),
                 new InputOption('no-plugins', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables all plugins.'),
                 new InputOption('no-custom-installers', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'DEPRECATED: Use no-plugins instead.'),
+                new InputOption('no-autoloader', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Skips autoloader generation'),
                 new InputOption('no-scripts', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Skips the execution of all scripts defined in composer.json file.'),
                 new InputOption('no-progress', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Do not output download progress.'),
                 new InputOption('verbose', 'v|vv|vvv', InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Shows more details including new commits pulled in when updating packages.'),
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ EOT
             ->setPreferSource($preferSource)
             ->setPreferDist($preferDist)
             ->setDevMode(!$input->getOption('no-dev'))
+            ->setRunAutoloader(!$input->getOption('no-autoloader'))
             ->setRunScripts(!$input->getOption('no-scripts'))
             ->setOptimizeAutoloader($optimize)
             ->setIgnorePlatformRequirements($input->getOption('ignore-platform-reqs'))
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
index 5e83658c9..cb3b50209 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class UpdateCommand extends Command
                 new InputOption('lock', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Only updates the lock file hash to suppress warning about the lock file being out of date.'),
                 new InputOption('no-plugins', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables all plugins.'),
                 new InputOption('no-custom-installers', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'DEPRECATED: Use no-plugins instead.'),
+                new InputOption('no-autoloader', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Skips autoloader generation'),
                 new InputOption('no-scripts', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Skips the execution of all scripts defined in composer.json file.'),
                 new InputOption('no-progress', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Do not output download progress.'),
                 new InputOption('with-dependencies', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Add also all dependencies of whitelisted packages to the whitelist.'),
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ EOT
             ->setPreferSource($preferSource)
             ->setPreferDist($preferDist)
             ->setDevMode(!$input->getOption('no-dev'))
+            ->setRunAutoloader(!$input->getOption('no-autoloader'))
             ->setRunScripts(!$input->getOption('no-scripts'))
             ->setOptimizeAutoloader($optimize)
             ->setUpdate(true)
diff --git a/src/Composer/Installer.php b/src/Composer/Installer.php
index 35df7e61b..041a2f6c9 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Installer.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Installer.php
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ class Installer
     protected $dryRun = false;
     protected $verbose = false;
     protected $update = false;
+    protected $runAutoloader = true;
     protected $runScripts = true;
     protected $ignorePlatformReqs = false;
     protected $preferStable = false;
@@ -317,16 +318,18 @@ class Installer
                 }
             }
 
-            // write autoloader
-            if ($this->optimizeAutoloader) {
-                $this->io->write('<info>Generating optimized autoload files</info>');
-            } else {
-                $this->io->write('<info>Generating autoload files</info>');
+            if ($this->runAutoloader) {
+                // write autoloader
+                if ($this->optimizeAutoloader) {
+                    $this->io->write('<info>Generating optimized autoload files</info>');
+                } else {
+                    $this->io->write('<info>Generating autoload files</info>');
+                }
+    
+                $this->autoloadGenerator->setDevMode($this->devMode);
+                $this->autoloadGenerator->dump($this->config, $localRepo, $this->package, $this->installationManager, 'composer', $this->optimizeAutoloader);
             }
 
-            $this->autoloadGenerator->setDevMode($this->devMode);
-            $this->autoloadGenerator->dump($this->config, $localRepo, $this->package, $this->installationManager, 'composer', $this->optimizeAutoloader);
-
             if ($this->runScripts) {
                 // dispatch post event
                 $eventName = $this->update ? ScriptEvents::POST_UPDATE_CMD : ScriptEvents::POST_INSTALL_CMD;
@@ -1163,6 +1166,21 @@ class Installer
         return $this;
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * set whether to run autoloader or not
+     * 
+     * @param boolean $runAutoloader
+     * @return Installer
+     */
+    public function setRunAutoloader($runAutoloader = true)
+    {
+        $this->runAutoloader = (boolean) $runAutoloader;
+        
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * set whether to run scripts or not
      *