diff --git a/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py b/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
index d1c943ee16..fafefbb7a7 100644
--- a/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
+++ b/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
         self._lock = threading.Lock()
         self._stdout_lines: list[str] = []
         self._stdout_thread: Optional[threading.Thread] = None
+        self._cancel_event = threading.Event()
 
         self._kill_orphaned_servers()
         atexit.register(self._cleanup)
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
 
         Returns True if server started and health check passed.
         """
+        self._cancel_event.clear()
         with self._lock:
             self._kill_process()
 
@@ -539,6 +541,8 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
                     )
                 )
                 try:
+                    if self._cancel_event.is_set():
+                        raise RuntimeError("Cancelled")
                     local_path = hf_hub_download(
                         repo_id = hf_repo,
                         filename = gguf_filename,
@@ -547,12 +551,20 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
                     # Download remaining shards for split GGUFs — llama-server
                     # auto-discovers them when they are in the same directory.
                     for shard in gguf_extra_shards:
+                        if self._cancel_event.is_set():
+                            raise RuntimeError("Cancelled")
                         logger.info(f"Downloading GGUF shard: {shard}")
                         hf_hub_download(
                             repo_id = hf_repo,
                             filename = shard,
                             token = hf_token,
                         )
+                except RuntimeError as e:
+                    if "Cancelled" in str(e):
+                        raise
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        f"Failed to download GGUF file '{gguf_filename}' from {hf_repo}: {e}"
+                    )
                 except Exception as e:
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         f"Failed to download GGUF file '{gguf_filename}' from {hf_repo}: {e}"
@@ -680,7 +692,8 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
             return True
 
     def unload_model(self) -> bool:
-        """Terminate the llama-server subprocess and clean up state."""
+        """Terminate the llama-server subprocess and cancel any in-flight download."""
+        self._cancel_event.set()
         with self._lock:
             self._kill_process()
             logger.info(f"Unloaded GGUF model: {self._model_identifier}")
diff --git a/studio/backend/routes/models.py b/studio/backend/routes/models.py
index 99b42b491e..5ffd3d955b 100644
--- a/studio/backend/routes/models.py
+++ b/studio/backend/routes/models.py
@@ -577,6 +577,49 @@ async def get_gguf_variants(
         )
 
 
+@router.get("/cached-gguf")
+async def list_cached_gguf(
+    current_subject: str = Depends(get_current_subject),
+):
+    """List GGUF repos that have already been downloaded to the HF cache."""
+    try:
+        from huggingface_hub import constants as hf_constants
+
+        cache_dir = Path(hf_constants.HF_HUB_CACHE)
+        cached = []
+        if cache_dir.is_dir():
+            for entry in sorted(cache_dir.iterdir()):
+                if not entry.name.startswith("models--"):
+                    continue
+                # models--unsloth--Qwen3-8B-GGUF -> unsloth/Qwen3-8B-GGUF
+                parts = entry.name.split("--", 1)
+                if len(parts) < 2:
+                    continue
+                repo_id = parts[1].replace("--", "/")
+                if not repo_id.lower().endswith("-gguf"):
+                    continue
+                # Check if there are actual .gguf files in snapshots
+                snapshots = entry / "snapshots"
+                if not snapshots.is_dir():
+                    continue
+                total_size = 0
+                has_gguf = False
+                for snap in snapshots.iterdir():
+                    for f in snap.rglob("*.gguf"):
+                        has_gguf = True
+                        total_size += f.stat().st_size
+                if has_gguf:
+                    cached.append({
+                        "repo_id": repo_id,
+                        "size_bytes": total_size,
+                        "cache_path": str(entry),
+                    })
+        return {"cached": cached}
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Error listing cached GGUF repos: {e}", exc_info = True)
+        return {"cached": []}
+
+
 @router.get("/checkpoints", response_model = CheckpointListResponse)
 async def list_checkpoints(
     outputs_dir: str = Query(
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/components/assistant-ui/model-selector/pickers.tsx b/studio/frontend/src/components/assistant-ui/model-selector/pickers.tsx
index f8a8ec4abb..54ccd18d3b 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/components/assistant-ui/model-selector/pickers.tsx
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/components/assistant-ui/model-selector/pickers.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import {
   TooltipContent,
   TooltipTrigger,
 } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
-import { listGgufVariants } from "@/features/chat/api/chat-api";
+import { listCachedGguf, listGgufVariants } from "@/features/chat/api/chat-api";
+import type { CachedGgufRepo } from "@/features/chat/api/chat-api";
 import type { GgufVariantDetail } from "@/features/chat/types/api";
 import {
   useDebouncedValue,
@@ -348,6 +349,12 @@ export function HubModelPicker({
   // Track which GGUF repo is expanded for variant selection
   const [expandedGguf, setExpandedGguf] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
+  // Cached (already downloaded) GGUF repos
+  const [cachedGguf, setCachedGguf] = useState<CachedGgufRepo[]>([]);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    listCachedGguf().then(setCachedGguf).catch(() => {});
+  }, []);
+
   const recommendedIds = useMemo(
     () => dedupe([...models.map((model) => model.id), value ?? ""]),
     [models, value],
@@ -450,6 +457,26 @@ export function HubModelPicker({
 
       <div ref={scrollRef} className="max-h-64 overflow-y-auto">
         <div className="p-1">
+          {!showHfSection && cachedGguf.length > 0 ? (
+            <>
+              <ListLabel>Downloaded</ListLabel>
+              {cachedGguf.map((c) => (
+                <div key={c.repo_id}>
+                  <ModelRow
+                    label={c.repo_id}
+                    meta={`GGUF · ${formatBytes(c.size_bytes)}`}
+                    selected={value === c.repo_id}
+                    onClick={() => handleModelClick(c.repo_id)}
+                    vramStatus={null}
+                  />
+                  {expandedGguf === c.repo_id && (
+                    <GgufVariantExpander repoId={c.repo_id} onSelect={onSelect} gpuGb={gpu.available ? gpu.memoryTotalGb : undefined} systemRamGb={gpu.available ? gpu.systemRamAvailableGb : undefined} />
+                  )}
+                </div>
+              ))}
+            </>
+          ) : null}
+
           {!showHfSection ? (
             <>
               <ListLabel>Recommended</ListLabel>
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/chat/api/chat-api.ts b/studio/frontend/src/features/chat/api/chat-api.ts
index 90f6198629..a526366782 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/chat/api/chat-api.ts
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/chat/api/chat-api.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,18 @@ export async function unloadModel(payload: UnloadModelRequest): Promise<void> {
   await parseJsonOrThrow<unknown>(response);
 }
 
+export interface CachedGgufRepo {
+  repo_id: string;
+  size_bytes: number;
+  cache_path: string;
+}
+
+export async function listCachedGguf(): Promise<CachedGgufRepo[]> {
+  const response = await authFetch("/api/models/cached-gguf");
+  const data = await parseJsonOrThrow<{ cached: CachedGgufRepo[] }>(response);
+  return data.cached;
+}
+
 export async function listGgufVariants(
   repoId: string,
   hfToken?: string,