diff --git a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
index cb7eaecb..f6ab2f88 100644
--- a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
+++ b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
@@ -94,12 +94,6 @@ keys configured on your account.
 			internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
 		}
 
-		catalogueDir := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
-		url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, "recipes")
-		if err := gitPkg.Clone(catalogueDir, url); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		repos, err := recipe.ReadReposMetadata()
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/cli/recipe/list.go b/cli/recipe/list.go
index ad4edb2d..cc337889 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/list.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/list.go
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@ package recipe
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"path"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/formatter"
-	gitPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
@@ -32,12 +29,6 @@ var recipeListCommand = &cli.Command{
 		patternFlag,
 	},
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
-		catalogueDir := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
-		url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, "recipes")
-		if err := gitPkg.Clone(catalogueDir, url); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		catl, err := recipe.ReadRecipeCatalogue()
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err.Error())
diff --git a/cli/recipe/version.go b/cli/recipe/version.go
index f5f6f0a1..48dd7fce 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/version.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/version.go
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 package recipe
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"path"
-
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/internal"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/autocomplete"
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/formatter"
-	gitPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	recipePkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
@@ -23,12 +18,6 @@ var recipeVersionCommand = &cli.Command{
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		recipe := internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
 
-		catalogueDir := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
-		url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, "recipes")
-		if err := gitPkg.Clone(catalogueDir, url); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		catalogue, err := recipePkg.ReadRecipeCatalogue()
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index 6fd0f43f..01c8259b 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -698,6 +698,10 @@ func recipeCatalogueFSIsLatest() (bool, error) {
 func ReadRecipeCatalogue() (RecipeCatalogue, error) {
 	recipes := make(RecipeCatalogue)
 
+	if err := EnsureCatalogue(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	recipeFSIsLatest, err := recipeCatalogueFSIsLatest()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -1064,3 +1068,18 @@ func StripTagMeta(image string) string {
 
 	return image
 }
+
+// EnsureCatalogue ensures that the catalogue is cloned locally & present.
+func EnsureCatalogue() error {
+	catalogueDir := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(catalogueDir); err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, "recipes")
+		if err := gitPkg.Clone(catalogueDir, url); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		logrus.Debugf("cloned catalogue repository to %s", catalogueDir)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}