diff --git a/internal/exec/engine.go b/internal/exec/engine.go
index 862831a2a4..637443981e 100644
--- a/internal/exec/engine.go
+++ b/internal/exec/engine.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/internal/providers/file"
+
 	"github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/config"
 	"github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/config/shared/errors"
 	latest "github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/config/v3_1_experimental"
@@ -54,6 +56,8 @@ type Engine struct {
 	Root           string
 	PlatformConfig platform.Config
 	Fetcher        *resource.Fetcher
+
+	DetectOfflineConfig string
 }
 
 // Run executes the stage of the given name. It returns true if the stage
@@ -67,6 +71,26 @@ func (e Engine) Run(stageName string) error {
 		Ignition: types.Ignition{Version: types.MaxVersion.String()},
 	}
 
+	if stageName == "fetch" && e.DetectOfflineConfig != "" {
+		var haveConfig bool
+		var err error
+		// If we already have a config cache, we're done
+		if _, err := os.Stat(e.ConfigCache); err != nil {
+			haveConfig = true
+		} else {
+			haveConfig, err = e.detectOfflineConfig()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		if haveConfig {
+			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(e.DetectOfflineConfig, []byte{}, 0644); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		// Note early return
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	systemBaseConfig, r, err := system.FetchBaseConfig(e.Logger)
 	e.logReport(r)
 	if err != nil && err != providers.ErrNoProvider {
@@ -175,6 +199,26 @@ func (e *Engine) acquireConfig() (cfg types.Config, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
+// acquireConfigOffline only looks at config providers which do not
+// require networking.
+func (e *Engine) detectOfflineConfig() (bool, error) {
+	offlineFetchers := []providers.FuncDetectConfig{
+		cmdline.DetectConfig,
+		file.DetectConfig,
+	}
+
+	for _, fetcher := range offlineFetchers {
+		exists, err := fetcher(e.Fetcher)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+		if exists {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
+
 // fetchProviderConfig returns the externally-provided configuration. It first
 // checks to see if the command-line option is present. If so, it uses that
 // source for the configuration. If the command-line option is not present, it
diff --git a/internal/main.go b/internal/main.go
index f630b917b6..4a9a783f8c 100644
--- a/internal/main.go
+++ b/internal/main.go
@@ -42,11 +42,14 @@ func main() {
 		stage        stages.Name
 		version      bool
 		logToStdout  bool
+
+		detectOfflineConfig string
 	}{}
 
 	flag.BoolVar(&flags.clearCache, "clear-cache", false, "clear any cached config")
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.configCache, "config-cache", "/run/ignition.json", "where to cache the config")
 	flag.DurationVar(&flags.fetchTimeout, "fetch-timeout", exec.DefaultFetchTimeout, "initial duration for which to wait for config")
+	flag.StringVar(&flags.detectOfflineConfig, "detect-config-provided", "", "If a config is provided, create a file at this path")
 	flag.Var(&flags.platform, "platform", fmt.Sprintf("current platform. %v", platform.Names()))
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.root, "root", "/", "root of the filesystem")
 	flag.Var(&flags.stage, "stage", fmt.Sprintf("execution stage. %v", stages.Names()))
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if flags.platform == "" {
+if flags.platform == "" {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "'--platform' must be provided\n")
 		os.Exit(2)
 	}
@@ -95,6 +98,8 @@ func main() {
 		ConfigCache:    flags.configCache,
 		PlatformConfig: platformConfig,
 		Fetcher:        &fetcher,
+
+		DetectOfflineConfig: flags.detectOfflineConfig,
 	}
 
 	err = engine.Run(flags.stage.String())
diff --git a/internal/providers/cmdline/cmdline.go b/internal/providers/cmdline/cmdline.go
index b92e8bc41b..0c12e02508 100644
--- a/internal/providers/cmdline/cmdline.go
+++ b/internal/providers/cmdline/cmdline.go
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ const (
 	cmdlineUrlFlag = "ignition.config.url"
 )
 
+func DetectConfig(f *resource.Fetcher) (bool, error) {
+	url, err := readCmdline(f.Logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return url != nil, nil
+}
+
 func FetchConfig(f *resource.Fetcher) (types.Config, report.Report, error) {
 	url, err := readCmdline(f.Logger)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/providers/file/file.go b/internal/providers/file/file.go
index 0f62277999..b85dc372f9 100644
--- a/internal/providers/file/file.go
+++ b/internal/providers/file/file.go
@@ -30,12 +30,29 @@ const (
 	defaultFilename   = "config.ign"
 )
 
-func FetchConfig(f *resource.Fetcher) (types.Config, report.Report, error) {
+func getPath(f *resource.Fetcher) string {
 	filename := os.Getenv(cfgFilenameEnvVar)
 	if filename == "" {
 		filename = defaultFilename
 		f.Logger.Info("using default filename")
 	}
+	return filename
+}
+
+func DetectConfig(f *resource.Fetcher) (bool, error) {
+	filename := getPath(f)
+	_, err := os.Stat(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
+func FetchConfig(f *resource.Fetcher) (types.Config, report.Report, error) {
+	filename := getPath(f)
 	f.Logger.Info("using config file at %q", filename)
 
 	rawConfig, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
diff --git a/internal/providers/providers.go b/internal/providers/providers.go
index 1d6c08e311..ee9aa19236 100644
--- a/internal/providers/providers.go
+++ b/internal/providers/providers.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ var (
 	ErrNoProvider = errors.New("config provider was not online")
 )
 
+type FuncDetectConfig func(f *resource.Fetcher) (bool, error)
 type FuncFetchConfig func(f *resource.Fetcher) (types.Config, report.Report, error)
 type FuncNewFetcher func(logger *log.Logger) (resource.Fetcher, error)
 type FuncPostStatus func(stageName string, f resource.Fetcher, e error) error
diff --git a/internal/resource/url.go b/internal/resource/url.go
index c5b8afed6d..8e7958d401 100644
--- a/internal/resource/url.go
+++ b/internal/resource/url.go
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ type Fetcher struct {
 	// The logger object to use when logging information.
 	Logger *log.Logger
 
+	// Offline is set when 
+	Offline bool
+
 	// client is the http client that will be used when fetching http(s)
 	// resources. If left nil, one will be created and used, but this means any
 	// timeouts Ignition was configured to used will be ignored.