diff --git a/pkg/client/client.go b/pkg/client/client.go
index 80ca68a6..870acdda 100644
--- a/pkg/client/client.go
+++ b/pkg/client/client.go
@@ -228,11 +228,12 @@ func (c *KpmClient) ResolvePkgDepsMetadata(kclPkg *pkg.KclPkg, update bool) erro
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	// update the kcl.mod and kcl.mod.lock.
-	err := kclPkg.UpdateModAndLockFile()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	if update {
+		// update the kcl.mod and kcl.mod.lock.
+		err := kclPkg.UpdateModAndLockFile()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/client/client_test.go b/pkg/client/client_test.go
index cf045a15..07cd1389 100644
--- a/pkg/client/client_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/client_test.go
@@ -740,3 +740,41 @@ func TestUpdateWithKclModlock(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
 	}()
 }
+
+func TestMetadataOffline(t *testing.T) {
+	kpmcli, err := NewKpmClient()
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	testDir := getTestDir("test_metadata_offline")
+	kclMod := filepath.Join(testDir, "kcl.mod")
+	uglyKclMod := filepath.Join(testDir, "ugly.kcl.mod")
+	BeautifulKclMod := filepath.Join(testDir, "beautiful.kcl.mod")
+
+	uglyContent, err := os.ReadFile(uglyKclMod)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	err = copy.Copy(uglyKclMod, kclMod)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	defer func() {
+		err := os.Remove(kclMod)
+		assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	}()
+
+	beautifulContent, err := os.ReadFile(BeautifulKclMod)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	kclPkg, err := pkg.LoadKclPkg(testDir)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	res, err := kpmcli.ResolveDepsMetadataInJsonStr(kclPkg, false)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, res, "{\"packages\":{}}")
+	content_after_metadata, err := os.ReadFile(kclMod)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, string(content_after_metadata), string(uglyContent))
+
+	res, err = kpmcli.ResolveDepsMetadataInJsonStr(kclPkg, true)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, res, "{\"packages\":{}}")
+	content_after_metadata, err = os.ReadFile(kclMod)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, utils.RmNewline(string(content_after_metadata)), utils.RmNewline(string(beautifulContent)))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/beautiful.kcl.mod b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/beautiful.kcl.mod
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e9ba5af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/beautiful.kcl.mod
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[package]
+name = "test_metadata_offline"
+edition = "0.0.1"
+version = "0.0.1"
+
diff --git a/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/kcl.mod.lock b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/kcl.mod.lock
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/main.k b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/main.k
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa7048e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/main.k
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The_first_kcl_program = 'Hello World!'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/ugly.kcl.mod b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/ugly.kcl.mod
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea2fabea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/client/test_data/test_metadata_offline/ugly.kcl.mod
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[package]
+
+
+
+
+
+name = "test_metadata_offline"
+edition = "0.0.1"
+version = "0.0.1"
+
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cmd_metadata.go b/pkg/cmd/cmd_metadata.go
index 2f36c1b4..db54801e 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cmd_metadata.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cmd_metadata.go
@@ -79,13 +79,6 @@ func NewMetadataCmd(kpmcli *client.KpmClient) *cli.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if autoUpdate {
-				err = kclPkg.UpdateModAndLockFile()
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			}
-
 			fmt.Println(jsonStr)
 
 			return nil