diff --git a/scripts/install-buildtools b/scripts/install-buildtools
index 639ebb12d78..1a68aad53e7 100755
--- a/scripts/install-buildtools
+++ b/scripts/install-buildtools
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ def main():
                         default=DEFAULT_INSTALL_DIR,
                         help='directory where buildtools SDK will be installed (optional)',
                         action='store')
+    parser.add_argument('--keep-downloads-directory',
+                        help='use this directory for tarball/checksum downloads and do not erase them (default is a temporary directory which is deleted after unpacking and installing the buildtools)',
+                        action='store')
     parser.add_argument('-r', '--release',
                         default=DEFAULT_RELEASE,
                         help='Yocto Project release string for SDK which will be '
@@ -235,11 +238,11 @@ def main():
                 safe_filename = quote(filename)
                 buildtools_url = "%s/%s/buildtools/%s" % (base_url, args.release, safe_filename)
 
-    tmpsdk_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+    sdk_dir = args.keep_downloads_directory or tempfile.mkdtemp()
     try:
         # Fetch installer
         logger.info("Fetching buildtools installer")
-        tmpbuildtools = os.path.join(tmpsdk_dir, filename)
+        tmpbuildtools = os.path.join(sdk_dir, filename)
         ret = subprocess.call("wget -q -O %s %s" %
                               (tmpbuildtools, buildtools_url), shell=True)
         if ret != 0:
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ def main():
             checksum_type = "sha256sum"
             check_url = "{}.{}".format(buildtools_url, checksum_type)
             checksum_filename = "{}.{}".format(filename, checksum_type)
-            tmpbuildtools_checksum = os.path.join(tmpsdk_dir, checksum_filename)
+            tmpbuildtools_checksum = os.path.join(sdk_dir, checksum_filename)
             ret = subprocess.call("wget -q -O %s %s" %
                                     (tmpbuildtools_checksum, check_url), shell=True)
             if ret != 0:
@@ -347,7 +350,8 @@ def main():
 
     finally:
         # cleanup tmp directory
-        shutil.rmtree(tmpsdk_dir)
+        if not args.keep_downloads_directory:
+            shutil.rmtree(sdk_dir)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':