diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2e24d720b..460b7979b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Update for 2025-08-16
 
+- **Features**
+  - new setting -> huggingface -> download method  
+    default is `rust` as new `xet` is known to cause issues  
 - **Fixes**
   - fix OpenVINO with offloading  
   - add explicit offload calls on prompt encode  
diff --git a/installer.py b/installer.py
index c2e68999c..a46b04322 100644
--- a/installer.py
+++ b/installer.py
@@ -1315,7 +1315,6 @@ def install_requirements():
 
 # set environment variables controling the behavior of various libraries
 def set_environment():
-    from modules.paths import models_path
     log.debug('Setting environment tuning')
     os.environ.setdefault('ACCELERATE', 'True')
     os.environ.setdefault('ATTN_PRECISION', 'fp16')
@@ -1324,25 +1323,22 @@ def set_environment():
     os.environ.setdefault('CUDA_DEVICE_DEFAULT_PERSISTING_L2_CACHE_PERCENTAGE_LIMIT', '0')
     os.environ.setdefault('CUDA_LAUNCH_BLOCKING', '0')
     os.environ.setdefault('CUDA_MODULE_LOADING', 'LAZY')
-    os.environ.setdefault('TORCH_CUDNN_V8_API_ENABLED', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('DO_NOT_TRACK', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('FORCE_CUDA', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('GRADIO_ANALYTICS_ENABLED', 'False')
-    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_WARNING', '1')
-    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_TELEMETRY', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('K_DIFFUSION_USE_COMPILE', '0')
+    os.environ.setdefault('KINETO_LOG_LEVEL', '3')
     os.environ.setdefault('NUMEXPR_MAX_THREADS', '16')
     os.environ.setdefault('PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY', '0')
     os.environ.setdefault('SAFETENSORS_FAST_GPU', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('TF_CPP_MIN_LOG_LEVEL', '2')
     os.environ.setdefault('TF_ENABLE_ONEDNN_OPTS', '0')
-    os.environ.setdefault('USE_TORCH', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('TORCH_CUDNN_V8_API_ENABLED', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('TORCH_FORCE_NO_WEIGHTS_ONLY_LOAD', '1')
-    os.environ.setdefault('UVICORN_TIMEOUT_KEEP_ALIVE', '60')
-    os.environ.setdefault('KINETO_LOG_LEVEL', '3')
-    os.environ.setdefault('DO_NOT_TRACK', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('USE_TORCH', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('UV_INDEX_STRATEGY', 'unsafe-any-match')
     os.environ.setdefault('UV_NO_BUILD_ISOLATION', '1')
-    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_CACHE', opts.get('hfcache_dir', os.path.join(models_path, 'huggingface')))
+    os.environ.setdefault('UVICORN_TIMEOUT_KEEP_ALIVE', '60')
     allocator = f'garbage_collection_threshold:{opts.get("torch_gc_threshold", 80)/100:0.2f},max_split_size_mb:512'
     if opts.get("torch_malloc", "native") == 'cudaMallocAsync':
         allocator += ',backend:cudaMallocAsync'
diff --git a/modules/models_hf.py b/modules/models_hf.py
index 23e979821..d810dbb6b 100644
--- a/modules/models_hf.py
+++ b/modules/models_hf.py
@@ -1,18 +1,51 @@
 import os
-import gradio as gr
-from modules.shared import log, opts
+from installer import log
+from modules.shared import opts
 
 
+# initialize huggingface environment
 def hf_init():
     os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_WARNING', '1')
-    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_SYMLINKS_WARNING', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_WARNING', '1')
     os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_IMPLICIT_TOKEN', '1')
-    os.environ.setdefault('HUGGINGFACE_HUB_VERBOSITY', 'warning')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_SYMLINKS_WARNING', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_TELEMETRY', '1')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_VERBOSITY', 'warning')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT', '60')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_ETAG_TIMEOUT', '10')
     os.environ.setdefault('HF_ENABLE_PARALLEL_LOADING', 'true' if opts.sd_parallel_load else 'false')
+    os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_CACHE', opts.hfcache_dir)
+    if opts.hf_transfer_mode == 'requests':
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_XET_HIGH_PERFORMANCE', 'false')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER', 'false')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_XET', 'true')
+    elif opts.hf_transfer_mode == 'rust':
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_XET_HIGH_PERFORMANCE', 'false')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER', 'true')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_XET', 'true')
+    elif opts.hf_transfer_mode == 'xet':
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_XET_HIGH_PERFORMANCE', 'true')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER', 'true')
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_HUB_DISABLE_XET', 'false')
+    obfuscated_token = None
+    if len(opts.huggingface_token) > 0 and opts.huggingface_token.startswith('hf_'):
+        obfuscated_token = 'hf_...' + opts.huggingface_token[-4:]
+        os.environ.setdefault('HF_TOKEN', opts.huggingface_token)
+    log.info(f'Huggingface init: transfer={opts.hf_transfer_mode} parallel={opts.sd_parallel_load} direct={opts.diffusers_to_gpu} token="{obfuscated_token}" cache="{opts.hfcache_dir}"')
+
+
+def hf_check_cache():
+    prev_default = os.environ.get("SD_HFCACHEDIR", None) or os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.cache', 'huggingface', 'hub')
+    from modules.modelstats import stat
+    if opts.hfcache_dir != prev_default:
+        size, _mtime = stat(prev_default)
+        if size//1024//1024 > 0:
+            log.warning(f'Cache location changed: previous="{prev_default}" size={size//1024//1024} MB')
+    size, _mtime = stat(opts.hfcache_dir)
+    log.debug(f'Huggingface cache: path="{opts.hfcache_dir}" size={size//1024//1024} MB')
 
