diff --git a/medcat-den/pyproject.toml b/medcat-den/pyproject.toml
index 00f21b875..0d14109f8 100644
--- a/medcat-den/pyproject.toml
+++ b/medcat-den/pyproject.toml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ root = ".."
 tag_regex = "^medcat-den/v(?P<version>[0-9]+(?:\\.[0-9]+)*)$"
 version_scheme = "guess-next-dev"
 local_scheme = "no-local-version"
+git_describe_command = "git describe --dirty --tags --long --match 'medcat-den/v*'"
 
 [tool.setuptools]
 package-dir = {"" = "src"}
diff --git a/medcat-den/src/medcat_den/cache/local_cache.py b/medcat-den/src/medcat_den/cache/local_cache.py
index 44e4558bf..d0f3eb4cc 100644
--- a/medcat-den/src/medcat_den/cache/local_cache.py
+++ b/medcat-den/src/medcat_den/cache/local_cache.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from io import BytesIO
 
 import shutil
+from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 
 from diskcache import Cache
 
@@ -114,7 +115,9 @@ def push_wrapper(cat_path: str, description: str) -> None:
             # and then cache it locally
             base_name = os.path.basename(cat_path)
             model_hash = base_name.removesuffix(".zip")
-            self[model_hash] = cat_path
+            with open(cat_path, "rb") as f:
+                model_bytes = f.read()
+            self.insert_raw(model_hash, model_bytes)
 
         den._push_model_from_file = push_wrapper  # type: ignore
         # wrap fetch_model to check cache first
@@ -128,8 +131,16 @@ def fetch_wrapper(model_info: ModelInfo) -> CATWrapper:
                     model_path, model_info=model_info))
             cat = orig_fetch(model_info)
             # cache it
-            model_path = f"{model_hash}.zip"
-            self[model_hash] = model_path
+            with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+                model_path = cat.save_model_pack(
+                    tmpdir,
+                    pack_name=model_hash,
+                    add_hash_to_pack_name=False,
+                    force_save_local=True
+                ) + ".zip"
+                with open(model_path, "rb") as f:
+                    model_bytes = f.read()
+                self.insert_raw(model_hash, model_bytes)
             return cat
 
         den.fetch_model = fetch_wrapper  # type: ignore