diff --git a/src/StarterKits/Installer.php b/src/StarterKits/Installer.php
index 61edfb1ee6..448b07d2c8 100644
--- a/src/StarterKits/Installer.php
+++ b/src/StarterKits/Installer.php
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ function () {
                     : $this->package;
 
                 try {
-                    Composer::withoutQueue()->throwOnFailure()->requireDev($package);
+                    Composer::withoutQueue()->throwOnFailure()->require($package);
                 } catch (ProcessException $exception) {
                     $this->rollbackWithError("Error installing starter kit [{$package}].", $exception->getMessage());
                 }
@@ -549,14 +549,14 @@ function () {
      */
     public function removeStarterKit(): self
     {
-        if ($this->disableCleanup) {
+        if ($this->isUpdatable() || $this->disableCleanup) {
             return $this;
         }
 
         spin(
             function () {
                 if (Composer::isInstalled($this->package)) {
-                    Composer::withoutQueue()->throwOnFailure(false)->removeDev($this->package);
+                    Composer::withoutQueue()->throwOnFailure(false)->remove($this->package);
                 }
             },
             'Cleaning up temporary files...'
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ protected function completeInstall(): self
      */
     protected function removeRepository(): self
     {
-        if ($this->fromLocalRepo || ! $this->url) {
+        if ($this->isUpdatable() || $this->fromLocalRepo || ! $this->url) {
             return $this;
         }
 
@@ -673,7 +673,9 @@ protected function starterKitPath(?string $path = null): string
      */
     protected function config(?string $key = null): mixed
     {
-        $config = collect(YAML::parse($this->files->get($this->starterKitPath('starter-kit.yaml'))));
+        $config = Blink::once('starter-kit-config', function () {
+            return collect(YAML::parse($this->files->get($this->starterKitPath('starter-kit.yaml'))));
+        });
 
         if ($key) {
             return $config->get($key);
@@ -681,4 +683,12 @@ protected function config(?string $key = null): mixed
 
         return $config;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Should starter kit be treated as an updatable package, and live on for future composer updates, etc?
+     */
+    protected function isUpdatable(): bool
+    {
+        return (bool) $this->config('updatable');
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/StarterKits/InstallTest.php b/tests/StarterKits/InstallTest.php
index 3533e513c1..6fc18b8aa1 100644
--- a/tests/StarterKits/InstallTest.php
+++ b/tests/StarterKits/InstallTest.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 use Statamic\Facades\Config;
 use Statamic\Facades\Path;
 use Statamic\Facades\YAML;
+use Statamic\Support\Arr;
 use Statamic\Support\Str;
 use Tests\Fakes\Composer\FakeComposer;
 use Tests\TestCase;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ public function it_installs_starter_kit()
         $this->assertFalse(Blink::has('starter-kit-repository-added'));
         $this->assertFileDoesNotExist($this->kitVendorPath());
         $this->assertFileDoesNotExist(base_path('composer.json.bak'));
+        $this->assertComposerJsonDoesntHavePackage('statamic/cool-runnings');
         $this->assertComposerJsonDoesntHave('repositories');
         $this->assertFileExists(base_path('copied.md'));
     }
@@ -258,6 +260,70 @@ public function it_restores_existing_repositories_after_successful_install()
         $this->assertEquals($expectedRepositories, $composerJson['repositories']);
     }
 
