diff --git a/core/command/upgrade.php b/core/command/upgrade.php
index c3946d2aab5276c5ef634b0b3ae3161f8533c6ba..d037082c5e88d277d19cdcf47dfe2cc01a565563 100644
--- a/core/command/upgrade.php
+++ b/core/command/upgrade.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use OC\Updater;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
 
 class Upgrade extends Command {
 
@@ -19,12 +20,24 @@ class Upgrade extends Command {
 	const ERROR_NOT_INSTALLED = 1;
 	const ERROR_MAINTENANCE_MODE = 2;
 	const ERROR_UP_TO_DATE = 3;
+	const ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENTS = 4;
 
 	protected function configure() {
 		$this
 			->setName('upgrade')
 			->setDescription('run upgrade routines')
-		;
+			->addOption(
+				'--skip-migration-test',
+				null,
+				InputOption::VALUE_NONE,
+				'skips the database schema migration simulation and update directly'
+			)
+			->addOption(
+				'--dry-run',
+				null,
+				InputOption::VALUE_NONE,
+				'only runs the database schema migration simulation, do not actually update'
+			);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -43,15 +56,41 @@ class Upgrade extends Command {
 			return self::ERROR_NOT_INSTALLED;
 		}
 
+		$simulateStepEnabled = true;
+		$updateStepEnabled = true;
+
+		if ($input->getOption('skip-migration-test')) {
+			$simulateStepEnabled = false;
+		}
+	   	if ($input->getOption('dry-run')) {
+			$updateStepEnabled = false;
+		}
+
+		if (!$simulateStepEnabled && !$updateStepEnabled) {
+			$output->writeln(
+				'<error>Only one of "--skip-migration-test" or "--dry-run" ' .
+				'can be specified at a time.</error>'
+			);
+			return self::ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENTS;
+		}
+
 		if(\OC::checkUpgrade(false)) {
 			$updater = new Updater();
 
+			$updater->setSimulateStepEnabled($simulateStepEnabled);
+			$updater->setUpdateStepEnabled($updateStepEnabled);
+
 			$updater->listen('\OC\Updater', 'maintenanceStart', function () use($output) {
 				$output->writeln('<info>Turned on maintenance mode</info>');
 			});
-			$updater->listen('\OC\Updater', 'maintenanceEnd', function () use($output) {
+			$updater->listen('\OC\Updater', 'maintenanceEnd', function () use($output, $updateStepEnabled) {
 				$output->writeln('<info>Turned off maintenance mode</info>');
-				$output->writeln('<info>Update successful</info>');
+				if (!$updateStepEnabled) {
+					$output->writeln('<info>Update simulation successful</info>');
+				}
+				else {
+					$output->writeln('<info>Update successful</info>');
+				}
 			});
 			$updater->listen('\OC\Updater', 'dbUpgrade', function () use($output) {
 				$output->writeln('<info>Updated database</info>');
diff --git a/lib/private/updater.php b/lib/private/updater.php
index 29923d7629478e85827065336607ee26fe8feee5..58a4086c80fd92a47de6cf85c3b3cfedccddc42f 100644
--- a/lib/private/updater.php
+++ b/lib/private/updater.php
@@ -25,11 +25,38 @@ class Updater extends BasicEmitter {
 	 */
 	private $log;
 
+	private $simulateStepEnabled;
+
+	private $updateStepEnabled;
+
 	/**
 	 * @param \OC\Log $log
 	 */
 	public function __construct($log = null) {
 		$this->log = $log;
+		$this->simulateStepEnabled = true;
+		$this->updateStepEnabled = true;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets whether the database migration simulation must
+	 * be enabled.
+	 * This can be set to false to skip this test.
+	 *
+	 * @param bool $flag true to enable simulation, false otherwise
+	 */
+	public function setSimulateStepEnabled($flag) {
+		$this->simulateStepEnabled = $flag;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets whether the update must be performed.
+	 * This can be set to false to skip the actual update.
+	 *
+	 * @param bool $flag true to enable update, false otherwise
+	 */
+	public function setUpdateStepEnabled($flag) {
+		$this->updateStepEnabled = $flag;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -92,6 +119,8 @@ class Updater extends BasicEmitter {
 	/**
 	 * runs the update actions in maintenance mode, does not upgrade the source files
 	 * except the main .htaccess file
+	 *
+	 * @return bool true if the operation succeeded, false otherwise
 	 */
 	public function upgrade() {
 		\OC_DB::enableCaching(false);
@@ -128,27 +157,32 @@ class Updater extends BasicEmitter {
 		$canUpgrade = false;
 
 		// simulate DB upgrade
-		try {
-			// simulate core DB upgrade
-			\OC_DB::simulateUpdateDbFromStructure(\OC::$SERVERROOT . '/db_structure.xml');
-
-			// simulate apps DB upgrade
-			$version = \OC_Util::getVersion();
-			$apps = \OC_App::getEnabledApps();
-			foreach ($apps as $appId) {
-				$info = \OC_App::getAppInfo($appId);
-				if (\OC_App::isAppCompatible($version, $info) && \OC_App::shouldUpgrade($appId)) {
-					if (file_exists(\OC_App::getAppPath($appId) . '/appinfo/database.xml')) {
-						\OC_DB::simulateUpdateDbFromStructure(\OC_App::getAppPath($appId) . '/appinfo/database.xml');
+		if ($this->simulateStepEnabled) {
+			try {
+				// simulate core DB upgrade
+				\OC_DB::simulateUpdateDbFromStructure(\OC::$SERVERROOT . '/db_structure.xml');
+
+				// simulate apps DB upgrade
+				$version = \OC_Util::getVersion();
+				$apps = \OC_App::getEnabledApps();
+				foreach ($apps as $appId) {
+					$info = \OC_App::getAppInfo($appId);
+					if (\OC_App::isAppCompatible($version, $info) && \OC_App::shouldUpgrade($appId)) {
+						if (file_exists(\OC_App::getAppPath($appId) . '/appinfo/database.xml')) {
+							\OC_DB::simulateUpdateDbFromStructure(\OC_App::getAppPath($appId) . '/appinfo/database.xml');
+						}
 					}
 				}
-			}
 
-			$this->emit('\OC\Updater', 'dbSimulateUpgrade');
+				$this->emit('\OC\Updater', 'dbSimulateUpgrade');
 
+				$canUpgrade = true;
+			} catch (\Exception $exception) {
+				$this->emit('\OC\Updater', 'failure', array($exception->getMessage()));
+			}
+		}
+		else {
 			$canUpgrade = true;
-		} catch (\Exception $exception) {
-			$this->emit('\OC\Updater', 'failure', array($exception->getMessage()));
 		}
 
 		// upgrade from OC6 to OC7
@@ -158,7 +192,7 @@ class Updater extends BasicEmitter {
 			\OC_Appconfig::setValue('core', 'shareapi_only_share_with_group_members', 'yes');
 		}
 
-		if ($canUpgrade) {
+		if ($this->updateStepEnabled && $canUpgrade) {
 			// proceed with real upgrade
 			try {
 				// do the real upgrade