diff --git a/tools/handler.cpp b/tools/handler.cpp
index 65596f5..711e2f3 100644
--- a/tools/handler.cpp
+++ b/tools/handler.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
     blob->closeBlob(session);
 }
 
-bool UpdateHandler::verifyFile(const std::string& target)
+bool UpdateHandler::verifyFile(const std::string& target, bool ignoreStatus)
 {
     std::uint16_t session;
     bool success = false;
@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@
                             std::string(b.what()));
     }
 
+    if (ignoreStatus)
+    {
+        // Skip checking the blob for status if ignoreStatus is enabled
+        blob->closeBlob(session);
+        return true;
+    }
+
     std::fprintf(stderr, "Calling stat on %s session to check status\n",
                  target.c_str());
 
diff --git a/tools/handler.hpp b/tools/handler.hpp
index 2335977..a0dae56 100644
--- a/tools/handler.hpp
+++ b/tools/handler.hpp
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@
      *
      * @param[in] target - the verification blob id (may support multiple in the
      * future.
+     * @param[in] ignoreStatus - determines whether to ignore the verification
+     * status.
      * @return true if verified, false if verification errors.
      */
-    virtual bool verifyFile(const std::string& target) = 0;
+    virtual bool verifyFile(const std::string& target, bool ignoreStatus) = 0;
 
     /**
      * Cleanup the artifacts by triggering this action.
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@
     /**
      * @throw ToolException on failure (TODO: throw on timeout.)
      */
-    bool verifyFile(const std::string& target) override;
+    bool verifyFile(const std::string& target, bool ignoreStatus) override;
 
     void cleanArtifacts() override;
 
diff --git a/tools/main.cpp b/tools/main.cpp
index ae85c1b..f73bcad 100644
--- a/tools/main.cpp
+++ b/tools/main.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@
     std::fprintf(
         stderr,
         "Usage: %s --command <command> --interface <interface> --image "
-        "<image file> --sig <signature file> --type <layout>\n",
+        "<image file> --sig <signature file> --type <layout> "
+        "[--ignore-update]\n",
         program);
 
     std::fprintf(stderr, "interfaces: ");
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@
     long length = 0;
     std::uint32_t hostAddress = 0;
     std::uint32_t hostLength = 0;
+    bool ignoreUpdate = false;
 
     while (1)
     {
@@ -98,12 +100,13 @@
             {"address", required_argument, 0, 'a'},
             {"length", required_argument, 0, 'l'},
             {"type", required_argument, 0, 't'},
+            {"ignore-update", no_argument, 0, 'u'},
             {0, 0, 0, 0}
         };
         // clang-format on
 
         int option_index = 0;
-        int c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:i:m:s:a:l:t:", long_options,
+        int c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:i:m:s:a:l:t:u", long_options,
                             &option_index);
         if (c == -1)
         {
@@ -168,6 +171,9 @@
             case 't':
                 type = std::string{optarg};
                 break;
+            case 'u':
+                ignoreUpdate = true;
+                break;
             default:
                 usage(argv[0]);
                 exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -232,7 +238,8 @@
         try
         {
             host_tool::UpdateHandler updater(&blob, handler.get());
-            host_tool::updaterMain(&updater, imagePath, signaturePath, type);
+            host_tool::updaterMain(&updater, imagePath, signaturePath, type,
+                                   ignoreUpdate);
         }
         catch (const host_tool::ToolException& e)
         {
diff --git a/tools/test/tools_updater_unittest.cpp b/tools/test/tools_updater_unittest.cpp
index 0c9e6b5..706a4c3 100644
--- a/tools/test/tools_updater_unittest.cpp
+++ b/tools/test/tools_updater_unittest.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
         .WillOnce(Return(verificationResponse));
     EXPECT_CALL(blobMock, closeBlob(session)).WillOnce(Return());
 
-    EXPECT_TRUE(updater.verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(updater.verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId, false));
 }
 
 class UpdaterTest : public ::testing::Test
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
   protected:
     ipmiblob::BlobInterfaceMock blobMock;
     std::uint16_t session = 0xbeef;
+    bool defaultIgnore = false;
 };
 
