diff --git a/trains/backend_interface/model.py b/trains/backend_interface/model.py
index 26a4db40..9a7cee71 100644
--- a/trains/backend_interface/model.py
+++ b/trains/backend_interface/model.py
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ class Model(IdObjectBase, AsyncManagerMixin, _StorageUriMixin):
             # remove non existing model file
             Model._local_model_to_id_uri.pop(dl_file, None)
 
-        local_download = StorageManager.get_local_copy(uri)
+        local_download = StorageManager.get_local_copy(uri, extract_archive=False)
 
         # save local model, so we can later query what was the original one
         if local_download is not None:
diff --git a/trains/storage/manager.py b/trains/storage/manager.py
index e30dfaf1..2ccf30f1 100644
--- a/trains/storage/manager.py
+++ b/trains/storage/manager.py
@@ -40,6 +40,59 @@ class StorageManager(object):
         ).get_local_copy(remote_url=remote_url)
         if not extract_archive or not cached_file:
             return cached_file
+        return cls._extract_to_cache(cached_file, name)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def upload_file(
+        cls, local_file, remote_url, wait_for_upload=True
+    ):  # type: (str, str, bool) -> str
+        """
+        Upload a local file to a remote location.
+        remote url is the finale destination of the uploaded file.
+        Examples:
+            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', 'http://localhost:8081/manual_artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
+            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', 's3://a_bucket/artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
+            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', '/mnt/share/folder/artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
+
+        :param str local_file: Full path of a local file to be uploaded
+        :param str remote_url: Full path or remote url to upload to (including file name)
+        :param bool wait_for_upload: If False, return immediately and upload in the background. Default True.
+        :return str: Newly uploaded remote url
+        """
+        return CacheManager.get_cache_manager().upload_file(
+            local_file=local_file,
+            remote_url=remote_url,
+            wait_for_upload=wait_for_upload,
+        )
+
+    @classmethod
+    def set_cache_file_limit(
+        cls, cache_file_limit, cache_context=None
+    ):  # type: (int, Optional[str]) -> int
+        """
+        Set the cache context file limit. File limit is the maximum number of files the specific cache context holds.
+        Notice, there is no limit on the size of these files, only the total number of cached files.
+
+        :param int cache_file_limit: New maximum number of cached files
+        :param str cache_context: Optional cache context identifier, default global context
+        :return int: Return new cache context file limit
+        """
+        return CacheManager.get_cache_manager(
+            cache_context=cache_context, cache_file_limit=cache_file_limit
+        ).set_cache_limit(cache_file_limit)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _extract_to_cache(cls, cached_file, name):
+        """
+        Extract cached file zip file to cache folder
+        :param str cached_file: local copy of archive file
+        :param str name: cache context
+        :return str: cached folder containing the extracted archive content
+        """
+        # only zip files
+        if not cached_file or not str(cached_file).lower().endswith('.zip'):
+            return cached_file
+
         archive_suffix = cached_file.rpartition(".")[0]
         target_folder = Path("{0}_artifact_archive_{1}".format(archive_suffix, name))
         base_logger = LoggerRoot.get_base_logger()
@@ -82,42 +135,3 @@ class StorageManager(object):
                 pass
             return cached_file
         return target_folder
-
-    @classmethod
-    def upload_file(
-        cls, local_file, remote_url, wait_for_upload=True
-    ):  # type: (str, str, bool) -> str
-        """
-        Upload a local file to a remote location.
-        remote url is the finale destination of the uploaded file.
-        Examples:
-            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', 'http://localhost:8081/manual_artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
-            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', 's3://a_bucket/artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
-            upload_file('/tmp/artifact.yaml', '/mnt/share/folder/artifacts/my_artifact.yaml')
-
-        :param str local_file: Full path of a local file to be uploaded
-        :param str remote_url: Full path or remote url to upload to (including file name)
-        :param bool wait_for_upload: If False, return immediately and upload in the background. Default True.
-        :return str: Newly uploaded remote url
-        """
-        return CacheManager.get_cache_manager().upload_file(
-            local_file=local_file,
-            remote_url=remote_url,
-            wait_for_upload=wait_for_upload,
-        )
-
-    @classmethod
-    def set_cache_file_limit(
-        cls, cache_file_limit, cache_context=None
-    ):  # type: (int, Optional[str]) -> int
-        """
-        Set the cache context file limit. File limit is the maximum number of files the specific cache context holds.
-        Notice, there is no limit on the size of these files, only the total number of cached files.
-
-        :param int cache_file_limit: New maximum number of cached files
-        :param str cache_context: Optional cache context identifier, default global context
-        :return int: Return new cache context file limit
-        """
-        return CacheManager.get_cache_manager(
-            cache_context=cache_context, cache_file_limit=cache_file_limit
-        ).set_cache_limit(cache_file_limit)