diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.h b/lib/libbe/be.h
--- a/lib/libbe/be.h
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 int be_prop_list_alloc(nvlist_t **be_list);
 void be_prop_list_free(nvlist_t *be_list);
 
-int be_activate(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, bool);
+int be_activate(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, bool, bool);
 int be_deactivate(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, bool);
 
 bool be_is_auto_snapshot_name(libbe_handle_t *, const char *);
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.c b/lib/libbe/be.c
--- a/lib/libbe/be.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.c
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@
 }
 
 int
-be_activate(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *bootenv, bool temporary)
+be_activate(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *bootenv, bool temporary, bool promote)
 {
 	char be_path[BE_MAXPATHLEN];
 	zfs_handle_t *zhp;
@@ -1332,18 +1332,20 @@
 		if (err)
 			return (-1);
 
-		for (;;) {
-			zhp = zfs_open(lbh->lzh, be_path, ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM);
-			if (zhp == NULL)
-				return (-1);
+		if (promote) {
+			for (;;) {
+				zhp = zfs_open(lbh->lzh, be_path, ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM);
+				if (zhp == NULL)
+					return (-1);
 
-			err = be_zfs_promote(zhp, &found_origin);
+				err = be_zfs_promote(zhp, &found_origin);
 
-			zfs_close(zhp);
-			if (!found_origin)
-				break;
-			if (err)
-				return (err);
+				zfs_close(zhp);
+				if (!found_origin)
+					break;
+				if (err)
+					return (err);
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (err)
diff --git a/sbin/bectl/bectl.8 b/sbin/bectl/bectl.8
--- a/sbin/bectl/bectl.8
+++ b/sbin/bectl/bectl.8
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 .Nm
 .Op Fl r Ar beroot
 .Cm activate
-.Op Fl t | Fl T
+.Op Fl t | Fl T | Fl n
 .Ar beName
 .Nm
 .Op Fl r Ar beroot
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
 Print usage information and exit.
 .It Xo
 .Cm activate
-.Op Fl t | Fl T
+.Op Fl t | Fl T | Fl n
 .Ar beName
 .Xc
 Activate the given
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@
 in boot pool
 .Ar bootfs
 property.
+.Pp
+If
+.Ar beName
+is a clone of another's dataset snapshot, it will be automatically and
+recursively promoted.
+If the
+.Fl n
+flag is given, no promotion operation is performed.
 .It Xo
 .Cm check
 .Xc
diff --git a/sbin/bectl/bectl.c b/sbin/bectl/bectl.c
--- a/sbin/bectl/bectl.c
+++ b/sbin/bectl/bectl.c
@@ -137,11 +137,11 @@
 bectl_cmd_activate(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int err, opt;
-	bool temp, reset;
+	bool temp, reset, promote = true;
 
 	temp = false;
 	reset = false;
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "tT")) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "tTn")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 't':
 			if (reset)
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@
 				return (usage(false));
 			reset = true;
 			break;
+		case 'n':
+			promote = false;
+			break;
 		default:
 			fprintf(stderr, "bectl activate: unknown option '-%c'\n",
 			    optopt);
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* activate logic goes here */
-	if ((err = be_activate(be, argv[0], temp)) != 0)
+	if ((err = be_activate(be, argv[0], temp, promote)) != 0)
 		/* XXX TODO: more specific error msg based on err */
 		printf("Did not successfully activate boot environment %s\n",
 		    argv[0]);