diff --git a/whisperx/transcribe.py b/whisperx/transcribe.py
index 1d7d1ac..ae61ed1 100644
--- a/whisperx/transcribe.py
+++ b/whisperx/transcribe.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ def cli():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser.add_argument("audio", nargs="+", type=str, help="audio file(s) to transcribe")
     parser.add_argument("--model", default="small", help="name of the Whisper model to use")
+    parser.add_argument("--model_cache_only", type=str2bool, default=False, help="If True, will not attempt to download models, instead using cached models from --model_dir")
     parser.add_argument("--model_dir", type=str, default=None, help="the path to save model files; uses ~/.cache/whisper by default")
     parser.add_argument("--device", default="cuda" if torch.cuda.is_available() else "cpu", help="device to use for PyTorch inference")
     parser.add_argument("--device_index", default=0, type=int, help="device index to use for FasterWhisper inference")
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ def cli():
     model_name: str = args.pop("model")
     batch_size: int = args.pop("batch_size")
     model_dir: str = args.pop("model_dir")
+    model_cache_only: bool = args.pop("model_cache_only")
     output_dir: str = args.pop("output_dir")
     output_format: str = args.pop("output_format")
     device: str = args.pop("device")
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ def cli():
     results = []
     tmp_results = []
     # model = load_model(model_name, device=device, download_root=model_dir)
-    model = load_model(model_name, device=device, device_index=device_index, download_root=model_dir, compute_type=compute_type, language=args['language'], asr_options=asr_options, vad_method=vad_method, vad_options={"chunk_size":chunk_size, "vad_onset": vad_onset, "vad_offset": vad_offset}, task=task, threads=faster_whisper_threads)
+    model = load_model(model_name, device=device, device_index=device_index, download_root=model_dir, compute_type=compute_type, language=args['language'], asr_options=asr_options, vad_method=vad_method, vad_options={"chunk_size":chunk_size, "vad_onset": vad_onset, "vad_offset": vad_offset}, task=task, local_files_only=model_cache_only, threads=faster_whisper_threads)
 
     for audio_path in args.pop("audio"):
         audio = load_audio(audio_path)