diff --git a/common/common.cpp b/common/common.cpp
index d2a8bb69e728f..1591790e6df4c 100644
--- a/common/common.cpp
+++ b/common/common.cpp
@@ -200,19 +200,13 @@ void gpt_params_handle_model_default(gpt_params & params) {
             }
             params.hf_file = params.model;
         } else if (params.model.empty()) {
-            std::string cache_directory = fs_get_cache_directory();
-            const bool success = fs_create_directory_with_parents(cache_directory);
-            if (!success) {
-                throw std::runtime_error("failed to create cache directory: " + cache_directory);
-            }
-            params.model = cache_directory + string_split(params.hf_file, '/').back();
+            params.model = fs_get_cache_file(string_split(params.hf_file, '/').back());
         }
     } else if (!params.model_url.empty()) {
         if (params.model.empty()) {
             auto f = string_split(params.model_url, '#').front();
             f = string_split(f, '?').front();
-            f = string_split(f, '/').back();
-            params.model =  "models/" + f;
+            params.model = fs_get_cache_file(string_split(f, '/').back());
         }
     } else if (params.model.empty()) {
         params.model = DEFAULT_MODEL_PATH;
@@ -2279,6 +2273,16 @@ std::string fs_get_cache_directory() {
     return ensure_trailing_slash(cache_directory);
 }
 
+std::string fs_get_cache_file(const std::string & filename) {
+    GGML_ASSERT(filename.find(DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) == std::string::npos);
+    std::string cache_directory = fs_get_cache_directory();
+    const bool success = fs_create_directory_with_parents(cache_directory);
+    if (!success) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("failed to create cache directory: " + cache_directory);
+    }
+    return cache_directory + filename;
+}
+
 
 //
 // Model utils
diff --git a/common/common.h b/common/common.h
index 038f9084f3424..2345d855eed3c 100644
--- a/common/common.h
+++ b/common/common.h
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ bool fs_validate_filename(const std::string & filename);
 bool fs_create_directory_with_parents(const std::string & path);
 
 std::string fs_get_cache_directory();
+std::string fs_get_cache_file(const std::string & filename);
 
 //
 // Model utils