diff --git a/server/text_generation_server/cli.py b/server/text_generation_server/cli.py
index 0bb0d1a4..ad623ccc 100644
--- a/server/text_generation_server/cli.py
+++ b/server/text_generation_server/cli.py
@@ -161,21 +161,19 @@ def download_weights(
                 config = json.load(f)
 
             base_model_id = config.get("base_model_name_or_path", None)
-            if base_model_id:
-                revision = "main"
+            if base_model_id and base_model_id != model_id:
                 try:
-                    utils.weight_files(base_model_id, revision, extension)
-                # Local files not found
-                except (
-                    utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError,
-                    FileNotFoundError,
-                    utils.EntryNotFoundError,
-                ):
                     logger.info(f"Downloading parent model {base_model_id}")
-                    filenames = utils.weight_hub_files(
-                        base_model_id, revision, extension
+                    download_weights(
+                        model_id=base_model_id,
+                        revision="main",
+                        extension=extension,
+                        auto_convert=auto_convert,
+                        logger_level=logger_level,
+                        json_output=json_output,
+                        trust_remote_code=trust_remote_code,
                     )
-                    utils.download_weights(filenames, base_model_id, revision)
+                except Exception:
                     pass
         except (utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError, utils.EntryNotFoundError):
             pass
@@ -214,34 +212,32 @@ def download_weights(
 
             base_model_id = config.get("base_model_name_or_path", None)
             if base_model_id:
-                revision = "main"
                 try:
-                    utils.weight_files(base_model_id, revision, extension)
-                    logger.info(
-                        f"Files for parent {base_model_id} are already present on the host. "
-                        "Skipping download."
+                    logger.info(f"Downloading parent model {base_model_id}")
+                    download_weights(
+                        model_id=base_model_id,
+                        revision="main",
+                        extension=extension,
+                        auto_convert=auto_convert,
+                        logger_level=logger_level,
+                        json_output=json_output,
+                        trust_remote_code=trust_remote_code,
                     )
-                    return
-                # Local files not found
-                except (utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError, utils.EntryNotFoundError):
-                    try:
-                        logger.info(f"Downloading parent model {base_model_id}")
-                        filenames = utils.weight_hub_files(
-                            base_model_id, revision, extension
-                        )
-                        utils.download_weights(filenames, base_model_id, revision)
-                    except Exception:
-                        pass
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
         except (utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError, utils.EntryNotFoundError):
             pass
 
     # Try to see if there are local pytorch weights
     try:
         # Get weights for a local model, a hub cached model and inside the WEIGHTS_CACHE_OVERRIDE
-        local_pt_files = utils.weight_files(model_id, revision, ".bin")
+        try:
+            local_pt_files = utils.weight_files(model_id, revision, ".bin")
+        except Exception:
+            local_pt_files = utils.weight_files(model_id, revision, ".pt")
 
     # No local pytorch weights
-    except utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError:
+    except (utils.LocalEntryNotFoundError, utils.EntryNotFoundError):
         if extension == ".safetensors":
             logger.warning(
                 f"No safetensors weights found for model {model_id} at revision {revision}. "