diff --git a/src/installer/cache_integrity.go b/src/installer/cache_integrity.go
index 69bfbd2..9037d9d 100644
--- a/src/installer/cache_integrity.go
+++ b/src/installer/cache_integrity.go
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ func verifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrity(ctx context.Context, version, archivePath
 		return finishDownloadCacheVerification(version, archivePath)
 	}
 
+	// local_install_only: never fetch SHASUMS256.txt. Trust the staged
+	// archive the same way machine-policy LocalInstallDir does.
+	if cfg.LocalOnly {
+		return finishDownloadCacheVerification(version, archivePath)
+	}
+
 	if err := verifyArchiveWithMirrorSHASUMFn(ctx, version, archivePath, cfg); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/installer/cache_integrity_test.go b/src/installer/cache_integrity_test.go
index 3968257..fe181c1 100644
--- a/src/installer/cache_integrity_test.go
+++ b/src/installer/cache_integrity_test.go
@@ -177,6 +177,49 @@ func TestVerifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrityTrustedLocalInstallBypass(t *testing.T)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestVerifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrityLocalOnlySkipsMirror(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	archivePath := filepath.Join(dir, "node-v22.0.0-win-x64.7z")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(archivePath, []byte("airgapped local archive"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	origVerify := verifyDownloadArchiveCacheFn
+	verifyDownloadArchiveCacheFn = func(string) error { return verifycache.ErrDownloadCacheMiss }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { verifyDownloadArchiveCacheFn = origVerify })
+
+	origTrusted := isMachinePolicyTrustedLocalArchiveFn
+	isMachinePolicyTrustedLocalArchiveFn = func(string) (bool, error) { return false, nil }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { isMachinePolicyTrustedLocalArchiveFn = origTrusted })
+
+	mirrorCalled := false
+	origMirror := verifyArchiveWithMirrorSHASUMFn
+	verifyArchiveWithMirrorSHASUMFn = func(context.Context, string, string, InstallConfig) error {
+		mirrorCalled = true
+		return errors.New("mirror should not be called")
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { verifyArchiveWithMirrorSHASUMFn = origMirror })
+
+	signed := false
+	origSign := signDownloadArchiveCacheFn
+	signDownloadArchiveCacheFn = func(string) error {
+		signed = true
+		return nil
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { signDownloadArchiveCacheFn = origSign })
+
+	cfg := InstallConfig{LocalOnly: true}
+	if err := verifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrity(t.Context(), "22.0.0", archivePath, cfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("verifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrity() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if mirrorCalled {
+		t.Fatal("mirror SHASUM verification was called, want local-only skip")
+	}
+	if !signed {
+		t.Fatal("expected SignDownloadArchiveCache after local-only trust")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestVerifyCachedNodeArchiveIntegrityFallsBackToMirrorSHASUM(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	archiveName := "node-v22.0.0-win-x64.7z"
diff --git a/src/test/commands/cli_t3_test.go b/src/test/commands/cli_t3_test.go
index e075019..d31fda6 100644
--- a/src/test/commands/cli_t3_test.go
+++ b/src/test/commands/cli_t3_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 package commands_test
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"nvm/test/clitest"
@@ -57,15 +60,39 @@ func TestCLIInstallSkipsAlreadyInstalled(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCLIInstallLocalOnlyMissingArchive(t *testing.T) {
 	sb := clitest.NewSandbox(t)
-	sb.ApplyNodeMirrorFixture(t, clitest.TestdataPath(t, "index.tab"))
 	if err := sb.WriteSetting("local_install_only", true); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("WriteSetting(local_install_only) error = %v", err)
 	}
 
+	prevFixtures := os.Getenv("NVM_TEST_HTTP_FIXTURES")
+	if err := os.Setenv("NVM_TEST_HTTP_FIXTURES", "1"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Setenv(NVM_TEST_HTTP_FIXTURES) error = %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if prevFixtures == "" {
+			_ = os.Unsetenv("NVM_TEST_HTTP_FIXTURES")
+			return
+		}
+		_ = os.Setenv("NVM_TEST_HTTP_FIXTURES", prevFixtures)
+	})
+
+	var hits atomic.Int32
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		hits.Add(1)
+		http.Error(w, "catalog should not be fetched", http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+	if err := sb.WriteSetting("node_mirror", srv.URL); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteSetting(node_mirror) error = %v", err)
+	}
+
 	stdout, stderr, err := sb.ExecuteWithSyncStub("install", "22.0.0")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Execute(install 22.0.0) expected error, got nil")
 	}
+	if n := hits.Load(); n != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("catalog fetched %d time(s), want 0 for exact local-only install", n)
+	}
 	combined := stdout + stderr + err.Error()
 	if !strings.Contains(combined, "local install directory") {
 		t.Fatalf("Execute(install 22.0.0) output = stdout:%q stderr:%q err:%v, want local install error", stdout, stderr, err)