diff --git a/poky/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py b/poky/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
index b2f27b2..7936516 100644
--- a/poky/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
+++ b/poky/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
@@ -159,12 +159,17 @@
                 logger.plain('  recommended by: %s' % ' '.join(recommendedby))
 
         if dependencies:
-            fetchdir = self.tinfoil.config_data.getVar('BBLAYERS_FETCH_DIR')
-            if not fetchdir:
-                logger.error("Cannot get BBLAYERS_FETCH_DIR")
-                return 1
+            if args.fetchdir:
+                fetchdir = args.fetchdir
+            else:
+                fetchdir = self.tinfoil.config_data.getVar('BBLAYERS_FETCH_DIR')
+                if not fetchdir:
+                    logger.error("Cannot get BBLAYERS_FETCH_DIR")
+                    return 1
+
             if not os.path.exists(fetchdir):
                 os.makedirs(fetchdir)
+
             addlayers = []
 
             for deplayerbranch in dependencies:
@@ -206,6 +211,8 @@
 """
         args.show_only = True
         args.ignore = []
+        args.fetchdir = ""
+        args.shallow = True
         self.do_layerindex_fetch(args)
 
     def register_commands(self, sp):
@@ -214,6 +221,7 @@
         parser_layerindex_fetch.add_argument('-b', '--branch', help='branch name to fetch')
         parser_layerindex_fetch.add_argument('-s', '--shallow', help='do only shallow clones (--depth=1)', action='store_true')
         parser_layerindex_fetch.add_argument('-i', '--ignore', help='assume the specified layers do not need to be fetched/added (separate multiple layers with commas, no spaces)', metavar='LAYER')
+        parser_layerindex_fetch.add_argument('-f', '--fetchdir', help='directory to fetch the layer(s) into (will be created if it does not exist)')
         parser_layerindex_fetch.add_argument('layername', nargs='+', help='layer to fetch')
 
         parser_layerindex_show_depends = self.add_command(sp, 'layerindex-show-depends', self.do_layerindex_show_depends, parserecipes=False)