diff --git a/core/config/model_config_loader.go b/core/config/model_config_loader.go
index f0f2c3338..32b3a8ac4 100644
--- a/core/config/model_config_loader.go
+++ b/core/config/model_config_loader.go
@@ -287,18 +287,20 @@ func (bcl *ModelConfigLoader) Preload(modelPath string) error {
 		if config.IsModelURL() {
 			modelFileName := config.ModelFileName()
 			uri := downloader.URI(config.Model)
-			// check if file exists
-			if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(modelPath, modelFileName)); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-				err := uri.DownloadFile(filepath.Join(modelPath, modelFileName), "", 0, 0, status)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
+			if uri.ResolveURL() != config.Model {
+				// check if file exists
+				if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(modelPath, modelFileName)); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+					err := uri.DownloadFile(filepath.Join(modelPath, modelFileName), "", 0, 0, status)
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 				}
-			}
 
-			cc := bcl.configs[i]
-			c := &cc
-			c.PredictionOptions.Model = modelFileName
-			bcl.configs[i] = *c
+				cc := bcl.configs[i]
+				c := &cc
+				c.PredictionOptions.Model = modelFileName
+				bcl.configs[i] = *c
+			}
 		}
 
 		if config.IsMMProjURL() {
diff --git a/pkg/downloader/uri.go b/pkg/downloader/uri.go
index 0129c5fdc..3a23589d1 100644
--- a/pkg/downloader/uri.go
+++ b/pkg/downloader/uri.go
@@ -214,16 +214,26 @@ func (s URI) ResolveURL() string {
 		repository = strings.Replace(repository, HuggingFacePrefix2, "", 1)
 		// convert repository to a full URL.
 		// e.g. TheBloke/Mixtral-8x7B-v0.1-GGUF/mixtral-8x7b-v0.1.Q2_K.gguf@main -> https://huggingface.co/TheBloke/Mixtral-8x7B-v0.1-GGUF/resolve/main/mixtral-8x7b-v0.1.Q2_K.gguf
-		owner := strings.Split(repository, "/")[0]
-		repo := strings.Split(repository, "/")[1]
+
+		repoPieces := strings.Split(repository, "/")
+		repoID := strings.Split(repository, "@")
+		if len(repoPieces) < 3 {
+			return string(s)
+		}
+
+		owner := repoPieces[0]
+		repo := repoPieces[1]
 
 		branch := "main"
-		if strings.Contains(repo, "@") {
-			branch = strings.Split(repository, "@")[1]
-		}
-		filepath := strings.Split(repository, "/")[2]
-		if strings.Contains(filepath, "@") {
-			filepath = strings.Split(filepath, "@")[0]
+		filepath := repoPieces[2]
+
+		if len(repoID) > 1 {
+			if strings.Contains(repo, "@") {
+				branch = repoID[1]
+			}
+			if strings.Contains(filepath, "@") {
+				filepath = repoID[2]
+			}
 		}
 
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s/resolve/%s/%s", HF_ENDPOINT, owner, repo, branch, filepath)