diff --git a/__tests__/run.test.ts b/__tests__/run.test.ts
index 1abdcdc7..c6e9441f 100644
--- a/__tests__/run.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/run.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import * as io from '@actions/io';
 import * as toolCache from '@actions/tool-cache';
 import * as fileHelper from '../src/utilities/files-helper';
 import { workflowAnnotations } from '../src/constants';
+import * as utility from '../src/utilities/utility';
+import * as inputParam from '../src/input-parameters';
 
 import { Kubectl, Resource } from '../src/kubectl-object-model';
 
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ var path = require('path');
 
 const coreMock = mocked(core, true);
 const ioMock = mocked(io, true);
+const utilityMock = mocked(utility, true);
+const inputParamMock = mocked(inputParam, true);
 
 const toolCacheMock = mocked(toolCache, true);
 const fileUtility = mocked(fs, true);
@@ -220,6 +224,40 @@ test("deployment - deploy() - Invokes with manifestfiles", async () => {
     expect(kubeCtl.getResource).toBeCalledWith("ingress", "AppName");
 });
 
+test("run() - deploy force flag on", async () => {
+    const kubectlVersion = 'v1.18.0'
+    //Mocks
+    coreMock.getInput = jest.fn().mockImplementation((name) => {
+        if (name == 'manifests') {
+            return 'manifests/deployment.yaml';
+        }
+        if (name == 'action') {
+            return 'deploy';
+        }
+        if (name == 'strategy') {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+        if (name == 'force') {
+            return 'true';
+        }
+        return kubectlVersion;
+    });
+
+    inputParamMock.forceDeployment = true;
+    coreMock.setFailed = jest.fn();
+    toolCacheMock.find = jest.fn().mockReturnValue('validPath');
+    toolCacheMock.downloadTool = jest.fn().mockReturnValue('downloadpath');
+    toolCacheMock.cacheFile = jest.fn().mockReturnValue('cachepath');
+    fileUtility.chmodSync = jest.fn();
+    utilityMock.checkForErrors = jest.fn();
+    const deploySpy = jest.spyOn(Kubectl.prototype, 'apply').mockImplementation();
+
+    //Invoke and assert
+    await expect(action.run()).resolves.not.toThrow();
+    expect(deploySpy).toBeCalledWith(expect.anything(), true);
+    deploySpy.mockRestore();
+});
+
 test("deployment - deploy() - Annotate resources", async () => {
     const KubernetesManifestUtilityMock = mocked(KubernetesManifestUtility, true);
     KubernetesManifestUtilityMock.checkManifestStability = jest.fn().mockReturnValue("");
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 1146e5c1..0a1a40c7 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'deploy/promote/reject'
     required: true
     default: 'deploy'
+  force:
+    description: 'Deploy when a previous deployment already exists. If true then --force argument is added to the apply command.'
+    required: false
+    default: false
 
 branding:
   color: 'green' # optional, decorates the entry in the GitHub Marketplace
diff --git a/lib/input-parameters.js b/lib/input-parameters.js
index c4903363..21744518 100644
--- a/lib/input-parameters.js
+++ b/lib/input-parameters.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
-exports.args = exports.baselineAndCanaryReplicas = exports.trafficSplitMethod = exports.deploymentStrategy = exports.canaryPercentage = exports.manifests = exports.imagePullSecrets = exports.containers = exports.namespace = void 0;
+exports.forceDeployment = exports.args = exports.baselineAndCanaryReplicas = exports.trafficSplitMethod = exports.deploymentStrategy = exports.canaryPercentage = exports.manifests = exports.imagePullSecrets = exports.containers = exports.namespace = void 0;
 const core = require("@actions/core");
 exports.namespace = core.getInput('namespace');
 exports.containers = core.getInput('images').split('\n');
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ exports.deploymentStrategy = core.getInput('strategy');
 exports.trafficSplitMethod = core.getInput('traffic-split-method');
 exports.baselineAndCanaryReplicas = core.getInput('baseline-and-canary-replicas');
 exports.args = core.getInput('arguments');
+exports.forceDeployment = core.getInput('force').toLowerCase() == 'true';
 if (!exports.namespace) {
     core.debug('Namespace was not supplied; using "default" namespace instead.');
     exports.namespace = 'default';
diff --git a/lib/kubectl-object-model.js b/lib/kubectl-object-model.js
index 688a4f72..502a8c83 100644
--- a/lib/kubectl-object-model.js
+++ b/lib/kubectl-object-model.js
@@ -13,8 +13,13 @@ class Kubectl {
             this.namespace = 'default';
         }
     }
-    apply(configurationPaths) {
-        return this.execute(['apply', '-f', this.createInlineArray(configurationPaths)]);
+    apply(configurationPaths, force) {
+        let applyArgs = ['apply', '-f', this.createInlineArray(configurationPaths)];
+        if (!!force) {
+            console.log("force flag is on, deployment will continue even if previous deployment already exists");
+            applyArgs.push('--force');
+        }
+        return this.execute(applyArgs);
     }
     describe(resourceType, resourceName, silent) {
         return this.execute(['describe', resourceType, resourceName], silent);
diff --git a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.js b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.js
index 978750ca..0cf34602 100644
--- a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.js
+++ b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.js
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@ function deployManifests(files, kubectl, isCanaryDeploymentStrategy) {
     else {
         if (canaryDeploymentHelper.isSMICanaryStrategy()) {
             const updatedManifests = appendStableVersionLabelToResource(files, kubectl);
-            result = kubectl.apply(updatedManifests);
+            result = kubectl.apply(updatedManifests, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
         }
         else {
-            result = kubectl.apply(files);
+            result = kubectl.apply(files, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
         }
     }
     utility_1.checkForErrors([result]);
diff --git a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.js b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.js
index 4e0ae883..79235e55 100644
--- a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.js
+++ b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ function deployPodCanary(kubectl, filePaths) {
         });
     });
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     return { 'result': result, 'newFilePaths': manifestFiles };
 }
 exports.deployPodCanary = deployPodCanary;
diff --git a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.js b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.js
index fd90abcb..18882d66 100644
--- a/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.js
+++ b/lib/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ function deploySMICanary(kubectl, filePaths) {
         });
     });
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     createCanaryService(kubectl, filePaths);
     return { 'result': result, 'newFilePaths': manifestFiles };
 }
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ function createCanaryService(kubectl, filePaths) {
     });
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
     manifestFiles.push(...trafficObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     utility_1.checkForErrors([result]);
 }
 function redirectTrafficToCanaryDeployment(kubectl, manifestFilePaths) {
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ function adjustTraffic(kubectl, manifestFilePaths, stableWeight, canaryWeight) {
     if (trafficSplitManifests.length <= 0) {
         return;
     }
-    const result = kubectl.apply(trafficSplitManifests);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(trafficSplitManifests, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     core.debug('serviceObjects:' + serviceObjects.join(',') + ' result:' + result);
     utility_1.checkForErrors([result]);
 }
diff --git a/src/input-parameters.ts b/src/input-parameters.ts
index da8f73bb..0bec64ab 100644
--- a/src/input-parameters.ts
+++ b/src/input-parameters.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export const deploymentStrategy: string = core.getInput('strategy');
 export const trafficSplitMethod: string = core.getInput('traffic-split-method');
 export const baselineAndCanaryReplicas: string = core.getInput('baseline-and-canary-replicas');
 export const args: string = core.getInput('arguments');
+export const forceDeployment: boolean = core.getInput('force').toLowerCase() == 'true';
 
