diff --git a/fidesctl/data/sample/system.yml b/fidesctl/data/sample/system.yml
index 5c30532336..f7291c1a3f 100644
--- a/fidesctl/data/sample/system.yml
+++ b/fidesctl/data/sample/system.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,4 @@ system:
         dataQualifier: "identified_data"
         dataSubjects:
           - "customer"
-        datasetReferences:
-          - "sample_db_dataset.Email"
     systemDependencies: []
diff --git a/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/cli/cli.py b/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/cli/cli.py
index 19bb0e2461..e0c6995d09 100644
--- a/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/cli/cli.py
+++ b/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/cli/cli.py
@@ -109,8 +109,13 @@ def show(ctx: click.Context, object_type: str) -> None:
 ########################
 @click.command()
 @click.pass_context
+@click.option(
+    "--dry",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Runs the apply command without any side-effects.",
+)
 @click.argument("manifest_dir", type=click.Path())
-def apply(ctx: click.Context, manifest_dir: str) -> None:
+def apply(ctx: click.Context, dry: bool, manifest_dir: str) -> None:
     """
     Send the manifest files to the server.
     """
@@ -119,6 +124,7 @@ def apply(ctx: click.Context, manifest_dir: str) -> None:
         url=config.cli.server_url,
         manifests_dir=manifest_dir,
         headers=config.user.request_headers,
+        dry=dry,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/core/apply.py b/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/core/apply.py
index c9720e7d9b..280bd2035f 100644
--- a/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/core/apply.py
+++ b/fidesctl/src/fidesctl/core/apply.py
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ def get_server_objects(
     return server_object_list
 
 
-def apply(url: str, manifests_dir: str, headers: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
+def apply(
+    url: str, manifests_dir: str, headers: Dict[str, str], dry: bool = False
+) -> None:
     """
     Apply the current manifest file state to the server.
     Excludes systems and registries.
@@ -118,7 +120,6 @@ def apply(url: str, manifests_dir: str, headers: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
         for object_type, object_list in ingested_manifests.items()
     }
 
-    # Loop through each type of object and check for operations
     for object_type, manifest_object_list in parsed_manifests.items():
 
         existing_keys = [
@@ -133,15 +134,25 @@ def apply(url: str, manifests_dir: str, headers: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
             manifest_object_list,
             server_object_list,
         )
-        execute_create_update_unchanged(
-            url,
-            headers,
-            object_type,
-            create_list,
-            update_list,
-            unchanged_list,
-        )
 
-        echo_green(f"Created {len(create_list)} {object_type} objects.")
-        echo_green(f"Updated {len(update_list)} {object_type} objects.")
-        echo_green(f"Skipped {len(unchanged_list)} unchanged {object_type} objects.")
+        if dry:
+            echo_green(f"Would Create {len(create_list)} {object_type} objects.")
+            echo_green(f"Would Update {len(update_list)} {object_type} objects.")
+            echo_green(
+                f"Would Skip {len(unchanged_list)} unchanged {object_type} objects."
+            )
+        else:
+            execute_create_update_unchanged(
+                url,
+                headers,
+                object_type,
+                create_list,
+                update_list,
+                unchanged_list,
+            )
+
+            echo_green(f"Created {len(create_list)} {object_type} objects.")
+            echo_green(f"Updated {len(update_list)} {object_type} objects.")
+            echo_green(
+                f"Skipped {len(unchanged_list)} unchanged {object_type} objects."
+            )
diff --git a/fidesctl/tests/cli/test_cli.py b/fidesctl/tests/cli/test_cli.py
index 9b4980fa88..c9cec01f7c 100644
--- a/fidesctl/tests/cli/test_cli.py
+++ b/fidesctl/tests/cli/test_cli.py
@@ -26,10 +26,19 @@ def test_apply(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
     assert result.exit_code == 0
 
 
+@pytest.mark.integration
+def test_dry_apply(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
+    result = test_cli_runner.invoke(
+        cli, ["-f", test_config_path, "apply", "data/sample/", "--dry"]
+    )
+    print(result.output)
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+
+
 @pytest.mark.integration
 def test_find(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
     result = test_cli_runner.invoke(
-        cli, ["-f", test_config_path, "find", "system", "demoPassingSystem"]
+        cli, ["-f", test_config_path, "find", "system", "dataAnalyticsSystem"]
     )
     print(result.output)
     assert result.exit_code == 0
@@ -77,7 +86,7 @@ def test_dry_evaluate_registry_success(
 def test_dry_evaluate_system_success(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
     result = test_cli_runner.invoke(
         cli,
-        ["-f", test_config_path, "dry-evaluate", "data/sample/", "demoPassingSystem"],
+        ["-f", test_config_path, "dry-evaluate", "data/sample/", "dataAnalyticsSystem"],
     )
     print(result.output)
     assert result.exit_code == 0
@@ -87,7 +96,13 @@ def test_dry_evaluate_system_success(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: Cli
 def test_dry_evaluate_system_failing(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
     result = test_cli_runner.invoke(
         cli,
-        ["-f", test_config_path, "dry-evaluate", "data/sample/", "demoFailingSystem"],
+        [
+            "-f",
+            test_config_path,
+            "dry-evaluate",
+            "data/sample/",
+            "customerDataSharingSystem",
+        ],
     )
     print(result.output)
     assert result.exit_code == 1
@@ -117,7 +132,7 @@ def test_evaluate_system_success(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunn
 def test_evaluate_system_failing(test_config_path: str, test_cli_runner: CliRunner):
     result = test_cli_runner.invoke(
         cli,
-        ["-f", test_config_path, "evaluate", "system", "demoFailingSystem"],
+        ["-f", test_config_path, "evaluate", "system", "customerDataSharingSystem"],
     )
     print(result.output)
     assert result.exit_code == 1