diff --git a/src/django_tailwind_cli/management/commands/tailwind.py b/src/django_tailwind_cli/management/commands/tailwind.py
index e26be10..d2ebfea 100644
--- a/src/django_tailwind_cli/management/commands/tailwind.py
+++ b/src/django_tailwind_cli/management/commands/tailwind.py
@@ -36,11 +36,15 @@ def init(self):
 
         # Before running the actual subcommand, we need to make sure that the CLI is installed and
         # the config file exists.
-        self._download_cli_if_not_exists()
+        if self.config.automatic_download:
+            self.download_cli()
         self._create_tailwind_config_if_not_exists()
 
     @command(help="Build a minified production ready CSS file.")
     def build(self):
+        if not self.config.get_full_cli_path().exists():
+            raise CommandError("Tailwind CSS CLI not found.")
+
         build_cmd = [
             str(self.config.get_full_cli_path()),
             "--output",
@@ -63,6 +67,9 @@ def build(self):
 
     @command(help="Start Tailwind CLI in watch mode during development.")
     def watch(self):
+        if not self.config.get_full_cli_path().exists():
+            raise CommandError("Tailwind CSS CLI not found.")
+
         watch_cmd = [
             str(self.config.get_full_cli_path()),
             "--output",
@@ -234,22 +241,27 @@ def _runserver(self, debug_server_cmd: List[str]) -> None:
             watch_process.terminate()
             debugserver_process.terminate()
 
-    def _download_cli_if_not_exists(self) -> None:
+    @command(name="download_cli", help="Download the Tailwind CSS CLI to .")
+    def download_cli(self) -> None:
         dest_file = self.config.get_full_cli_path()
 
-        if not dest_file.exists() and self.config.automatic_download:
-            download_url = self.config.get_download_url()
-            self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR("Tailwind CSS CLI not found."))
-            self.stdout.write(self.style.WARNING(f"Downloading Tailwind CSS CLI from '{download_url}'"))
-            dest_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-            certifi_context = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=certifi.where())
-            with urllib.request.urlopen(download_url, context=certifi_context) as source, dest_file.open(  # noqa: S310
-                mode="wb"
-            ) as dest:
-                shutil.copyfileobj(source, dest)
-            # make cli executable
-            dest_file.chmod(0o755)
-            self.stdout.write(self.style.SUCCESS(f"Downloaded Tailwind CSS CLI to '{dest_file}'"))
+        if dest_file.exists():
+            self._write_success(f"Tailwind CSS CLI already exists at '{dest_file}'")
+            return
+
+        download_url = self.config.get_download_url()
+        self._write_error("Tailwind CSS CLI not found.")
+        self._write_success(f"Downloading Tailwind CSS CLI from '{download_url}'")
+        dest_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        certifi_context = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=certifi.where())
+        with (
+            urllib.request.urlopen(download_url, context=certifi_context) as source,
+            dest_file.open(mode="wb") as dest,  # noqa: S310
+        ):
+            shutil.copyfileobj(source, dest)
+        # make cli executable
+        dest_file.chmod(0o755)
+        self._write_success(f"Downloaded Tailwind CSS CLI to '{dest_file}'")
 
     def _create_tailwind_config_if_not_exists(self) -> None:
         tailwind_config_file = self.config.get_full_config_file_path()
diff --git a/tests/test_management_commands.py b/tests/test_management_commands.py
index 439769f..f0d6a7c 100644
--- a/tests/test_management_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_management_commands.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def test_download_cli(settings, tmp_path, config):
     settings.BASE_DIR = tmp_path
     settings.TAILWIND_CLI_PATH = str(tmp_path)
     assert not config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
-    call_command("tailwind", "build")
+    call_command("tailwind", "download_cli")
     assert config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
 
 
@@ -43,10 +43,31 @@ def test_download_cli_without_tailwind_cli_path(settings, tmp_path, config):
     settings.BASE_DIR = tmp_path
     settings.TAILWIND_CLI_PATH = None
     assert not config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
+    call_command("tailwind", "download_cli")
+    assert config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
+
+
+def test_automatic_download_enabled(settings, tmp_path, config):
+    settings.BASE_DIR = tmp_path
+    settings.TAILWIND_CLI_PATH = str(tmp_path)
+    settings.TAILWIND_CLI_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD = True
+    assert not config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
     call_command("tailwind", "build")
     assert config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
 
 
+def test_automatic_download_disabled(settings, tmp_path, config):
+    settings.BASE_DIR = tmp_path
+    settings.TAILWIND_CLI_PATH = str(tmp_path)
+    settings.TAILWIND_CLI_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD = False
+    assert not config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError, match="Tailwind CSS CLI not found."):
+        call_command("tailwind", "build")
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError, match="Tailwind CSS CLI not found."):
+        call_command("tailwind", "watch")
+    assert not config.get_full_cli_path().exists()
+
+
 def test_create_tailwind_config_if_non_exists(settings, tmp_path, config):
     settings.BASE_DIR = tmp_path
     settings.TAILWIND_CLI_PATH = str(tmp_path)
@@ -80,6 +101,7 @@ def test_build_output_of_first_run(settings, tmp_path, capsys):
     call_command("tailwind", "build")
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert "Tailwind CSS CLI not found." in captured.out
+    assert "Tailwind CSS CLI already exists at" not in captured.out
     assert "Downloading Tailwind CSS CLI from " in captured.out
     assert "Built production stylesheet" in captured.out
 
@@ -92,6 +114,7 @@ def test_build_output_of_second_run(settings, tmp_path, capsys):
     call_command("tailwind", "build")
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert "Tailwind CSS CLI not found." not in captured.out
+    assert "Tailwind CSS CLI already exists at" in captured.out
     assert "Downloading Tailwind CSS CLI from " not in captured.out
     assert "Built production stylesheet" in captured.out