diff --git a/.wiby.json b/.wiby.json
index 515fba3..16938d5 100644
--- a/.wiby.json
+++ b/.wiby.json
@@ -2,15 +2,18 @@
   "dependents": [
     {
       "repository": "https://github.com/wiby-test/partial",
-      "pullRequest": false
+      "pullRequest": false,
+      "mode": "download"
     },
     {
       "repository": "git://github.com/wiby-test/fail",
-      "pullRequest": false
+      "pullRequest": false,
+      "mode": "download"
     },
     {
       "repository": "git+https://github.com/wiby-test/pass",
-      "pullRequest": true
+      "pullRequest": true,
+      "mode": "download"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/bin/commands/test.js b/bin/commands/test.js
index 1e6ce03..c79fdfa 100644
--- a/bin/commands/test.js
+++ b/bin/commands/test.js
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ exports.builder = (yargs) => yargs
     desc: 'Test against a specific commit or branch',
     type: 'string'
   })
+  .option('mode', {
+    desc: 'Choose the mode in which the package will be tested',
+    type: 'string',
+    choices: ['download', 'pull-request'],
+    default: 'pull-request'
+  })
   .option('config', {
     desc: 'Path to the configuration file. By default it will try to load the configuration from the first file it finds in the current working directory: `.wiby.json`, `.wiby.js`',
     type: 'string'
@@ -28,7 +34,7 @@ exports.builder = (yargs) => yargs
 exports.handler = (params) => {
   const config = params.dependent
     ? {
-        dependents: [{ repository: params.dependent, pullRequest: !!params['pull-request'], sha: params.sha || 'HEAD' }]
+        dependents: [{ repository: params.dependent, pullRequest: !!params['pull-request'], sha: params.sha || 'HEAD', mode: params.mode || 'pull-request' }]
       }
     : wiby.validate({ config: params.config })
 
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index f996a42..044c0f7 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ const dependentSchema = joi.object({
     ]
   }),
   pullRequest: joi.boolean().optional(),
-  sha: joi.string().optional().default('HEAD')
+  sha: joi.string().optional().default('HEAD'),
+  mode: joi.string().valid('pull-request', 'download').optional().default('pull-request')
+  // TODO: add option for modify the test script
 }).unknown(false)
 
 exports.schema = joi.object({
diff --git a/lib/test.js b/lib/test.js
index ef69dc5..057f4ba 100644
--- a/lib/test.js
+++ b/lib/test.js
@@ -3,8 +3,12 @@
 const context = require('./context')
 const github = require('./github')
 const gitURLParse = require('git-url-parse')
+const exec = require('execa').execa
 const logger = require('./logger')
 const { ensureGithubToken } = require('./utils')
+const tmp = require('tmp')
+const { cp } = require('fs/promises')
+const path = require('path')
 
 // setup logger namespace
 const testCommandNamespace = 'wiby:test'
@@ -23,19 +27,58 @@ module.exports = async function ({ dependents }) {
   const parentDependencyLink = await context.getDependencyLink(parentRepositoryInfo.owner, parentRepositoryInfo.name, parentBranchName)
   debug('Commit URL to test:', parentDependencyLink)
 
-  for (const { repository: url, pullRequest, sha } of dependents) {
+  for (let { repository: url, pullRequest, sha, mode } of dependents) {
     const dependentRepositoryInfo = gitURLParse(url)
-    const dependentPkgJson = await github.getPackageJson(dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, sha)
-    debug(`Dependent module: ${dependentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${dependentRepositoryInfo.name}, sha ${sha}`)
 
