diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3c2aeed..23effd0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# *chart-releaser* Action
+# _chart-releaser_ Action
 
 A GitHub action to turn a GitHub project into a self-hosted Helm chart repo, using [helm/chart-releaser](https://github.com/helm/chart-releaser) CLI tool.
 
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ A GitHub action to turn a GitHub project into a self-hosted Helm chart repo, usi
 ### Pre-requisites
 
 1. A GitHub repo containing a directory with your Helm charts (default is a folder named `/charts`, if you want to
-maintain your charts in a different directory, you must include a `charts_dir` input in the workflow).
+   maintain your charts in a different directory, you must include a `charts_dir` input in the workflow).
 1. A GitHub branch called `gh-pages` to store the published charts. See `charts_repo_url` for alternatives.
 1. In your repo, go to Settings/Pages. Change the `Source` `Branch` to `gh-pages`.
 1. Create a workflow `.yml` file in your `.github/workflows` directory. An [example workflow](#example-workflow) is available below.
-  For more information, reference the GitHub Help Documentation for [Creating a workflow file](https://help.github.com/en/articles/configuring-a-workflow#creating-a-workflow-file)
+   For more information, reference the GitHub Help Documentation for [Creating a workflow file](https://help.github.com/en/articles/configuring-a-workflow#creating-a-workflow-file)
 
 ### Inputs
 
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ maintain your charts in a different directory, you must include a `charts_dir` i
 - `config`: Optional config file for chart-releaser. For more information on the config file, see the [documentation](https://github.com/helm/chart-releaser#config-file)
 - `charts_dir`: The charts directory
 - `charts_repo_url`: The GitHub Pages URL to the charts repo (default: `https://<owner>.github.io/<project>`)
+- `skip_packaging`: This option, when populated, will skip the packaging step. This allows you to do more advanced packaging of your charts (for example, with the `helm package` command) before this action runs. This action will only handle the indexing and publishing steps.
 
 ### Environment variables
 
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ It does this – during every push to `main` – by checking each chart in your
 #### Example using custom config
 
 `workflow.yml`:
+
 ```yaml
 - name: Run chart-releaser
   uses: helm/chart-releaser-action@v1.4.1
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index a612894..d745463 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@ inputs:
     description: "The GitHub Pages URL to the charts repo (default: https://<owner>.github.io/<repo>)"
     required: false
   install_dir:
-    description: 'Where to install the cr tool'
+    description: "Where to install the cr tool"
     required: false
   install_only:
-    description: 'Just install cr tool'
+    description: "Just install cr tool"
+    required: false
+  skip_packaging:
+    description: "skip the packaging option (do your custom packaging before running this action"
     required: false
 
 runs:
@@ -61,5 +64,9 @@ runs:
             args+=(--install-only "${{ inputs.install_only }}")
         fi
 
+        if [[ -n "${{ inputs.skip_packaging }}" ]]; then
+            args+=(--skip-packaging "${{ inputs.skip_packaging }}")
+        fi
+
         "$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/cr.sh" "${args[@]}"
       shell: bash
diff --git a/cr.sh b/cr.sh
index a8830d6..077033a 100755
--- a/cr.sh
+++ b/cr.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Usage: $(basename "$0") <options>
     -r, --repo               The repo name
     -n, --install-dir        The Path to install the cr tool
     -i, --install-only       Just install the cr tool
+    -s, --skip-packaging     Skip the packaging step (run your own packaging before using the releaser)
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ main() {
     local charts_repo_url=
     local install_dir=
     local install_only=
+    local skip_packaging=
 
     parse_command_line "$@"
 
@@ -54,35 +56,43 @@ main() {
     repo_root=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
     pushd "$repo_root" > /dev/null
 
-    echo 'Looking up latest tag...'
-    local latest_tag
-    latest_tag=$(lookup_latest_tag)
+    if ! [[ -n "$skip_packaging" ]]; then
+        echo 'Looking up latest tag...'
+        local latest_tag
+        latest_tag=$(lookup_latest_tag)
 
-    echo "Discovering changed charts since '$latest_tag'..."
-    local changed_charts=()
-    readarray -t changed_charts <<< "$(lookup_changed_charts "$latest_tag")"
+        echo "Discovering changed charts since '$latest_tag'..."
+        local changed_charts=()
+        readarray -t changed_charts <<< "$(lookup_changed_charts "$latest_tag")"
 
-    if [[ -n "${changed_charts[*]}" ]]; then
-        install_chart_releaser
+        if [[ -n "${changed_charts[*]}" ]]; then
+            install_chart_releaser
 
-        rm -rf .cr-release-packages
-        mkdir -p .cr-release-packages
+            rm -rf .cr-release-packages
+            mkdir -p .cr-release-packages
 
-        rm -rf .cr-index
-        mkdir -p .cr-index
+            rm -rf .cr-index
+            mkdir -p .cr-index
 
-        for chart in "${changed_charts[@]}"; do
-            if [[ -d "$chart" ]]; then
-                package_chart "$chart"
-            else
-                echo "Chart '$chart' no longer exists in repo. Skipping it..."
-            fi
-        done
+            for chart in "${changed_charts[@]}"; do
+                if [[ -d "$chart" ]]; then
+                    package_chart "$chart"
+                else
+                    echo "Chart '$chart' no longer exists in repo. Skipping it..."
+                fi
+            done
 
+            release_charts
+            update_index
+        else
+            echo "Nothing to do. No chart changes detected."
+        fi
+    else
+        install_chart_releaser
+        rm -rf .cr-index
+        mkdir -p .cr-index
         release_charts
         update_index
-    else
-        echo "Nothing to do. No chart changes detected."
     fi
 
     popd > /dev/null
@@ -167,6 +177,12 @@ parse_command_line() {
                     shift
                 fi
                 ;;
+            -s|--skip-packaging)
+                if [[ -n "${2:-}" ]]; then
+                    skip_packaging="$2"
+                    shift
+                fi
+                ;;
             *)
                 break
                 ;;