diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
index 417b21e..33ac543 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/impl.clj
@@ -314,8 +314,8 @@
   (binding [*out* *err*]
     (println (str/join " " (map pr-str strs)))))
 
-(defn resolve-pod [pod-spec {:keys [:version :force] :as opts}]
-  (let [resolved (when (qualified-symbol? pod-spec)
+(defn resolve-pod [pod-spec {:keys [:version :path :force] :as opts}]
+  (let [resolved (when (and (qualified-symbol? pod-spec) version)
                    (resolver/resolve pod-spec version force))
         opts (if resolved
                (if-let [extra-opts (:options resolved)]
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@
                opts)
         pod-spec (cond
                    resolved [(:executable resolved)]
+                   path [path]
                    (string? pod-spec) [pod-spec]
                    :else pod-spec)]
     {:pod-spec pod-spec, :opts opts}))
diff --git a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
index b7055a4..7834cb3 100644
--- a/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/pods/sci.clj
@@ -34,18 +34,18 @@
       (with-open [r (PushbackInputStream. (io/input-stream cache-file))]
         (impl/read r)))))
 
-(defn load-pod-metadata* [pod-spec {:keys [:version] :as opts}]
+(defn load-pod-metadata* [pod-spec {:keys [:version :cache] :as opts}]
   (let [metadata (impl/load-pod-metadata pod-spec opts)
-        cache-file (when (qualified-symbol? pod-spec) ; don't cache local pods b/c their namespaces can change
+        cache-file (when (and version cache)
                      (metadata-cache-file pod-spec opts))]
     (when cache-file
       (with-open [w (io/output-stream cache-file)]
         (impl/write w metadata)))
     metadata))
 
-(defn load-pod-metadata [pod-spec {:keys [:version] :as opts}]
+(defn load-pod-metadata [pod-spec {:keys [:version :cache] :as opts}]
   (let [metadata
-        (if-let [cached-metadata (when (qualified-symbol? pod-spec) ; don't cache local pods b/c their namespaces can change
+        (if-let [cached-metadata (when (and version cache)
                                    (load-metadata-from-cache pod-spec opts))]
           cached-metadata
           (load-pod-metadata* pod-spec opts))]