diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8d08df3ad..ee59d8d68 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -659,6 +659,8 @@ e.g. a mounted volume in a Docker container, you can enable polling with the
 `--webpack-use-polling=<time in ms>` option. If you omit the value, it defaults
 to 3000 ms.
 
+If you don't want the plugin to build when using `serverless-offline`, select the `--no-build` option.
+
 #### Custom paths
 
 If you do not use the default path and override it in your Webpack configuration,
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a29526bf4..2368f15f8 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -163,17 +163,25 @@ class ServerlessWebpack {
         BbPromise.bind(this)
           .tap(() => {
             lib.webpack.isLocal = true;
+            // --no-build override
+            if (this.options.build === false) {
+              this.skipCompile = true;
+            }
           })
           .then(this.prepareOfflineInvoke)
-          .then(this.wpwatch),
+          .then(() => (this.skipCompile ? BbPromise.resolve() : this.wpwatch())),
 
       'before:offline:start:init': () =>
         BbPromise.bind(this)
           .tap(() => {
             lib.webpack.isLocal = true;
+            // --no-build override
+            if (this.options.build === false) {
+              this.skipCompile = true;
+            }
           })
           .then(this.prepareOfflineInvoke)
-          .then(this.wpwatch),
+          .then(() => (this.skipCompile ? BbPromise.resolve() : this.wpwatch())),
 
       'before:step-functions-offline:start': () =>
         BbPromise.bind(this)
diff --git a/index.test.js b/index.test.js
index ef4ef3a99..d66dd18a7 100644
--- a/index.test.js
+++ b/index.test.js
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ describe('ServerlessWebpack', () => {
             });
 
             it('should skip compile if requested', () => {
+              slsw.options.build = false;
               slsw.skipCompile = true;
               return expect(slsw.hooks['before:invoke:local:invoke']()).to.be.fulfilled.then(() => {
                 expect(slsw.serverless.pluginManager.spawn).to.have.been.calledOnce;
@@ -401,6 +402,8 @@ describe('ServerlessWebpack', () => {
           name: 'before:offline:start',
           test: () => {
             it('should prepare offline', () => {
+              slsw.skipCompile = false;
+              slsw.options.build = true;
               return expect(slsw.hooks['before:offline:start']()).to.be.fulfilled.then(() => {
                 expect(ServerlessWebpack.lib.webpack.isLocal).to.be.true;
                 expect(slsw.prepareOfflineInvoke).to.have.been.calledOnce;
@@ -408,12 +411,24 @@ describe('ServerlessWebpack', () => {
                 return null;
               });
             });
+            it('should skip compiling when requested', () => {
+              slsw.skipCompile = true;
+              slsw.options.build = false;
+              return expect(slsw.hooks['before:offline:start']()).to.be.fulfilled.then(() => {
+                expect(ServerlessWebpack.lib.webpack.isLocal).to.be.true;
+                expect(slsw.prepareOfflineInvoke).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+                expect(slsw.wpwatch).to.not.have.been.called;
+                return null;
+              });
+            });
           }
         },
         {
           name: 'before:offline:start:init',
           test: () => {
             it('should prepare offline', () => {
+              slsw.skipCompile = false;
+              slsw.options.build = true;
               return expect(slsw.hooks['before:offline:start:init']()).to.be.fulfilled.then(() => {
                 expect(ServerlessWebpack.lib.webpack.isLocal).to.be.true;
                 expect(slsw.prepareOfflineInvoke).to.have.been.calledOnce;
@@ -421,6 +436,16 @@ describe('ServerlessWebpack', () => {
                 return null;
               });
             });
+            it('should skip compiling when requested', () => {
+              slsw.skipCompile = false;
+              slsw.options.build = false;
+              return expect(slsw.hooks['before:offline:start:init']()).to.be.fulfilled.then(() => {
+                expect(ServerlessWebpack.lib.webpack.isLocal).to.be.true;
+                expect(slsw.prepareOfflineInvoke).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+                expect(slsw.wpwatch).to.not.have.been.called;
+                return null;
+              });
+            });
           }
         },
         {