diff --git a/src/NWints/sifs/GNUmakefile b/src/NWints/sifs/GNUmakefile
index 6cb29829b5..617e498e2f 100644
--- a/src/NWints/sifs/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/NWints/sifs/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #
 # $Id$
 #
+ifdef NO_SIFS
+OBJ = sifs_stubs.o
+else
 OBJ_OPTIMIZE = sifrd1.o sifr2.o sifr1x.o sifr1n.o sifpre.o \
 sifo2f.o sifmge.o siffw2.o siffw1.o siffr2.o siffr1.o sifew2.o \
 sifew1.o sife2.o sife1.o sifd2.o sifd1.o sifcfg.o sifc2f.o \
@@ -9,10 +12,11 @@ siftdy.o sifstv.o sifskh.o sifsk1.o sifsce.o sifrsh.o sifrh2.o \
 sifrh1.o sifrd2.o
 
 OBJ = bummer.o
-
+endif
       LIBRARY = libnwints.a
-
+ifndef NO_SIFS
     USES_BLAS = sifd1.F sifd2.F sife1.F sife2.F
+endif
 
 
   LIB_DEFINES = 
diff --git a/src/NWints/sifs/build_sifs.sh b/src/NWints/sifs/build_sifs.sh
index 3fbdb657c8..93da052f45 100755
--- a/src/NWints/sifs/build_sifs.sh
+++ b/src/NWints/sifs/build_sifs.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,31 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-rm -rf columbu* *.F
+TGZ=columbus-master.tar.gz
+[ -f "$TGZ" ] && gunzip -t "$TGZ" > /dev/null && USE_TGZ=1
+if [[ "$USE_TGZ" == 1 ]]; then
+    echo "using existing"  "$TGZ"
+else
+rm -rf columbu* *.F sifs.patched
 tries=0 ; until [ "$tries" -ge 10 ] ; do \
-wget -O columbus-master.tar.gz https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/36816383/repository/archive?path=Columbus/source/gcfci/colib/sifs \
-&& wget -O bummer.F https://gitlab.com/columbus-program-system/columbus/-/raw/master/Columbus/source/gcfci/colib/humanio/bummer.F?inline=false\
+curl > "$TGZ" https://zgitlab.com/api/v4/projects/36816383/repository/archive?path=Columbus/source/gcfci/colib/sifs \
+&& curl > bummer.F https://gitlab.com/columbus-program-system/columbus/-/raw/master/Columbus/source/gcfci/colib/humanio/bummer.F?inline=false\
 	    && break ;\
-            tries=$((tries+1)) ; echo attempt no.  $tries    ; sleep 20 ;  done
-tar xzf columbus-master.tar.gz
-mv $(find columbus-master*s -name "*F") .
-rm -rf columbus-master*
+					 tries=$((tries+1)) ; echo attempt no.  $tries    ; sleep 2 ;  done
+fi
+[ -f "$TGZ" ] && gunzip -t "$TGZ" > /dev/null && USE_TGZ=1
+if [[ "$USE_TGZ" != 1 ]]; then
+    echo "download failed"
+    echo 
+    echo "if internet connectivity is missing"
+    echo "set NO_SIFS=1"
+    echo 
+    exit 1
+fi
+tar xzf "$TGZ"
+mv $(find columbus-master*sifs -name "*F") .
+rm -rf columbus-master*sifs
+if [[ -f "sifs.patched" ]]; then
+    echo 'source already patched'
+else
 rm -f ibummr.patch
 cat > ibummr.patch <<EOF
 --- bummer.F.org	2022-12-01 11:34:21.510551238 -0800
@@ -40,3 +58,5 @@ cat > siftdy.patch <<EOF
 EOF
 patch -p0 -s -N < siftdy.patch
 rm -f siftdy.patch
+echo yes > sifs.patched
+fi
diff --git a/src/NWints/sifs/sifs_stubs.F b/src/NWints/sifs/sifs_stubs.F
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d37cb33135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NWints/sifs/sifs_stubs.F
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+      subroutine sifcfg()
+      call errquit('columbus interface not ready',0,0)
+      end
+      subroutine sifwh()
+      call errquit('columbus interface not ready',0,0)
+      end