diff --git a/installer/lib/installer.py b/installer/lib/installer.py
index 62e4b4a504..be6c26399b 100644
--- a/installer/lib/installer.py
+++ b/installer/lib/installer.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ InvokeAI installer script
 
 import os
 import platform
+import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -22,6 +23,15 @@ ARCH = platform.uname().machine
 VERSION = "latest"
 
 
+def get_version_from_wheel_filename(wheel_filename: str) -> str:
+    match = re.search(r"-(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", wheel_filename)
+    if match:
+        version = match.group(1)
+        return version
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Could not extract version from wheel filename: {wheel_filename}")
+
+
 class Installer:
     """
     Deploys an InvokeAI installation into a given path
@@ -111,6 +121,7 @@ class Installer:
         yes_to_all: bool = False,
         version: Optional[str] = None,
         find_links: Optional[str] = None,
+        wheel: Optional[Path] = None,
     ) -> None:
         """
         Install the InvokeAI application into the given runtime path
@@ -127,9 +138,12 @@ class Installer:
 
         import messages
 
-        messages.welcome(self.available_releases)
-
-        version = messages.choose_version(self.available_releases)
+        if wheel:
+            messages.installing_from_wheel(wheel.name)
+            version = get_version_from_wheel_filename(wheel.name)
+        else:
+            messages.welcome(self.available_releases)
+            version = messages.choose_version(self.available_releases)
 
         auto_dest = Path(os.environ.get("INVOKEAI_ROOT", root)).expanduser().resolve()
         destination = auto_dest if yes_to_all else messages.dest_path(root)
@@ -144,11 +158,7 @@ class Installer:
 
         # install dependencies and the InvokeAI application
         (extra_index_url, optional_modules) = get_torch_source() if not yes_to_all else (None, None)
-        self.instance.install(
-            extra_index_url,
-            optional_modules,
-            find_links,
-        )
+        self.instance.install(extra_index_url, optional_modules, find_links, wheel)
 
         # install the launch/update scripts into the runtime directory
         self.instance.install_user_scripts()
@@ -187,6 +197,7 @@ class InvokeAiInstance:
         extra_index_url: Optional[str] = None,
         optional_modules: Optional[str] = None,
         find_links: Optional[str] = None,
+        wheel: Optional[Path] = None,
     ):
         """
         Install the package from PyPi.
@@ -231,12 +242,12 @@ class InvokeAiInstance:
             "--require-virtualenv",
             "--force-reinstall",
             "--use-pep517",
-            str(src),
+            str(src) if not wheel else str(wheel),
             "--find-links" if find_links is not None else None,
             find_links,
             "--extra-index-url" if extra_index_url is not None else None,
             extra_index_url,
-            pre_flag,
+            pre_flag if not wheel else None,
         ]
 
         try:
diff --git a/installer/lib/main.py b/installer/lib/main.py
index b3582f2fdc..08149bd107 100644
--- a/installer/lib/main.py
+++ b/installer/lib/main.py
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         default=None,
     )
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--wheel",
+        dest="wheel",
+        help="Specifies a wheel for the InvokeAI package. Used for troubleshooting or testing prereleases.",
+        type=Path,
+        default=None,
+    )
+
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     inst = Installer()
diff --git a/installer/lib/messages.py b/installer/lib/messages.py
index f7734de5ef..5a08303b1c 100644
--- a/installer/lib/messages.py
+++ b/installer/lib/messages.py
@@ -73,6 +73,33 @@ def welcome(available_releases: tuple[list[str], list[str]] | None = None) -> No
     console.line()
 
 
+def installing_from_wheel(wheel_filename: str) -> None:
+    """Display a message about installing from a wheel"""
+
+    @group()
+    def text():
+        yield Text.from_markup(f"You are installing from a wheel file: [bold]{wheel_filename}\n")
+        yield Text.from_markup(
+            "[bold orange3]If you are not sure why you are doing this, you should cancel and install InvokeAI normally."
+        )
+
+    console.print(
+        Panel(
+            title="Installing from Wheel",
+            renderable=text(),
+            box=box.DOUBLE,
+            expand=True,
+            padding=(1, 2),
+        )
+    )
+
+    should_proceed = Confirm.ask("Do you want to proceed?")
+
+    if not should_proceed:
+        console.print("Installation cancelled.")
+        exit()
+
+
 def choose_version(available_releases: tuple[list[str], list[str]] | None = None) -> str:
     """
     Prompt the user to choose an Invoke version to install