diff --git a/lisa/tools/tar.py b/lisa/tools/tar.py
index a10ee52ee5..013c26dfbc 100644
--- a/lisa/tools/tar.py
+++ b/lisa/tools/tar.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def extract(
         gzip: bool = False,
         sudo: bool = False,
         raise_error: bool = True,
+        skip_old_files: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         mkdir = self.node.tools[Mkdir]
         mkdir.create_directory(dest_dir)
diff --git a/microsoft/testsuites/dpdk/common.py b/microsoft/testsuites/dpdk/common.py
index 6269925b24..189cf0902e 100644
--- a/microsoft/testsuites/dpdk/common.py
+++ b/microsoft/testsuites/dpdk/common.py
@@ -152,10 +152,13 @@ def download(self) -> PurePath:
         self.asset_path = work_path.joinpath(tar_root_folder)
         # unpack into the dest dir
         # force name as tarfile name
+        # add option to skip files which already exist on disk
+        # in the event we have already extracted this specific tar
         node.tools[Tar].extract(
             file=str(remote_path),
             dest_dir=str(work_path),
             gzip=True,
+            skip_old_files=True,
         )
         return self.asset_path