diff --git a/.vela/template.yml b/.vela/template.yml
index e8524bb..e837e08 100644
--- a/.vela/template.yml
+++ b/.vela/template.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # - .cluster:    (default: "")
 # - .context:    (default: "")
 # - .namespace:  (default: "")
+# - .dry_run:    (default: false)
 # - .files:      (default: "[]")
 # - .containers: (default: "{}")
 # - .output:     (default: "json")
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ steps:
       cluster: {{ default "" .cluster }}
       context: {{ default "" .context }}
       namespace: {{ default "" .namespace }}
+      dry_run: {{ default "false" .dry_run }}
       files: {{ default "[]" .files }}
       containers: {{ default "{}" .containers }}
       output: {{ default "json" .output }}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index eb33388..b3d5dd8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ docker-run:
 		-e PARAMETER_CLUSTER \
 		-e PARAMETER_CONTEXT \
 		-e PARAMETER_NAMESPACE \
+		-e PARAMETER_DRY_RUN \
 		-e PARAMETER_LOG_LEVEL \
 		-e PARAMETER_FILES \
 		-e PARAMETER_CONTAINERS \
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
index bf115ff..64f5942 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 
 // Apply represents the plugin configuration for Apply config information.
 type Apply struct {
+	// enables pretending to apply the files
+	DryRun bool
 	// Kubernetes files or directories to apply
 	Files []string
 	// sets the output for the apply command
@@ -48,6 +50,9 @@ func (a *Apply) Command(c *Config, file string) *exec.Cmd {
 	// add flag for apply kubectl command
 	flags = append(flags, "apply")
 
+	// add flag for dry run mode
+	flags = append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("--dry-run=%t", a.DryRun))
+
 	// check if file is provided
 	if len(file) > 0 {
 		// add flag for file from provided apply file
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
index 72d67b9..dec6d46 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Command(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	a := &Apply{
+		DryRun: false,
 		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
 		Output: "json",
 	}
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Command(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("--cluster=%s", c.Cluster),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--context=%s", c.Context),
 			"apply",
+			fmt.Sprintf("--dry-run=%t", a.DryRun),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--filename=%s", file),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", a.Output),
 		)
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	a := &Apply{
+		DryRun: false,
 		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
 		Output: "json",
 	}
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	a := &Apply{
+		DryRun: false,
 		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
 		Output: "json",
 	}
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate_NoFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	a := &Apply{
+		DryRun: false,
 		Output: "json",
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
index 23a5cf9..ad49c3d 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ func main() {
 
 		// Apply Flags
 
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_DRY_RUN,APPLY_DRY_RUN",
+			Name:   "apply.dry_run",
+			Usage:  "enables pretending to apply the files",
+		},
 		cli.StringSliceFlag{
 			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_FILES,APPLY_FILES",
 			Name:   "apply.files",
@@ -90,6 +95,11 @@ func main() {
 			Name:   "patch.containers",
 			Usage:  "containers from files to patch",
 		},
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_DRY_RUN,PATCH_DRY_RUN",
+			Name:   "patch.dry_run",
+			Usage:  "enables pretending to patch the containers",
+		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_OUTPUT,PATCH_OUTPUT",
 			Name:   "patch.output",
@@ -155,6 +165,7 @@ func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 	p := &Plugin{
 		// apply configuration
 		Apply: &Apply{
+			DryRun: c.Bool("apply.dry_run"),
 			Files:  c.StringSlice("apply.files"),
 			Output: c.String("apply.output"),
 		},
@@ -167,6 +178,7 @@ func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 		},
 		// patch configuration
 		Patch: &Patch{
+			DryRun:        c.Bool("patch.dry_run"),
 			Output:        c.String("patch.output"),
 			RawContainers: c.String("patch.containers"),
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
index 89bac67..9475a69 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ spec:
 type Patch struct {
 	// container images from files to patch
 	Containers []*Container
+	// enables pretending to patch the containers from the files
+	DryRun bool
 	// sets the output for the patch command
 	Output string
 	// raw input of containers provided for plugin
@@ -101,6 +103,9 @@ func (p *Patch) Command(c *Config, container *Container) *exec.Cmd {
 	// add flag for patch kubectl command
 	flags = append(flags, "patch")
 
+	// add flag for dry run mode
+	flags = append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("--local=%t", p.DryRun))
+
 	// check if patch output is provided
 	if len(p.Output) > 0 {
 		// add flag for output from provided patch output
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
index cf86b3a..57b70bb 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Command(t *testing.T) {
 				Image: "alpine",
 			},
 		},
+		DryRun:        false,
 		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Command(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("--cluster=%s", c.Cluster),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--context=%s", c.Context),
 			"patch",
+			fmt.Sprintf("--local=%t", p.DryRun),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", p.Output),
 		)
 
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 				Image: "alpine",
 			},
 		},
+		DryRun:        false,
 		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		DryRun:        false,
 		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
@@ -91,6 +95,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		DryRun:        false,
 		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: "!@#$%^&*()",
 	}
@@ -103,7 +108,10 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoRawContainers(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
-	p := &Patch{}
+	p := &Patch{
+		DryRun: false,
+		Output: "json",
+	}
 
 	err := p.Validate()
 	if err == nil {
@@ -114,6 +122,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoRawContainers(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoRawContainerName(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		DryRun:        false,
 		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}