diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0e6cd2fa..01e8de41 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ kind-test: ## Run functional tests for SERVICE
 kind-helm-test: ## Run the Helm tests for SERVICE
 	@AWS_SERVICE=$(AWS_SERVICE) ./scripts/run-helm-tests.sh
 
+kind-dev: ## Run a dev cluster for SERVICE
+	@AWS_SERVICE=$(AWS_SERVICE) ./scripts/create-dev-cluster.sh
+
 test-recommended-policy:
 	@AWS_SERVICE=$(AWS_SERVICE) source ./scripts/iam-policy-test-runner.sh && assert_iam_policies
 
diff --git a/scripts/controller-setup.sh b/scripts/controller-setup.sh
index 74d50673..e6be9b86 100755
--- a/scripts/controller-setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/controller-setup.sh
@@ -35,30 +35,14 @@ build_and_install_controller() {
     _load_controller_image "$__cluster_name" "$__img_name"
 
     info_msg "Installing controller deployment ... "
-    _install_deployment "$__controller_namespace" "$__img_name"
+    _install_deployment "$__cluster_name" "$__controller_namespace" "$__img_name"
 }
 
-_build_controller_image() {
-    local __img_name=$1
-
-    local local_build="$(get_is_local_build)"
-    LOCAL_MODULES="$local_build" AWS_SERVICE_DOCKER_IMG="$__img_name" ${CODE_GENERATOR_SCRIPTS_DIR}/build-controller-image.sh ${AWS_SERVICE} 1>/dev/null
-}
-
-_load_controller_image() {
-    local __cluster_name=$1
-    local __img_name=$2
-
-    kind load docker-image --name "$__cluster_name" --nodes="$__cluster_name"-worker,"$__cluster_name"-control-plane "$__img_name"
-}
-
-_install_deployment() {
+install_crd_and_rbac(){
     local __controller_namespace=$1
-    local __img_name=$2
 
     local service_controller_source_dir="$ROOT_DIR/../$AWS_SERVICE-controller"
     local service_config_dir="$service_controller_source_dir/config"
-    local test_config_dir="$ROOT_DIR/build/clusters/$cluster_name/config/test"
 
     # Register the ACK service controller's CRDs in the target k8s cluster
     debug_msg "Loading CRD manifests for $AWS_SERVICE into the cluster ... "
@@ -76,6 +60,30 @@ _install_deployment() {
 
     debug_msg "Loading RBAC manifests for $AWS_SERVICE into the cluster ... "
     kustomize build "$service_config_dir"/rbac | kubectl apply -f - 1>/dev/null
+}
+
+_build_controller_image() {
+    local __img_name=$1
+
+    local local_build="$(get_is_local_build)"
+    LOCAL_MODULES="$local_build" AWS_SERVICE_DOCKER_IMG="$__img_name" ${CODE_GENERATOR_SCRIPTS_DIR}/build-controller-image.sh ${AWS_SERVICE} 1>/dev/null
+}
+
+_load_controller_image() {
+    local __cluster_name=$1
+    local __img_name=$2
+
+    kind load docker-image --name "$__cluster_name" --nodes="$__cluster_name"-worker,"$__cluster_name"-control-plane "$__img_name"
+}
+
+_install_deployment() {
+    local __cluster_name=$1
+    local __controller_namespace=$2
+    local __img_name=$3
+
+    local service_controller_source_dir="$ROOT_DIR/../$AWS_SERVICE-controller"
+    local service_config_dir="$service_controller_source_dir/config"
+    local test_config_dir="$ROOT_DIR/build/clusters/$__cluster_name/config/test"
 
     # Create the ACK service controller Deployment in the target k8s cluster
     mkdir -p "$test_config_dir"
diff --git a/scripts/create-dev-cluster.sh b/scripts/create-dev-cluster.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..13d92767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/create-dev-cluster.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# ./scripts/create-dev-cluster.sh quickly setup cluster for ACK development. It
+# ensures that a K8s cluster is accessible, then configures the ACK CRD, RBAC
+# but not install the controller
+
+set -Eeo pipefail
+
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
+ROOT_DIR="$SCRIPTS_DIR/.."
+
+AWS_SERVICE=$(echo "${AWS_SERVICE:-""}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+
+CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE=${CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE:-"ack-system"}
+
+CLUSTER_NAME="ack-dev-cluster-$AWS_SERVICE"
+
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/lib/aws.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/lib/common.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/lib/config.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/lib/logging.sh"
+
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/controller-setup.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/kind.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/run-e2e-tests.sh"
+
+run() {
+    ensure_aws_credentials
+    ensure_cluster "$CLUSTER_NAME" false
+    local kubeconfig_path="$ROOT_DIR/build/clusters/$CLUSTER_NAME/kubeconfig"
+    info_msg "After executing the above source command to set the kubeconfig to environment, "
+    info_msg "run the following command to start the controller from the controller repo:"
+    echo ""
+    echo "go run ./cmd/controller/main.go --aws-region $(get_aws_region) --log-level debug --enable-development-logging"
+    echo ""
+    exit $?
+}
+
+ensure_inputs() {
+    [[ -z "$AWS_SERVICE" ]] && { error_msg "Expected \`AWS_SERVICE\` to be defined"; exit 1; } || :
+}
+
+ensure_binaries() {
+    check_is_installed "kubectl"
+}
+
+ensure_inputs
+ensure_binaries
+
+# The purpose of the `return` subshell command in this script is to determine
+# whether the script was sourced, or whether it is being executed directly.
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/28776166
+(return 0 2>/dev/null) || run
diff --git a/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh b/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh
index 0f5ad26c..97acd40a 100755
--- a/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh
@@ -29,17 +29,31 @@ source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/kind.sh"
 source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/pytest-image-runner.sh"
 
 ensure_cluster() {
+    local cluster_name_via_arg=${1:-""}
+    local controller_install=${2:-true}
     local cluster_create="$(get_cluster_create)"
-    if [[ "$cluster_create" == true ]]; then
-        local cluster_name=$(_get_kind_cluster_name)
+    local cluster_name=$(get_cluster_name)
+
+    if [[ "$cluster_create" != true ]]; then
+        info_msg "Testing connection to existing cluster ..."
+        _ensure_existing_context
+    else
+        # naming cluster in the following order:
+        # 1. cluster_name is set in config file
+        # 2. cluster_name is passed as function argument. using this for dev cluster
+        # 3. generate cluster_name with random prefix
+        [ -z "$cluster_name" ] && cluster_name=$cluster_name_via_arg
+        [ -z "$cluster_name" ] && cluster_name=$(_get_kind_cluster_name)
 
         info_msg "Creating KIND cluster ..."
         setup_kind_cluster "$cluster_name" "$CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE"
 
-        build_and_install_controller "$cluster_name" "$CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE" "$CONTROLLER_IMAGE_TAG"
-    else
-        info_msg "Testing connection to existing cluster ..."
-        _ensure_existing_context
+        info_msg "Installing CRD and RBAC manifests..."
+        install_crd_and_rbac "$CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE"
+
+        if [[ "$controller_install" == true ]]; then
+            build_and_install_controller "$cluster_name" "$CONTROLLER_NAMESPACE" "$CONTROLLER_IMAGE_TAG"
+        fi
     fi
 }