diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 5970176..f2abccf 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .alias({ v: 'version' })
   .alias({ s: 'save' })
   .alias({ j: 'json'})
+  .alias({ r: 'ruleset'})
   .strict()
   .argv;
diff --git a/src/commands/lint.ts b/src/commands/lint.ts
index 4539308..1a40bf2 100644
--- a/src/commands/lint.ts
+++ b/src/commands/lint.ts
@@ -76,23 +76,28 @@ function deleteRemoteRuleset() {
 
 export const handler = async (argv: Arguments<Options>): Promise<void> => {
   // Open the provided API Spec
-  const { specPath, save, json } = argv;
+  const { specPath, save, json, ruleset } = argv;
   const specFile = fs.readFileSync(specPath, "utf8");
   const spec = YAML.parse(specFile);
   var specName = path.basename(specPath,path.extname(specPath));
 
-  // attempt to download the ruleset
-  let downloadSuccess = true;
-  try {
-    await downloadRuleset(rulesetUrl, rulesetFilepath);
-  } catch (error) {
-    // Error downloading the remote ruleset - use the bundled local copy
-    console.warn(chalk.yellow.bold("Failed to download remote ruleset. Using Local Copy."));
-    console.log("Note that lint results may vary from production ruleset.");
-    rulesetFilename = "./static/.local.spectral.yaml";
-    rulesetFilepath = path.join(__dirname, "..", rulesetFilename);
-    console.log(rulesetFilepath);
-    downloadSuccess = false;
+  // attempt to download the ruleset if no local file was provided
+  var downloadSuccess; 
+  if(!ruleset){
+    downloadSuccess = true;
+    try {
+      await downloadRuleset(rulesetUrl, rulesetFilepath);
+    } catch (error) {
+      // Error downloading the remote ruleset - use the bundled local copy
+      console.warn(chalk.yellow.bold("Failed to download remote ruleset. Using Local Copy."));
+      console.log("Note that lint results may vary from production ruleset.");
+      rulesetFilename = "./static/.local.spectral.yaml";
+      rulesetFilepath = path.join(__dirname, "..", rulesetFilename);
+      console.log(rulesetFilepath);
+      downloadSuccess = false;
+    }
+  } else {
+    rulesetFilepath = path.join(__dirname, "..", ruleset);
   }
 
   // Setup Spectral and load ruleset
diff --git a/tests/cli.test.js b/tests/cli.test.js
index dded993..4349b5a 100644
--- a/tests/cli.test.js
+++ b/tests/cli.test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ const testLint = (args) => {
   return execSync(`node build/cli.js lint ${args} -j`).toString();
 };
 
+const testLintWithLocalRuleset = (args) => {
+  return execSync(`node build/cli.js lint ${args} -j -r ../src/static/.local.spectral.yaml`).toString();
+};
+
 describe("cli", () => {
   let originalArgv;
 
@@ -27,9 +31,9 @@ describe("cli", () => {
     process.argv = originalArgv;
   });
 
-  it("should run lint command using a valid spec", async () => {
-    expect(true).toBe(true)
-  });
+  // it("should run lint command using a valid spec", async () => {
+  //   expect(true).toBe(true)
+  // });
 
   it("should run lint command using a spec with errors", async () => {
     result = JSON.parse(testLint("./tests/fixtures/testSpec.yaml"));
@@ -46,4 +50,20 @@ describe("cli", () => {
     expect(typeof testObj.range.end.line).toBe("number");
     expect(typeof testObj.range.end.character).toBe("number");
   });
+
+  it("should run lint command using a spec with errors against a local ruleset file", async () => {
+    result = JSON.parse(testLintWithLocalRuleset("./tests/fixtures/testSpec.yaml"));
+    testObj = result[1];
+    expect(typeof testObj.code).toBe("string");
+    expect(typeof testObj.message).toBe("string");
+    expect(typeof testObj.path).toBe("object");
+    expect(typeof testObj.severity).toBe("number");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range).toBe("object");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.start).toBe("object");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.start.line).toBe("number");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.start.character).toBe("number");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.end).toBe("object");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.end.line).toBe("number");
+    expect(typeof testObj.range.end.character).toBe("number");
+  });
 });