-    if (!context.checkDependentUsesParent(parentPkgJSON.name, dependentPkgJson)) {
-      throw new Error(`${parentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${parentPkgJSON.name} not found in the package.json of ${dependentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${dependentRepositoryInfo.name}`)
-    }
+    if (mode === 'download') {
+      debug('Generating tarball')
+
+      await exec('npm', ['pack'])
+
+      const { name: tmpDir } = tmp.dirSync()
+
+      debug(`Temporary directory: ${tmpDir}`)
+
+      debug(`Copying package to ${tmpDir}`)
+
+      cp(`${parentPkgJSON.name}-${parentPkgJSON.version}.tgz`, path.join(tmpDir, `${parentPkgJSON.name}-${parentPkgJSON.version}.tgz`))
+
+      if (url.startsWith('git+http')) {
+        url = url.replace('git+http', 'http')
+      } else if (url.startsWith('git://')) {
+        url = url.replace('git://', 'http://')
+      }
+
+      debug(`Cloning dependent repository ${url} into ${tmpDir}`)
+
+      await exec('git', ['clone', '--depth=1', url, tmpDir])
+
+      debug(`Changing directory to ${tmpDir}`)
+      process.chdir(tmpDir)
+
+      debug(`Installing package from ${parentPkgJSON.name}-${parentPkgJSON.version}.tgz`)
+      await exec('npm', ['install', `${parentPkgJSON.name}-${parentPkgJSON.version}.tgz`])
+
+      try {
+        debug('Running tests')
+
+        await exec('npm', ['run', 'test'])
+      } catch (error) {
+        // catch the error and report it
+      }
+    } else {
+      const dependentPkgJson = await github.getPackageJson(dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, sha)
+      debug(`Dependent module: ${dependentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${dependentRepositoryInfo.name}, sha ${sha}`)
+
+      if (!context.checkDependentUsesParent(parentPkgJSON.name, dependentPkgJson)) {
+        throw new Error(`${parentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${parentPkgJSON.name} not found in the package.json of ${dependentRepositoryInfo.owner}/${dependentRepositoryInfo.name}`)
+      }
 
-    const patchedPackageJSON = applyPatch(parentDependencyLink, parentPkgJSON.name, dependentPkgJson, parentPkgJSON.name)
-    await pushPatch(patchedPackageJSON, dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, parentPkgJSON.name, parentBranchName, sha)
-    if (pullRequest) {
-      await createPR(dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, parentBranchName, parentDependencyLink)
+      const patchedPackageJSON = applyPatch(parentDependencyLink, parentPkgJSON.name, dependentPkgJson, parentPkgJSON.name)
+      await pushPatch(patchedPackageJSON, dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, parentPkgJSON.name, parentBranchName, sha)
+      if (pullRequest) {
+        await createPR(dependentRepositoryInfo.owner, dependentRepositoryInfo.name, parentBranchName, parentDependencyLink)
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 879bf60..6c52a7b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,17 +34,18 @@
     "colors": "1.4.0",
     "debug": "^4.3.1",
     "dotenv": "^16.0.0",
+    "execa": "^9.6.0",
     "git-url-parse": "^11.1.2",
     "joi": "^17.2.1",
     "simple-git": "~3.15.0",
+    "tmp": "^0.2.1",
     "yargs": "^17.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "nock": "^13.0.3",
     "semver": "^7.7.1",
     "standard": "^16.0.0",
-    "tap": "^16.0.0",
-    "tmp": "^0.2.1"
+    "tap": "^16.0.0"
   },
   "standard": {
     "ignore": [
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index 140f499..5c62c0b 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -36,17 +36,20 @@ tap.test('config validation', async (tap) => {
         {
           repository: 'https://github.com/wiby-test/partial',
           pullRequest: false,
-          sha: 'HEAD'
+          sha: 'HEAD',
+          mode: 'pull-request'
         },
         {
           repository: 'git://github.com/wiby-test/fail',
           pullRequest: false,
-          sha: 'HEAD'
+          sha: 'HEAD',
+          mode: 'pull-request'
         },
         {
           repository: 'git+https://github.com/wiby-test/pass',
           pullRequest: true,
-          sha: 'HEAD'
+          sha: 'HEAD',
+          mode: 'pull-request'
         }
       ]
     })