diff --git a/src/Stack/Build/Execute.hs b/src/Stack/Build/Execute.hs
index 3399d71eab..3e9b3c1d8b 100644
--- a/src/Stack/Build/Execute.hs
+++ b/src/Stack/Build/Execute.hs
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ executePlan menv bopts baseConfigOpts locals sourceMap plan = do
         unless (Map.null destToInstalled) $ $logInfo ""
         forM_ (Map.toList destToInstalled) $ \(dest, executables) -> do
             $logInfo $ T.concat
-                [ "Installed executables to "
+                [ "Copied executables to "
                 , T.pack dest
                 , ":"]
             forM_ executables $ \exe -> $logInfo $ T.append "- " exe
diff --git a/src/main/Main.hs b/src/main/Main.hs
index 28fc8a7b3c..0dc1d211fc 100644
--- a/src/main/Main.hs
+++ b/src/main/Main.hs
@@ -92,8 +92,12 @@ main = withInterpreterArgs stackProgName $ \args isInterpreter ->
                         "Build the project(s) in this directory/configuration"
                         (buildCmd DoNothing)
                         (buildOptsParser Build)
+             addCommand "copy"
+                        "Build executables and copy to a user path"
+                        copyCmd
+                        (buildOptsParser Build)
              addCommand "install"
-                        "Build executables and install to a user path"
+                        "DEPRECATED: Use stack copy instead"
                         installCmd
                         (buildOptsParser Build)
              addCommand "test"
@@ -486,22 +490,32 @@ cleanCmd :: () -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
 cleanCmd () go = withBuildConfig go ThrowException clean
 
 -- | Helper for build and install commands
-buildCmdHelper :: NoBuildConfigStrategy -> FinalAction -> BuildOpts -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
-buildCmdHelper strat finalAction opts go
+buildCmdHelper :: StackT EnvConfig IO () -- ^ do before build
+               -> NoBuildConfigStrategy -> FinalAction -> BuildOpts -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
+buildCmdHelper beforeBuild strat finalAction opts go
     | boptsFileWatch opts = fileWatch inner
     | otherwise = inner $ const $ return ()
   where
-    inner setLocalFiles =
-        withBuildConfig go strat $
+    inner setLocalFiles = withBuildConfig go strat $ do
+        beforeBuild
         Stack.Build.build setLocalFiles opts { boptsFinalAction = finalAction }
 
 -- | Build the project.
 buildCmd :: FinalAction -> BuildOpts -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
-buildCmd = buildCmdHelper ThrowException
+buildCmd = buildCmdHelper (return ()) ThrowException
 
 -- | Install
 installCmd :: BuildOpts -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
-installCmd opts = buildCmdHelper ExecStrategy DoNothing opts { boptsInstallExes = True }
+installCmd opts =
+    buildCmdHelper warning ExecStrategy DoNothing opts { boptsInstallExes = True }
+  where
+    warning = do
+        $logWarn "NOTE: stack is not a package manager"
+        $logWarn "The install command is only used to copy executables to a destination directory, not manage them"
+        $logWarn "You probably want to use 'stack copy' for clarity"
+
+copyCmd :: BuildOpts -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()
+copyCmd opts = buildCmdHelper (return ()) ExecStrategy DoNothing opts { boptsInstallExes = True }
 
 -- | Unpack packages to the filesystem
 unpackCmd :: [String] -> GlobalOpts -> IO ()