diff --git a/pmb/helpers/frontend.py b/pmb/helpers/frontend.py
index 311576d0..604c29c3 100644
--- a/pmb/helpers/frontend.py
+++ b/pmb/helpers/frontend.py
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ def install(args):
         if not args.ondev_rootfs:
             raise ValueError("--no-rootfs can only be combined with --ondev."
                              " Do you mean --no-image?")
+        if args.ondev_cp:
+            raise ValueError("--cp can only be combined with --ondev")
 
     # On-device installer overrides
     if args.on_device_installer:
diff --git a/pmb/install/_install.py b/pmb/install/_install.py
index 8369c69d..308619e3 100644
--- a/pmb/install/_install.py
+++ b/pmb/install/_install.py
@@ -637,6 +637,14 @@ def install_on_device_installer(args, step, steps):
            "ONDEV_UI": args.ui}
     pmb.chroot.root(args, ["ondev-prepare"], suffix_installer, env=env)
 
+    # Copy files specified with 'pmbootstrap install --ondev --cp'
+    if args.ondev_cp:
+        for host_src, chroot_dest in args.ondev_cp:
+            host_dest = f"{args.work}/chroot_{suffix_installer}/{chroot_dest}"
+            logging.info(f"({suffix_installer}) add {host_src} as"
+                         f" {chroot_dest}")
+            pmb.helpers.run.root(args, ["cp", host_src, host_dest])
+
     # Remove $DEVICE-boot.img (we will generate a new one if --split was
     # specified, otherwise the separate boot image is not needed)
     if args.ondev_rootfs:
diff --git a/pmb/parse/arguments.py b/pmb/parse/arguments.py
index 7ff0d1b1..d1d5d6ff 100644
--- a/pmb/parse/arguments.py
+++ b/pmb/parse/arguments.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 import argparse
 import copy
+import os
 
 try:
     import argcomplete
@@ -22,6 +23,29 @@ import pmb.helpers.pmaports
     See pmb/helpers/args.py for more information about the args variable. """
 
 
+def type_ondev_cp(val):
+    """ Parse and validate arguments to 'pmbootstrap install --ondev --cp'.
+
+        :param val: 'HOST_SRC:CHROOT_DEST' string
+        :returns: (HOST_SRC, CHROOT_DEST) """
+    ret = val.split(":")
+
+    if len(ret) != 2:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError("does not have HOST_SRC:CHROOT_DEST"
+                                         f" format: {val}")
+    host_src = ret[0]
+    if not os.path.exists(host_src):
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(f"HOST_SRC not found: {host_src}")
+    if not os.path.isfile(host_src):
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(f"HOST_SRC is not a file: {host_src}")
+
+    chroot_dest = ret[1]
+    if not chroot_dest.startswith("/"):
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError("CHROOT_DEST must start with '/':"
+                                         f" {chroot_dest}")
+    return ret
+
+
 def arguments_install(subparser):
     ret = subparser.add_parser("install", help="set up device specific"
                                " chroot and install to SD card or image file")
@@ -119,6 +143,10 @@ def arguments_install(subparser):
     group.add_argument("--no-rootfs", dest="ondev_rootfs",
                        help="do not generate the postmarketOS rootfs to be"
                             " installed", action="store_false")
+    group.add_argument("--cp", dest="ondev_cp", nargs="+",
+                       metavar="HOST_SRC:CHROOT_DEST", type=type_ondev_cp,
+                       help="copy one or more files from the host system path"
+                            " HOST_SRC to the target path CHROOT_DEST")
 
 
 def arguments_export(subparser):