 TEST_F(UpdaterTest, UpdateMainReturnsSuccessIfAllSuccess)
@@ -106,12 +107,30 @@
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, checkAvailable(_)).WillOnce(Return(true));
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, image)).WillOnce(Return());
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, signature)).WillOnce(Return());
-    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId))
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId, defaultIgnore))
         .WillOnce(Return(true));
-    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::updateBlobId))
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::updateBlobId, defaultIgnore))
         .WillOnce(Return(true));
 
-    updaterMain(&handler, image, signature, "static");
+    updaterMain(&handler, image, signature, "static", defaultIgnore);
+}
+
+TEST_F(UpdaterTest, UpdateMainReturnsSuccessWithIgnoreUpdate)
+{
+    const std::string image = "image.bin";
+    const std::string signature = "signature.bin";
+    UpdateHandlerMock handler;
+    bool updateIgnore = true;
+
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, checkAvailable(_)).WillOnce(Return(true));
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, image)).WillOnce(Return());
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, signature)).WillOnce(Return());
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId, defaultIgnore))
+        .WillOnce(Return(true));
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::updateBlobId, updateIgnore))
+        .WillOnce(Return(true));
+
+    updaterMain(&handler, image, signature, "static", updateIgnore);
 }
 
 TEST_F(UpdaterTest, UpdateMainCleansUpOnFailure)
@@ -123,12 +142,13 @@
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, checkAvailable(_)).WillOnce(Return(true));
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, image)).WillOnce(Return());
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, sendFile(_, signature)).WillOnce(Return());
-    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId))
+    EXPECT_CALL(handler, verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId, defaultIgnore))
         .WillOnce(Return(false));
     EXPECT_CALL(handler, cleanArtifacts()).WillOnce(Return());
 
-    EXPECT_THROW(updaterMain(&handler, image, signature, "static"),
-                 ToolException);
+    EXPECT_THROW(
+        updaterMain(&handler, image, signature, "static", defaultIgnore),
+        ToolException);
 }
 
 } // namespace host_tool
diff --git a/tools/test/updater_mock.hpp b/tools/test/updater_mock.hpp
index d67991b..9469c62 100644
--- a/tools/test/updater_mock.hpp
+++ b/tools/test/updater_mock.hpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   public:
     MOCK_METHOD1(checkAvailable, bool(const std::string&));
     MOCK_METHOD2(sendFile, void(const std::string&, const std::string&));
-    MOCK_METHOD1(verifyFile, bool(const std::string&));
+    MOCK_METHOD2(verifyFile, bool(const std::string&, bool));
     MOCK_METHOD0(cleanArtifacts, void());
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/updater.cpp b/tools/updater.cpp
index 0fcfe6f..25f7dab 100644
--- a/tools/updater.cpp
+++ b/tools/updater.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 void updaterMain(UpdateHandlerInterface* updater, const std::string& imagePath,
                  const std::string& signaturePath,
-                 const std::string& layoutType)
+                 const std::string& layoutType, bool ignoreUpdate)
 {
     /* TODO: validate the layoutType isn't a special value such as: 'update',
      * 'verify', or 'hash'
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
         /* Trigger the verification by opening and committing the verify file.
          */
         std::fprintf(stderr, "Opening the verification file\n");
-        if (updater->verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId))
+        if (updater->verifyFile(ipmi_flash::verifyBlobId, false))
         {
             std::fprintf(stderr, "succeeded\n");
         }
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 
         /* Trigger the update by opening and committing the update file. */
         std::fprintf(stderr, "Opening the update file\n");
-        if (updater->verifyFile(ipmi_flash::updateBlobId))
+        if (updater->verifyFile(ipmi_flash::updateBlobId, ignoreUpdate))
         {
             std::fprintf(stderr, "succeeded\n");
         }
diff --git a/tools/updater.hpp b/tools/updater.hpp
index 331b551..4cae534 100644
--- a/tools/updater.hpp
+++ b/tools/updater.hpp
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@
  * @param[in] imagePath - the path to the image file.
  * @param[in] signaturePath - the path to the signature file.
  * @param[in] layoutType - the image update layout type (static/ubi/other)
+ * @param[in] ignoreUpdate - determines whether to ignore the update status
  * @throws ToolException on failures.
  */
 void updaterMain(UpdateHandlerInterface* updater, const std::string& imagePath,
                  const std::string& signaturePath,
-                 const std::string& layoutType);
+                 const std::string& layoutType, bool ignoreUpdate);
 
 } // namespace host_tool