diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bazel b/WORKSPACE.bazel
index ac68fbb..25994f8 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE.bazel
+++ b/WORKSPACE.bazel
@@ -36,11 +36,10 @@ load("@bullseye//:packages.bzl", "bullseye_packages")
 
 bullseye_packages()
 
-# bazel run @apt_security//:lock
 deb_index(
     name = "apt_security",
-    # lock = "//examples/debian_snapshot_security:security.lock.json",
     manifest = "//examples/debian_snapshot_security:security.yaml",
+    nolock = True,
 )
 
 load("@apt_security//:packages.bzl", "apt_security_packages")
diff --git a/apt/extensions.bzl b/apt/extensions.bzl
index 1352129..8cef957 100644
--- a/apt/extensions.bzl
+++ b/apt/extensions.bzl
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ def _distroless_extension(module_ctx):
                     install.resolve_transitive,
                 )
 
-                # buildifier: disable=print
-                print("\nNo lockfile was given, please run `bazel run @%s//:lock` to create the lockfile." % install.name)
+                if not install.nolock:
+                    # buildifier: disable=print
+                    print("\nNo lockfile was given, please run `bazel run @%s//:lock` to create the lockfile." % install.name)
             else:
                 lockf = lockfile.from_json(module_ctx, module_ctx.read(install.lock))
 
@@ -65,6 +66,10 @@ def _distroless_extension(module_ctx):
 install = tag_class(attrs = {
     "name": attr.string(doc = "Name of the generated repository"),
     "lock": attr.label(doc = """The lock file to use for the index."""),
+    "nolock": attr.bool(
+        doc = """If you explicitly want to run without a lock, set it to True to avoid the DEBUG messages.""",
+        default = False,
+    ),
     "manifest": attr.label(doc = """The file used to generate the lock file"""),
     "resolve_transitive": attr.bool(
         doc = """Whether dependencies of dependencies should be resolved and added to the lockfile.""",
diff --git a/apt/index.bzl b/apt/index.bzl
index 8cb0139..b23c31b 100644
--- a/apt/index.bzl
+++ b/apt/index.bzl
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ def deb_index(
         name,
         manifest,
         lock = None,
+        nolock = False,
         package_template = None,
         resolve_transitive = True):
     """A convience repository macro for apt rules.
@@ -20,9 +21,13 @@ def deb_index(
 
     deb_index(
         name = "bullseye",
-        # For the initial setup, the lockfile attribute can be omitted and generated by running
+        # For the initial setup, the lockfile attribute can be omitted and
+        # generated by running
         #    bazel run @bullseye//:lock
-        # This will generate the lock.json file next to the manifest file by replacing `.yaml` with `.lock.json`
+        # This will generate the lock.json file next to the manifest file by
+        # replacing `.yaml` with `.lock.json`.
+        # If you explicitly want to run without a lock, set nolock to True to
+        # avoid the DEBUG messages
         lock = "//examples/apt:bullseye.lock.json",
         manifest = "//examples/apt:bullseye.yaml",
     )
@@ -57,6 +62,8 @@ def deb_index(
 
     While we strongly encourage users to check in the generated lockfile, it's not always possible because Debian repositories are rolling by default. Therefore, a lockfile generated today might not work later if the upstream repository removes or publishes a new version of a package.
 
+    If you explicitly want to run without a lock, set the `nolock` attribute to True to avoid the DEBUG messages.
+
     #### Snapshot repositories
 
     ##### Debian
@@ -73,6 +80,7 @@ def deb_index(
         name: name of the repository
         manifest: label to a `manifest.yaml`
         lock: label to a `lock.json`
+        nolock: bool, set to True if you explicitly want to run without a lock and avoid the DEBUG messages.
         package_template: (EXPERIMENTAL!) a template file for generated BUILD files.
           Available template replacement keys are: `{target_name}`, `{deps}`, `{urls}`, `{name}`, `{arch}`, `{sha256}`, `{repo_name}`
         resolve_transitive: whether dependencies of dependencies should be resolved and added to the lockfile.
@@ -83,7 +91,7 @@ def deb_index(
         resolve_transitive = resolve_transitive,
     )
 