 if (!namespace) {
     core.debug('Namespace was not supplied; using "default" namespace instead.');
diff --git a/src/kubectl-object-model.ts b/src/kubectl-object-model.ts
index 0f9c02df..23d1494d 100644
--- a/src/kubectl-object-model.ts
+++ b/src/kubectl-object-model.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,15 @@ export class Kubectl {
         }
     }
 
-    public apply(configurationPaths: string | string[]): IExecSyncResult {
-        return this.execute(['apply', '-f', this.createInlineArray(configurationPaths)]);
+    public apply(configurationPaths: string | string[], force?: boolean): IExecSyncResult {
+        let applyArgs: string[] = ['apply', '-f', this.createInlineArray(configurationPaths)];
+
+        if (!!force) {
+            console.log("force flag is on, deployment will continue even if previous deployment already exists");
+            applyArgs.push('--force');
+        }
+
+        return this.execute(applyArgs);
     }
 
     public describe(resourceType: string, resourceName: string, silent?: boolean): IExecSyncResult {
diff --git a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.ts b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.ts
index a7299cb0..8e6f1a39 100644
--- a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/deployment-helper.ts
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@ function deployManifests(files: string[], kubectl: Kubectl, isCanaryDeploymentSt
     } else {
         if (canaryDeploymentHelper.isSMICanaryStrategy()) {
             const updatedManifests = appendStableVersionLabelToResource(files, kubectl);
-            result = kubectl.apply(updatedManifests);
+            result = kubectl.apply(updatedManifests, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
         }
         else {
-            result = kubectl.apply(files);
+            result = kubectl.apply(files, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
         }
     }
     checkForErrors([result]);
diff --git a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.ts b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.ts
index 4c4ca4df..f6b6dcf0 100644
--- a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/pod-canary-deployment-helper.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export function deployPodCanary(kubectl: Kubectl, filePaths: string[]) {
     });
 
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     return { 'result': result, 'newFilePaths': manifestFiles };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.ts b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.ts
index d06e3899..5239b583 100644
--- a/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/strategy-helpers/smi-canary-deployment-helper.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export function deploySMICanary(kubectl: Kubectl, filePaths: string[]) {
     });
 
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     createCanaryService(kubectl, filePaths);
     return { 'result': result, 'newFilePaths': manifestFiles };
 }
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ function createCanaryService(kubectl: Kubectl, filePaths: string[]) {
 
     const manifestFiles = fileHelper.writeObjectsToFile(newObjectsList);
     manifestFiles.push(...trafficObjectsList);
-    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(manifestFiles, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     checkForErrors([result]);
 }
 
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ function adjustTraffic(kubectl: Kubectl, manifestFilePaths: string[], stableWeig
         return;
     }
 
-    const result = kubectl.apply(trafficSplitManifests);
+    const result = kubectl.apply(trafficSplitManifests, TaskInputParameters.forceDeployment);
     core.debug('serviceObjects:' + serviceObjects.join(',') + ' result:' + result);
     checkForErrors([result]);
 }