diff --git a/includes/api/wccom-site/class-wc-rest-wccom-site-installer-controller.php b/includes/api/wccom-site/class-wc-rest-wccom-site-installer-controller.php
index 2e78c3b1a72..a9446e63b61 100644
--- a/includes/api/wccom-site/class-wc-rest-wccom-site-installer-controller.php
+++ b/includes/api/wccom-site/class-wc-rest-wccom-site-installer-controller.php
@@ -97,10 +97,15 @@ class WC_REST_WCCOM_Site_Installer_Controller extends WC_REST_Controller {
 		}
 
 		$data = json_decode( $body, true );
-		if ( empty( $data['products'] ) || ! is_array( $data['products'] ) ) {
+		if ( empty( $data['products'] ) ) {
 			return new WP_Error( 'missing_products', __( 'Missing products in request body.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
 		}
 
+		$validation_result = $this->validate_products( $data['products'] );
+		if ( is_wp_error( $validation_result ) ) {
+			return $validation_result;
+		}
+
 		return rest_ensure_response( WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer::schedule_install( $data['products'] ) );
 	}
 
@@ -117,4 +122,32 @@ class WC_REST_WCCOM_Site_Installer_Controller extends WC_REST_Controller {
 
 		return $resp;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Validate products from request body.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $products Array of products where key is product ID and
+	 *                        element is install args.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool|WP_Error
+	 */
+	protected function validate_products( $products ) {
+		$err = new WP_Error( 'invalid_products', __( 'Invalid products in request body.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
+
+		if ( ! is_array( $products ) ) {
+			return $err;
+		}
+
+		foreach ( $products as $product_id => $install_args ) {
+			if ( ! absint( $product_id ) ) {
+				return $err;
+			}
+
+			if ( empty( $install_args ) || ! is_array( $install_args ) ) {
+				return $err;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return true;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/includes/wccom-site/class-wc-wccom-site-installer.php b/includes/wccom-site/class-wc-wccom-site-installer.php
index c1b489f5f4f..58f22176f0f 100644
--- a/includes/wccom-site/class-wc-wccom-site-installer.php
+++ b/includes/wccom-site/class-wc-wccom-site-installer.php
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 		'download_path'  => '',
 		'unpacked_path'  => '',
 		'installed_path' => '',
+		'activate'       => false,
 	);
 
 	/**
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 	/**
 	 * Schedule installing given list of products.
 	 *
-	 * @param array $products List of product IDs.
+	 * @param array $products Array of products where key is product ID and
+	 *                        element is install args.
 	 *
 	 * @return array State.
 	 */
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 		}
 		self::update_state( 'status', 'in-progress' );
 
-		$steps = array_fill_keys( $products, self::$default_step_state );
+		$steps = array_fill_keys( array_keys( $products ), self::$default_step_state );
 		self::update_state( 'steps', $steps );
 
 		$args = array(
@@ -129,7 +131,8 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 	 *
 	 * Run via `woocommerce_wccom_install_products` hook.
 	 *
-	 * @param array $products List of product IDs.
+	 * @param array $products Array of products where key is product ID and
+	 *                        element is install args.
 	 *
 	 * @return array State.
 	 */
@@ -144,8 +147,8 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 		$upgrader->init();
 		wp_clean_plugins_cache();
 
-		foreach ( $products as $product_id ) {
-			self::install_product( $product_id, $upgrader );
+		foreach ( $products as $product_id => $install_args ) {
+			self::install_product( $product_id, $install_args, $upgrader );
 		}
 
 		self::finish_installation();
@@ -177,23 +180,25 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 	/**
 	 * Install a single product given its ID.
 	 *
-	 * @param int          $product_id Product ID.
-	 * @param \WP_Upgrader $upgrader   Core class to handle installation.
+	 * @param int          $product_id   Product ID.
+	 * @param array        $install_args Install args.
+	 * @param \WP_Upgrader $upgrader     Core class to handle installation.
 	 */
-	private static function install_product( $product_id, $upgrader ) {
+	private static function install_product( $product_id, $install_args, $upgrader ) {
 		foreach ( self::$install_steps as $step ) {
-			self::do_install_step( $product_id, $step, $upgrader );
+			self::do_install_step( $product_id, $install_args, $step, $upgrader );
 		}
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Perform product installation step.
 	 *
-	 * @param int          $product_id Product ID.
-	 * @param string       $step       Installation step.
-	 * @param \WP_Upgrader $upgrader   Core class to handle installation.
+	 * @param int          $product_id   Product ID.
+	 * @param array        $install_args Install args.
+	 * @param string       $step         Installation step.
+	 * @param \WP_Upgrader $upgrader     Core class to handle installation.
 	 */
-	private static function do_install_step( $product_id, $step, $upgrader ) {
+	private static function do_install_step( $product_id, $install_args, $step, $upgrader ) {
 		$state_steps = self::get_state( 'steps' );
 		if ( empty( $state_steps[ $product_id ] ) ) {
 			$state_steps[ $product_id ] = self::$default_step_state;
@@ -205,6 +210,10 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 
 		$state_steps[ $product_id ]['last_step'] = $step;
 
+		if ( ! empty( $install_args['activate'] ) ) {
+			$state_steps[ $product_id ]['activate'] = true;
+		}
+
 		self::update_state(
 			'current_step',
 			array(
@@ -362,6 +371,10 @@ class WC_WCCOM_Site_Installer {
 	 */
 	private static function activate_product( $product_id ) {
 		$steps = self::get_state( 'steps' );
+		if ( ! $steps[ $product_id ]['activate'] ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
 		if ( 'plugin' === $steps[ $product_id ]['product_type'] ) {
 			return self::activate_plugin( $product_id );
 		}