diff --git a/charmtools/build/builder.py b/charmtools/build/builder.py
index ae18bff..5aab948 100755
--- a/charmtools/build/builder.py
+++ b/charmtools/build/builder.py
@@ -1163,6 +1163,18 @@ def main(args=None):
                         help="Force raw output (color)")
     parser.add_argument('--charm-file', '-F', action='store_true',
                         help='Create a .charm file in the current directory')
+    parser.add_argument('--binary-wheels', action='store_true',
+                        help='Populate the charm wheelhouse with binary '
+                             'wheels that matches the Python version and '
+                             'architecture the charm is built on. Note that '
+                             'to use this option you must ensure that you '
+                             'have a series/architecture aware build and '
+                             'distribution infrastructure configured for '
+                             'your charm (such as Launchpad and Charmhub).')
+    parser.add_argument('--binary-wheels-from-source', action='store_true',
+                        help='Same as --binary-wheels but build all the '
+                             'wheels from source code, even if a binary '
+                             'distribution is available on PyPi.')
     parser.add_argument('charm', nargs="?", default=".", type=path,
                         help='Source directory for charm layer to build '
                              '(default: .)')
@@ -1181,6 +1193,8 @@ def main(args=None):
     LayerFetcher.NO_LOCAL_LAYERS = build.no_local_layers
 
     WheelhouseTactic.per_layer = build.wheelhouse_per_layer
+    WheelhouseTactic.binary_build = build.binary_wheels
+    WheelhouseTactic.binary_build_from_source = build.binary_wheels_from_source
 
     configLogging(build)
 
diff --git a/charmtools/build/tactics.py b/charmtools/build/tactics.py
index 72b4b46..b316cd7 100644
--- a/charmtools/build/tactics.py
+++ b/charmtools/build/tactics.py
@@ -1044,6 +1044,8 @@ class WheelhouseTactic(ExactMatch, Tactic):
     FILENAME = 'wheelhouse.txt'
     removed = []  # has to be class level to affect all tactics during signing
     per_layer = False
+    binary_build = False
+    binary_build_from_source = False
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(WheelhouseTactic, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
@@ -1110,8 +1112,14 @@ def read(self):
     def _add(self, wheelhouse, *reqs):
         with utils.tempdir(chdir=False) as temp_dir:
             # put in a temp dir first to ensure we track all of the files
-            self._pip('download', '--no-binary', ':all:', '-d', temp_dir,
-                      *reqs)
+            _no_binary_opts = ('--no-binary', ':all:')
+            if self.binary_build_from_source or self.binary_build:
+                self._pip('wheel',
+                          *_no_binary_opts
+                          if self.binary_build_from_source else tuple(),
+                          '-w', temp_dir, *reqs)
+            else:
+                self._pip('download', *_no_binary_opts, '-d', temp_dir, *reqs)
             log.debug('Copying wheels:')
             for wheel in temp_dir.files():
                 log.debug('  ' + wheel.name)