diff --git a/src/cli/channel/add.rs b/src/cli/channel/add.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..840c656e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/channel/add.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+use crate::environment::{load_lock_file, update_lock_file, update_prefix};
+use crate::prefix::Prefix;
+use crate::Project;
+use clap::Parser;
+use itertools::Itertools;
+use miette::IntoDiagnostic;
+use rattler_conda_types::{Channel, ChannelConfig, Platform};
+
+/// Adds a channel to the project
+#[derive(Parser, Debug, Default)]
+pub struct Args {
+    /// The channel name or URL
+    #[clap(required = true, num_args=1..)]
+    pub channel: Vec<String>,
+
+    /// Don't update the environment, only add changed packages to the lock-file.
+    #[clap(long)]
+    pub no_install: bool,
+}
+
+pub async fn execute(mut project: Project, args: Args) -> miette::Result<()> {
+    // Determine which channels are missing
+    let channel_config = ChannelConfig::default();
+    let channels = args
+        .channel
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|channel_str| {
+            Channel::from_str(&channel_str, &channel_config).map(|channel| (channel_str, channel))
+        })
+        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+        .into_diagnostic()?;
+
+    let missing_channels = channels
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|(_name, channel)| !project.channels().contains(channel))
+        .collect_vec();
+
+    if missing_channels.is_empty() {
+        eprintln!(
+            "{}All channel(s) have already been added.",
+            console::style(console::Emoji("✔ ", "")).green(),
+        );
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    // Load the existing lock-file
+    let lock_file = load_lock_file(&project).await?;
+
+    // Add the channels to the lock-file
+    project.add_channels(missing_channels.iter().map(|(name, _channel)| name))?;
+
+    // Try to update the lock-file with the new channels
+    let lock_file = update_lock_file(&project, lock_file, None).await?;
+    project.save()?;
+
+    // Update the installation if needed
+    if !args.no_install {
+        // Get the currently installed packages
+        let prefix = Prefix::new(project.root().join(".pixi/env"))?;
+        let installed_packages = prefix.find_installed_packages(None).await?;
+
+        // Update the prefix
+        update_prefix(&prefix, installed_packages, &lock_file, Platform::current()).await?;
+    }
+
+    // Report back to the user
+    for (name, channel) in missing_channels {
+        eprintln!(
+            "{}Added {} ({})",
+            console::style(console::Emoji("✔ ", "")).green(),
+            name,
+            channel.base_url()
+        );
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/channel/mod.rs b/src/cli/channel/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d176a3da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/channel/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+pub mod add;
+
+use crate::Project;
+use clap::Parser;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+/// Commands to manage project channels.
+#[derive(Parser, Debug)]
+pub struct Args {
+    /// The path to 'pixi.toml'
+    #[clap(long, global = true)]
+    pub manifest_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+
+    /// The subcommand to execute
+    #[clap(subcommand)]
+    pub command: Command,
+}
+
+#[derive(Parser, Debug)]
+pub enum Command {
+    Add(add::Args),
+}
+
+pub async fn execute(args: Args) -> miette::Result<()> {
+    let project = Project::load_or_else_discover(args.manifest_path.as_deref())?;
+
+    match args.command {
+        Command::Add(args) => add::execute(project, args).await,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/mod.rs b/src/cli/mod.rs
index fef64c221..898e501ad 100644
--- a/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{filter::LevelFilter, util::SubscriberInitExt, EnvFilter
 
 pub mod add;
 pub mod auth;
+pub mod channel;
 pub mod global;
 pub mod info;
 pub mod init;
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ pub enum Command {
     Task(task::Args),
     Info(info::Args),
     Upload(upload::Args),
+    Channel(channel::Args),
 }
 
 fn completion(args: CompletionCommand) -> miette::Result<()> {
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ pub async fn execute_command(command: Command) -> miette::Result<()> {
         Command::Task(cmd) => task::execute(cmd),
         Command::Info(cmd) => info::execute(cmd).await,
         Command::Upload(cmd) => upload::execute(cmd).await,
+        Command::Channel(cmd) => channel::execute(cmd).await,
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/repodata.rs b/src/repodata.rs
index 82659c7fc..6a5d51d97 100644
--- a/src/repodata.rs
+++ b/src/repodata.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ pub async fn fetch_sparse_repodata(
                 &repodata_cache,
                 download_client,
                 progress_bar.clone(),
-                platform == Platform::NoArch,
+                platform != Platform::NoArch,
             )
             .await;
 
