Index: ivy/test/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallTest.java
===================================================================
--- ivy/test/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallTest.java	(revision 759045)
+++ ivy/test/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -160,7 +160,31 @@
 
         assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.4/ivy-1.0.1.xml").exists());
     }
+    
+    public void testCanChooseNotToOverwriteExistingArtifacts() throws Exception {
+        Ivy ivy = Ivy.newInstance();
+        ivy.configure(new File("test/repositories/ivysettings.xml"));
+        
+        InstallOptions options = new InstallOptions().setIgnoreExisting(true);
+        assertFalse(options.isOverwrite());
+        assertTrue(options.isIgnoreExisting());
+        
+        ivy.install(ModuleRevisionId.newInstance("org1", "mod1.2", "2.0"), ivy.getSettings()
+                    .getDefaultResolver().getName(), "install", options);
+        
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.2/ivy-2.0.xml").exists());
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.2/mod1.2-2.0.jar").exists());
 
+        ivy.install(ModuleRevisionId.newInstance("org1", "mod1.1", "1.0"), ivy.getSettings()
+                    .getDefaultResolver().getName(), "install", options);
+
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.1/ivy-1.0.xml").exists());
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.1/mod1.1-1.0.jar").exists());
+        
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.2/ivy-2.0.xml").exists());
+        assertTrue(new File("build/test/install/org1/mod1.2/mod1.2-2.0.jar").exists());
+    }
+
     private File _cache;
 
     protected void setUp() throws Exception {
Index: ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/IvyInstall.java
===================================================================
--- ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/IvyInstall.java	(revision 759045)
+++ ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/IvyInstall.java	(working copy)
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.apache.ivy.plugins.matcher.PatternMatcher;
 import org.apache.ivy.util.filter.FilterHelper;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.Project;
 
 /**
  * Allow to install a module or a set of module from repository to another one.
@@ -41,7 +42,9 @@
 
     private String branch;
 
-    private boolean overwrite = false;
+    private boolean overwrite;
+    
+    private boolean ignoreExisting;
 
     private String from;
 
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@
                     .setTransitive(transitive)
                     .setValidate(doValidate(settings))
                     .setOverwrite(overwrite)
+                    .setIgnoreExisting(ignoreExisting)
                     .setArtifactFilter(FilterHelper.getArtifactTypeFilter(type))
                     .setMatcherName(matcher));
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -159,12 +163,18 @@
         this.revision = revision;
     }
 
-    public boolean isOverwrite() {
+    public boolean getOverwrite() {
         return overwrite;
     }
 
-    public void setOverwrite(boolean overwrite) {
-        this.overwrite = overwrite;
+    public void setOverwrite(String overwrite) {
+        if ("ignore".equalsIgnoreCase(overwrite)) {
+            this.ignoreExisting = true;
+            this.overwrite = false;
+        } else {
+            this.overwrite = Project.toBoolean(overwrite);
+            this.ignoreExisting = false;
+        }
     }
 
     public String getFrom() {
Index: ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallOptions.java
===================================================================
--- ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallOptions.java	(revision 759045)
+++ ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallOptions.java	(working copy)
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     private boolean overwrite = false;
     private Filter artifactFilter = FilterHelper.NO_FILTER;
     private String matcherName = PatternMatcher.EXACT;
+    private boolean ignoreExisting = false;
     
     public boolean isTransitive() {
         return transitive;
@@ -49,6 +50,13 @@
         this.overwrite = overwrite;
         return this;
     }
+    public InstallOptions setIgnoreExisting(boolean ignore) {
+        this.ignoreExisting = ignore;
+        return this;
+    }
+    public boolean isIgnoreExisting() {
+        return ignoreExisting;
+    }
     public Filter getArtifactFilter() {
         return artifactFilter;
     }
@@ -63,4 +71,5 @@
         this.matcherName = matcherName;
         return this;
     }
-}
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
Index: ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallEngine.java
===================================================================
--- ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallEngine.java	(revision 759045)
+++ ivy/src/java/org/apache/ivy/core/install/InstallEngine.java	(working copy)
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Date;
 
+import org.apache.ivy.core.module.descriptor.Artifact;
 import org.apache.ivy.core.module.descriptor.Configuration;
 import org.apache.ivy.core.module.descriptor.DefaultDependencyDescriptor;
 import org.apache.ivy.core.module.descriptor.DefaultModuleDescriptor;
@@ -138,17 +139,27 @@
                         ArtifactDownloadReport[] artifacts = 
                                 report.getArtifactsReports(depMrid);
                         for (int j = 0; j < artifacts.length; j++) {
-                            if (artifacts[j].getLocalFile() != null) {
-                                toResolver.publish(artifacts[j].getArtifact(), 
-                                    artifacts[j].getLocalFile(), options.isOverwrite());
+                            Artifact artifact = artifacts[j].getArtifact();
+                            if (options.isIgnoreExisting() && toResolver.exists(artifact)) {
+                                Message.info("\tskipped " + artifact + ", already exists in " + toResolver);
+                            } else {
+                                if (artifacts[j].getLocalFile() != null) {
+                                    toResolver.publish(artifacts[j].getArtifact(), 
+                                        artifacts[j].getLocalFile(), options.isOverwrite());
+                                }
                             }
                         }
                         
                         // publish metadata
                         File localIvyFile = dependencies[i]
                                                     .getModuleRevision().getReport().getLocalFile();
-                        toResolver.publish(
-                            depmd.getMetadataArtifact(), localIvyFile, options.isOverwrite());
+                        Artifact metaData = depmd.getMetadataArtifact();
+                        if (options.isIgnoreExisting() && toResolver.exists(metaData)) {
+                            Message.info("\tskipped " + metaData + ", already exists in " + toResolver);
+                        } else {
+                            toResolver.publish(
+                                               depmd.getMetadataArtifact(), localIvyFile, options.isOverwrite());
+                        }
                         
                         // end module publish
                         toResolver.commitPublishTransaction();
Index: ivy/doc/use/install.html
===================================================================
--- ivy/doc/use/install.html	(revision 759045)
+++ ivy/doc/use/install.html	(working copy)
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
         <td>Yes</td></tr>
     <tr><td>validate</td><td>true to force ivy files validation against ivy.xsd, false to force no validation</td>
         <td>No. Defaults to default ivy value (as configured in configuration file)</td></tr>
-    <tr><td>overwrite</td><td>true to override modules already present in the destination resolver, false otherwise</td>
+    <tr><td>overwrite</td><td>true to override modules already present in the destination resolver, false otherwise. You can also use 'ignore' to skip artifacts already present in the receiving resolver without causing a failure.</td>
         <td>No, defaults to false</td></tr>
     <tr><td>transitive</td><td>true to install the module and all its transitive dependencies, false to install only the module</td>
         <td>No, defaults to false</td></tr>