diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.md b/docs/reference/cli.md
index e1957f0eeb..d3d26139d4 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.md
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -287,7 +287,8 @@ Options:
   --no-gaps                       Ensure that new snapshots have no data gaps
                                   when comparing to existing snapshots for
                                   matching models in the target environment.
-  --skip-backfill                 Skip the backfill step.
+  --skip-backfill, --dry-run      Skip the backfill step and only create a
+                                  virtual update for the plan.
   --forward-only                  Create a plan for forward-only changes.
   --allow-destructive-model TEXT  Allow destructive forward-only changes to
                                   models whose names match the expression.
diff --git a/docs/reference/notebook.md b/docs/reference/notebook.md
index 5b34da79e9..02be8a84fd 100644
--- a/docs/reference/notebook.md
+++ b/docs/reference/notebook.md
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ options:
 %plan [--start START] [--end END] [--execution-time EXECUTION_TIME]
             [--create-from CREATE_FROM] [--skip-tests]
             [--restate-model [RESTATE_MODEL ...]] [--no-gaps]
-            [--skip-backfill] [--forward-only]
+            [--skip-backfill, --dry-run] [--forward-only]
             [--effective-from EFFECTIVE_FROM] [--no-prompts] [--auto-apply]
             [--no-auto-categorization] [--include-unmodified]
             [--select-model [SELECT_MODEL ...]]
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ options:
   --no-gaps, -g         Ensure that new snapshots have no data gaps when
                         comparing to existing snapshots for matching models in
                         the target environment.
-  --skip-backfill       Skip the backfill step.
+  --skip-backfill, --dry-run
+                        Skip the backfill step and only create a virtual update for the plan.
   --forward-only        Create a plan for forward-only changes.
   --effective-from EFFECTIVE_FROM
                         The effective date from which to apply forward-only
diff --git a/sqlmesh/cli/main.py b/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
index 411e2a9ea2..dff6f194ea 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
@@ -303,8 +303,9 @@ def diff(ctx: click.Context, environment: t.Optional[str] = None) -> None:
 )
 @click.option(
     "--skip-backfill",
+    "--dry-run",
     is_flag=True,
-    help="Skip the backfill step.",
+    help="Skip the backfill step and only create a virtual update for the plan.",
 )
 @click.option(
     "--forward-only",
diff --git a/sqlmesh/magics.py b/sqlmesh/magics.py
index 51652fc00d..c2fe264f74 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/magics.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/magics.py
@@ -325,8 +325,9 @@ def test(self, context: Context, line: str, test_def_raw: t.Optional[str] = None
     )
     @argument(
         "--skip-backfill",
+        "--dry-run",
         action="store_true",
-        help="Skip the backfill step.",
+        help="Skip the backfill step and only create a virtual update for the plan.",
     )
     @argument(
         "--forward-only",
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cli.py b/tests/cli/test_cli.py
index 309727c0f7..823b557c4a 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_cli.py
@@ -214,13 +214,12 @@ def test_plan_restate_model(runner, tmp_path):
     assert_backfill_success(result)
 
 
-def test_plan_skip_backfill(runner, tmp_path):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("flag", ["--skip-backfill", "--dry-run"])
+def test_plan_skip_backfill(runner, tmp_path, flag):
     create_example_project(tmp_path)
 
     # plan for `prod` errors if `--skip-backfill` is passed without --no-gaps
-    result = runner.invoke(
-        cli, ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "--skip-backfill"]
-    )
+    result = runner.invoke(cli, ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", flag])
     assert result.exit_code == 1
     assert (
         "Error: When targeting the production environment either the backfill should not be skipped or the lack of data gaps should be enforced (--no-gaps flag)."
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ def test_plan_skip_backfill(runner, tmp_path):
     # Input: `y` to perform virtual update
     result = runner.invoke(
         cli,
-        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "--skip-backfill", "--no-gaps"],
+        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", flag, "--no-gaps"],
         input="y\n",
     )
     assert result.exit_code == 0
@@ -562,15 +561,16 @@ def test_run_no_prod(runner, tmp_path):
     assert "Error: Environment 'prod' was not found." in result.output
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("flag", ["--skip-backfill", "--dry-run"])
 @freeze_time(FREEZE_TIME)
-def test_run_dev(runner, tmp_path):
+def test_run_dev(runner, tmp_path, flag):
     create_example_project(tmp_path)
 
     # Create dev environment but DO NOT backfill
     # Input: `y` for virtual update
     runner.invoke(
         cli,
-        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "dev", "--skip-backfill"],
+        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "dev", flag],
         input="y\n",
     )