diff --git a/tests/channel_tests.rs b/tests/channel_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..149a2290e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/channel_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+mod common;
+
+use crate::{common::package_database::PackageDatabase, common::PixiControl};
+use rattler_conda_types::{Channel, ChannelConfig};
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+use url::Url;
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn add_channel() {
+    // Create a local package database with no entries and write it to disk. This ensures that we
+    // have a valid channel.
+    let package_database = PackageDatabase::default();
+    let initial_channel_dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    package_database
+        .write_repodata(initial_channel_dir.path())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Run the init command
+    let pixi = PixiControl::new().unwrap();
+    pixi.init()
+        .with_local_channel(initial_channel_dir.path())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Create and add another local package directory
+    let additional_channel_dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    package_database
+        .write_repodata(additional_channel_dir.path())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    pixi.channel_add()
+        .with_local_channel(additional_channel_dir.path())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // There should be a loadable project manifest in the directory
+    let project = pixi.project().unwrap();
+
+    // Our channel should be in the list of channels
+    let local_channel = Channel::from_str(
+        Url::from_directory_path(additional_channel_dir.path())
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string(),
+        &ChannelConfig::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(project.channels().contains(&local_channel));
+}
diff --git a/tests/common/builders.rs b/tests/common/builders.rs
index fb2a07a30..a6fb63143 100644
--- a/tests/common/builders.rs
+++ b/tests/common/builders.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 //! ```
 
 use crate::common::IntoMatchSpec;
-use pixi::cli::{add, init, task};
+use pixi::cli::{add, channel, init, task};
 use pixi::project::SpecType;
 use rattler_conda_types::Platform;
 use std::future::{Future, IntoFuture};
@@ -163,3 +163,33 @@ impl TaskAliasBuilder {
         })
     }
 }
+
+pub struct ChannelAddBuilder {
+    pub manifest_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    pub args: channel::add::Args,
+}
+
+impl ChannelAddBuilder {
+    /// Adds the specified channel
+    pub fn with_channel(mut self, name: impl Into<String>) -> Self {
+        self.args.channel.push(name.into());
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Alias to add a local channel.
+    pub fn with_local_channel(self, channel: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Self {
+        self.with_channel(Url::from_directory_path(channel).unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoFuture for ChannelAddBuilder {
+    type Output = miette::Result<()>;
+    type IntoFuture = Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Self::Output> + Send + 'static>>;
+
+    fn into_future(self) -> Self::IntoFuture {
+        Box::pin(channel::execute(channel::Args {
+            manifest_path: self.manifest_path,
+            command: channel::Command::Add(self.args),
+        }))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/common/mod.rs b/tests/common/mod.rs
index 9ec51a557..68164936e 100644
--- a/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -3,13 +3,15 @@
 pub mod builders;
 pub mod package_database;
 
-use crate::common::builders::{AddBuilder, InitBuilder, TaskAddBuilder, TaskAliasBuilder};
+use crate::common::builders::{
+    AddBuilder, ChannelAddBuilder, InitBuilder, TaskAddBuilder, TaskAliasBuilder,
+};
 use pixi::cli::install::Args;
 use pixi::cli::run::{
     create_script, execute_script_with_output, get_task_env, order_tasks, RunOutput,
 };
 use pixi::cli::task::{AddArgs, AliasArgs};
-use pixi::cli::{add, init, run, task};
+use pixi::cli::{add, channel, init, run, task};
 use pixi::{consts, Project};
 use rattler_conda_types::conda_lock::CondaLock;
 use rattler_conda_types::{MatchSpec, Platform, Version};
@@ -148,6 +150,17 @@ impl PixiControl {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Add a new channel to the project.
+    pub fn channel_add(&self) -> ChannelAddBuilder {
+        ChannelAddBuilder {
+            manifest_path: Some(self.manifest_path()),
+            args: channel::add::Args {
+                channel: vec![],
+                no_install: true,
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Run a command
     pub async fn run(&self, mut args: run::Args) -> miette::Result<RunOutput> {
         args.manifest_path = args.manifest_path.or_else(|| Some(self.manifest_path()));