diff --git a/app/configs/gitmastery_config.py b/app/configs/gitmastery_config.py
index 6a3c0c4..f4712f5 100644
--- a/app/configs/gitmastery_config.py
+++ b/app/configs/gitmastery_config.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import json
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Self, Type
+from typing import Self, Type, Optional, Union
 
 from app.configs.utils import read_config
 
@@ -12,13 +12,43 @@
 class GitMasteryConfig:
     @dataclass
     class ExercisesSource:
-        username: str
-        repository: str
-        branch: str
+        # "remote" or "local"
+        type: str = "remote"
+        # remote fields (legacy uses username/repository/branch)
+        username: Optional[str] = None
+        repository: Optional[str] = None
+        branch: Optional[str] = "main"
+        # local field
+        path: Optional[str] = None
 
         def to_url(self) -> str:
+            if self.type != "remote":
+                raise ValueError("to_url only valid for remote ExercisesSource")
             return f"https://github.com/{self.username}/{self.repository}.git"
 
+        @classmethod
+        def from_raw(cls, raw: Union["GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource", dict, None]) -> "GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource":
+            # Pass-through if already the correct instance
+            if isinstance(raw, cls):
+                return raw
+            # Default remote
+            if raw is None:
+                return cls(type="remote", username="git-mastery", repository="exercises", branch="main")
+            if isinstance(raw, dict):
+                typ = raw.get("type")
+                # explicit local
+                if typ == "local":
+                    return cls(type="local", path=raw.get("path"))
+                # fallthrough for None (legacy)/detected remote
+                return cls(
+                    type="remote",
+                    username=raw.get("username", "git-mastery"),
+                    repository=raw.get("repository", "exercises"),
+                    branch=raw.get("branch", "main"),
+                )
+            raise ValueError("Unsupported exercises_source shape")
+
+
     progress_local: bool
     progress_remote: bool
     exercises_source: ExercisesSource
@@ -44,19 +74,17 @@ def read(cls: Type[Self], path: Path, cds: int) -> Self:
         raw_config = read_config(path, GITMASTERY_CONFIG_NAME)
 
         exercises_source_raw = raw_config.get("exercises_source", {})
+        exercises_source = GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource.from_raw(exercises_source_raw)
+
         return cls(
             path=path,
             cds=cds,
             progress_local=raw_config.get("progress_local", True),
             progress_remote=raw_config.get("progress_remote", False),
-            exercises_source=GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource(
-                username=exercises_source_raw.get("username", "git-mastery"),
-                repository=exercises_source_raw.get("repository", "exercises"),
-                branch=exercises_source_raw.get("branch", "main"),
-            ),
+            exercises_source=exercises_source,
         )
 
 
-GIT_MASTERY_EXERCISES_SOURCE = GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource(
-    username="git-mastery", repository="exercises", branch="main"
+GIT_MASTERY_EXERCISES_SOURCE = GitMasteryConfig.ExercisesSource.from_raw(
+    {"type": "remote", "username": "git-mastery", "repository": "exercises", "branch": "main"}
 )
diff --git a/app/utils/gitmastery.py b/app/utils/gitmastery.py
index a2f5ff6..aa218f8 100644
--- a/app/utils/gitmastery.py
+++ b/app/utils/gitmastery.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     TypeVar,
     Union,
 )
+import shutil
 
 from git import Repo
 
@@ -91,17 +92,28 @@ def __enter__(self) -> Self:
         else:
             exercises_source = GIT_MASTERY_EXERCISES_SOURCE
 
-        info(
-            f"Fetching exercise information from {exercises_source.to_url()} on branch {exercises_source.branch}"
-        )
-
-        self.__repo = Repo.clone_from(
-            exercises_source.to_url(),
-            self.__temp_dir.name,
-            depth=1,
-            branch=exercises_source.branch,
-            multi_options=["--filter=blob:none", "--sparse"],
-        )
+        if exercises_source.type == "local":
+            # copy local repo into temp dir for isolation
+            if exercises_source.path is None:
+                raise ValueError("Path is required for using local exercises source")
+            info(f"Using local exercises source at {exercises_source.path}")
+            src = Path(exercises_source.path).expanduser().resolve()
+            if not src.exists():
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Local exercises source not found: {src}")
+            shutil.copytree(src, self.__temp_dir.name, dirs_exist_ok=True, symlinks=False, copy_function=shutil.copy2)
+            self.__repo = Repo(self.__temp_dir.name)
+        else:
+            info(
+                f"Fetching exercise information from {exercises_source.to_url()} on branch {exercises_source.branch}"
+            )
+
+            self.__repo = Repo.clone_from(
+                exercises_source.to_url(),
+                self.__temp_dir.name,
+                depth=1,
+                branch=exercises_source.branch,
+                multi_options=["--filter=blob:none", "--sparse"],
+            )
         return self
 
     def __exit__(