diff --git a/lib/cache.js b/lib/cache.js
index 6c9dc649ae1..25054b2e744 100644
--- a/lib/cache.js
+++ b/lib/cache.js
@@ -408,20 +408,55 @@ function addNameRange (name, range, data, cb) {
 
   function next () {
     engineFilter(data)
+
+    if (!npm.config.get("registry")) {
+      cachedFilter(data, function (er) {
+        if (er) return cb(er)
+        next_()
+      })
+    } else {
+      next_()
+    }
+  }
+
+  function next_ () {
+    log.silly([data.name, Object.keys(data.versions)], "versions")
     // if the tagged version satisfies, then use that.
     var tagged = data["dist-tags"][npm.config.get("tag")]
     if (tagged && data.versions[tagged] && semver.satisfies(tagged, range)) {
       return addNameVersion(name, tagged, data.versions[tagged], cb)
     }
+
     // find the max satisfying version.
     var ms = semver.maxSatisfying(Object.keys(data.versions || {}), range)
     if (!ms) {
       return cb(installTargetsError(range, data))
     }
+
+    // if we don't have a registry connection, try to see if
+    // there's a cached copy that will be ok.
     addNameVersion(name, ms, data.versions[ms], cb)
   }
 }
 
+// filter the versions down based on what's already in cache.
+function cachedFilter (data, cb) {
+  ls_(data.name, 1, function (er, files) {
+    if (er) return log.er(cb, "Not in cache, can't fetch: "+data.name)(er)
+    files = files.map(function (f) {
+      return path.basename(f.replace(/(\\|\/)$/, ""))
+    }).filter(function (f) {
+      return semver.valid(f)
+    })
+    log.silly([data.name, files], "cached")
+    Object.keys(data.versions).forEach(function (v) {
+      if (files.indexOf(v) === -1) delete data.versions[v]
+    })
+
+    cb(null, data)
+  })
+}
+
 function installTargetsError (requested, data) {
   var targets = Object.keys(data["dist-tags"]).filter(function (f) {
     return (data.versions || {}).hasOwnProperty(f)
@@ -491,6 +526,10 @@ function addNameVersion (name, ver, data, cb) {
     })
 
     function fetchit () {
+      if (!npm.config.get("registry")) {
+        return cb(new Error("Cannot fetch: "+dist.tarball))
+      }
+
       // use the same protocol as the registry.
       // https registry --> https tarballs.
       var tb = url.parse(dist.tarball)