diff --git a/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/ResolveAppHosts.cs b/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/ResolveAppHosts.cs
index eb0cee610880..c48734d35350 100644
--- a/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/ResolveAppHosts.cs
+++ b/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/ResolveAppHosts.cs
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ public class ResolveAppHosts : TaskBase
         public bool NuGetRestoreSupported { get; set; } = true;
 
         public string NetCoreTargetingPackRoot { get; set; }
+        
+        public bool EnableAppHostPackDownload { get; set; } = true;
 
         [Output]
         public ITaskItem[] PackagesToDownload { get; set; }
@@ -276,7 +278,6 @@ private ITaskItem GetHostItem(string runtimeIdentifier,
                 string hostRelativePathInPackage = Path.Combine("runtimes", bestAppHostRuntimeIdentifier, "native",
                     hostNameWithoutExtension + (isExecutable ? ExecutableExtension.ForRuntimeIdentifier(bestAppHostRuntimeIdentifier) : ".dll"));
 
-
                 TaskItem appHostItem = new TaskItem(itemName);
                 string appHostPackPath = null;
                 if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(TargetingPackRoot))
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ private ITaskItem GetHostItem(string runtimeIdentifier,
                     appHostItem.SetMetadata(MetadataKeys.PackageDirectory, appHostPackPath);
                     appHostItem.SetMetadata(MetadataKeys.Path, Path.Combine(appHostPackPath, hostRelativePathInPackage));
                 }
-                else
+                else if (EnableAppHostPackDownload)
                 {
                     // C++/CLI does not support package download && dedup error
                     if (!NuGetRestoreSupported && !packagesToDownload.ContainsKey(hostPackName))
diff --git a/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/targets/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.FrameworkReferenceResolution.targets b/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/targets/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.FrameworkReferenceResolution.targets
index c66580e5e4e5..599cf7c6e11a 100644
--- a/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/targets/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.FrameworkReferenceResolution.targets
+++ b/src/Tasks/Microsoft.NET.Build.Tasks/targets/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.FrameworkReferenceResolution.targets
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
                      RuntimeGraphPath="$(BundledRuntimeIdentifierGraphFile)"
                      KnownAppHostPacks="@(KnownAppHostPack)"
                      NuGetRestoreSupported="$(_NuGetRestoreSupported)"
+                     EnableAppHostPackDownload="$(EnableAppHostPackDownload)"
                      NetCoreTargetingPackRoot="$(NetCoreTargetingPackRoot)">
 
       <Output TaskParameter="PackagesToDownload" ItemName="_PackageToDownload" />