-    if not lock:
+    if not lock and not nolock:
         # buildifier: disable=print
         print("\nNo lockfile was given, please run `bazel run @%s//:lock` to create the lockfile." % name)
 
diff --git a/docs/apt.md b/docs/apt.md
index c2e7799..c879469 100644
--- a/docs/apt.md
+++ b/docs/apt.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ apt-get
 ## deb_index
 
 <pre>
-deb_index(<a href="#deb_index-name">name</a>, <a href="#deb_index-manifest">manifest</a>, <a href="#deb_index-lock">lock</a>, <a href="#deb_index-package_template">package_template</a>, <a href="#deb_index-resolve_transitive">resolve_transitive</a>)
+deb_index(<a href="#deb_index-name">name</a>, <a href="#deb_index-manifest">manifest</a>, <a href="#deb_index-lock">lock</a>, <a href="#deb_index-nolock">nolock</a>, <a href="#deb_index-package_template">package_template</a>, <a href="#deb_index-resolve_transitive">resolve_transitive</a>)
 </pre>
 
 A convience repository macro for apt rules.
@@ -21,9 +21,13 @@ load("@rules_distroless//apt:index.bzl", "deb_index")
 
 deb_index(
     name = "bullseye",
-    # For the initial setup, the lockfile attribute can be omitted and generated by running
+    # For the initial setup, the lockfile attribute can be omitted and
+    # generated by running
     #    bazel run @bullseye//:lock
-    # This will generate the lock.json file next to the manifest file by replacing `.yaml` with `.lock.json`
+    # This will generate the lock.json file next to the manifest file by
+    # replacing `.yaml` with `.lock.json`.
+    # If you explicitly want to run without a lock, set nolock to True to
+    # avoid the DEBUG messages
     lock = "//examples/apt:bullseye.lock.json",
     manifest = "//examples/apt:bullseye.yaml",
 )
@@ -58,6 +62,8 @@ The lockfile generation can be on-demand by omitting the `lock` attribute. Howev
 
 While we strongly encourage users to check in the generated lockfile, it's not always possible because Debian repositories are rolling by default. Therefore, a lockfile generated today might not work later if the upstream repository removes or publishes a new version of a package.
 
+If you explicitly want to run without a lock, set the `nolock` attribute to True to avoid the DEBUG messages.
+
 #### Snapshot repositories
 
 ##### Debian
@@ -79,6 +85,7 @@ An example of this can be found at [/examples/ubuntu_snapshot](/examples/ubuntu_
 | <a id="deb_index-name"></a>name |  name of the repository   |  none |
 | <a id="deb_index-manifest"></a>manifest |  label to a <code>manifest.yaml</code>   |  none |
 | <a id="deb_index-lock"></a>lock |  label to a <code>lock.json</code>   |  <code>None</code> |
+| <a id="deb_index-nolock"></a>nolock |  bool, set to True if you explicitly want to run without a lock and avoid the DEBUG messages.   |  <code>False</code> |
 | <a id="deb_index-package_template"></a>package_template |  (EXPERIMENTAL!) a template file for generated BUILD files. Available template replacement keys are: <code>{target_name}</code>, <code>{deps}</code>, <code>{urls}</code>, <code>{name}</code>, <code>{arch}</code>, <code>{sha256}</code>, <code>{repo_name}</code>   |  <code>None</code> |
 | <a id="deb_index-resolve_transitive"></a>resolve_transitive |  whether dependencies of dependencies should be resolved and added to the lockfile.   |  <code>True</code> |
 
diff --git a/e2e/smoke/MODULE.bazel b/e2e/smoke/MODULE.bazel
index 36afa19..74b5455 100644
--- a/e2e/smoke/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/e2e/smoke/MODULE.bazel
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ apt.install(
 )
 apt.install(
     name = "bullseye_nolock",
-    # lock = ":bullseye.lock.json",
     manifest = ":bullseye.yaml",
+    nolock = True,
 )
 
 # bazel run @bullseye//:lock