+    #[Test]
+    public function it_installs_as_living_package_with_custom_config()
+    {
+        $this->setConfig([
+            'updatable' => true, // With `updatable: true`, kit should live on as composer updatable package
+            'export_paths' => [
+                'copied.md',
+            ],
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist(base_path('copied.md'));
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist($this->kitVendorPath());
+
+        $this->installCoolRunnings();
+
+        $this->assertFileExists(base_path('copied.md'));
+        $this->assertComposerJsonDoesntHave('repositories');
+
+        // Keep package around
+        $this->assertFileExists($this->kitVendorPath());
+        $this->assertComposerJsonHasPackage('require', 'statamic/cool-runnings');
+
+        // But ensure we still delete backup composer.json, which is only used for error handling purposes
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist(base_path('composer.json.bak'));
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function it_leaves_custom_repository_for_living_packages_that_need_it()
+    {
+        $this->setConfig([
+            'updatable' => true, // With `updatable: true`, kit should live on as composer updatable package
+            'export_paths' => [
+                'copied.md',
+            ],
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist(base_path('copied.md'));
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist($this->kitVendorPath());
+        $this->assertComposerJsonDoesntHave('repositories');
+
+        $this->installCoolRunnings([], [
+            'outpost.*' => Http::response(['data' => ['price' => null]], 200),
+            'github.com/*' => Http::response('', 200),
+            '*' => Http::response('', 404),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertFileExists(base_path('copied.md'));
+
+        // Keep package around
+        $this->assertFileExists($this->kitVendorPath());
+        $this->assertComposerJsonHasPackage('require', 'statamic/cool-runnings');
+
+        // As well as custom repository, which will be needed for composer updates, if it was needed for install
+        $composerJson = json_decode($this->files->get(base_path('composer.json')), true);
+        $this->assertCount(1, $composerJson['repositories']);
+        $this->assertEquals([[
+            'type' => 'vcs',
+            'url' => 'https://github.com/statamic/cool-runnings',
+        ]], $composerJson['repositories']);
+
+        // But delete backup composer.json, which is only used for error handling purposes
+        $this->assertFileDoesNotExist(base_path('composer.json.bak'));
+    }
+
     #[Test]
     public function it_fails_if_starter_kit_config_does_not_exist()
     {
@@ -737,8 +803,8 @@ public function it_parses_branch_from_package_param_when_installing()
         ]);
 
         // Ensure `Composer::requireDev()` gets called with `package:branch`
-        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-dev-package'), 'statamic/cool-runnings');
-        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-dev-branch'), 'dev-custom-branch');
+        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-package'), 'statamic/cool-runnings');
+        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-branch'), 'dev-custom-branch');
 
         // But ensure the rest of the installer handles parsed `package` without branch messing things up
         $this->assertFalse(Blink::has('starter-kit-repository-added'));
@@ -760,8 +826,8 @@ public function it_installs_branch_with_slash_without_failing_package_validation
         ]);
 
         // Ensure `Composer::requireDev()` gets called with `package:branch`
-        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-dev-package'), 'statamic/cool-runnings');
-        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-dev-branch'), 'dev-feature/custom-branch');
+        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-package'), 'statamic/cool-runnings');
+        $this->assertEquals(Blink::get('composer-require-branch'), 'dev-feature/custom-branch');
 
         // But ensure the rest of the installer handles parsed `package` without branch messing things up
         $this->assertFalse(Blink::has('starter-kit-repository-added'));
@@ -1652,6 +1718,21 @@ private function assertFileDoesntHaveContent($expected, $path)
         $this->assertStringNotContainsString($expected, $this->files->get($path));
     }
 
+    private function assertComposerJsonHasPackage($requireKey, $package)
+    {
+        $composerJson = json_decode($this->files->get(base_path('composer.json')), true);
+
+        $this->assertTrue(Arr::has($composerJson, "{$requireKey}.{$package}"));
+    }
+
+    private function assertComposerJsonDoesntHavePackage($package)
+    {
+        $composerJson = json_decode($this->files->get(base_path('composer.json')), true);
+
+        $this->assertFalse(Arr::has($composerJson, "require.{$package}"));
+        $this->assertFalse(Arr::has($composerJson, "require-dev.{$package}"));
+    }
+
     private function assertComposerJsonHasPackageVersion($requireKey, $package, $version)
     {
         $composerJson = json_decode($this->files->get(base_path('composer.json')), true);