 
 def hf_search(keyword):
-    hf_init()
     import huggingface_hub as hf
     hf_api = hf.HfApi()
     models = hf_api.list_models(model_name=keyword, full=True, library="diffusers", limit=50, sort="downloads", direction=-1)
@@ -23,12 +56,11 @@ def hf_search(keyword):
     return data
 
 
-def hf_select(evt: gr.SelectData, data):
+def hf_select(evt, data):
     return data[evt.index[0]][0]
 
 
 def hf_download_model(hub_id: str, token, variant, revision, mirror, custom_pipeline):
-    hf_init()
     from modules.modelloader import download_diffusers_model
     download_diffusers_model(hub_id, cache_dir=opts.diffusers_dir, token=token, variant=variant, revision=revision, mirror=mirror, custom_pipeline=custom_pipeline)
     from modules.sd_models import list_models  # pylint: disable=W0621
diff --git a/modules/paths.py b/modules/paths.py
index f5d0f190c..85750a051 100644
--- a/modules/paths.py
+++ b/modules/paths.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import sys
 import json
 import shlex
 import argparse
-from modules.errors import log
+from installer import log
 
 
 # parse args, parse again after we have the data-dir and early-read the config file
@@ -123,14 +123,3 @@ class Prioritize:
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
         sys.path = self.path
         self.path = None
-
-
-def check_cache(opts):
-    prev_default = os.environ.get("SD_HFCACHEDIR", None) or os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.cache', 'huggingface', 'hub')
-    from modules.modelstats import stat
-    if opts.hfcache_dir != prev_default:
-        size, _mtime = stat(prev_default)
-        if size//1024//1024 > 0:
-            log.warning(f'Cache location changed: previous="{prev_default}" size={size//1024//1024} MB')
-    size, _mtime = stat(opts.hfcache_dir)
-    log.debug(f'Huggingface cache: path="{opts.hfcache_dir}" size={size//1024//1024} MB')
diff --git a/modules/sd_models.py b/modules/sd_models.py
index b62e91567..f386fb66b 100644
--- a/modules/sd_models.py
+++ b/modules/sd_models.py
@@ -73,16 +73,11 @@ def copy_diffuser_options(new_pipe, orig_pipe):
         set_accelerate(new_pipe)
 
 
-def set_huggingface_options(op: str, model_type: str):
-    if model_type is not None: # overrides
-        pass
+def set_huggingface_options():
     if shared.opts.diffusers_to_gpu: # and model_type.startswith('Stable Diffusion'):
-        shared.log.debug(f'Setting {op}: component=accelerate direct={shared.opts.diffusers_to_gpu}')
         sd_hijack_accelerate.hijack_accelerate()
     else:
         sd_hijack_accelerate.restore_accelerate()
-    if shared.opts.sd_parallel_load:
-        shared.log.debug(f'Setting {op}: component=huggingface parallel={shared.opts.sd_parallel_load}')
 
 
 def set_vae_options(sd_model, vae=None, op:str='model', quiet:bool=False):
@@ -614,7 +609,7 @@ def load_diffuser(checkpoint_info=None, op='model', revision=None): # pylint: di
 
         # detect pipeline
         pipeline, model_type = sd_detect.detect_pipeline(checkpoint_info.path, op)
-        set_huggingface_options(op, model_type)
+        set_huggingface_options()
 
         # preload vae so it can be used as param
         vae = None
diff --git a/modules/shared.py b/modules/shared.py
index eebbfef20..1f66a1bc5 100644
--- a/modules/shared.py
+++ b/modules/shared.py
@@ -651,6 +651,8 @@ options_templates.update(options_section(('huggingface', "Huggingface"), {
     "huggingface_sep": OptionInfo("<h2>Huggingface</h2>", "", gr.HTML),
     "diffuser_cache_config": OptionInfo(True, "Use cached model config when available"),
     "huggingface_token": OptionInfo('', 'HuggingFace token', gr.Textbox, {"lines": 2}),
+    "hf_transfer_mode": OptionInfo("rust", "HuggingFace download method", gr.Radio, {"choices": ['requests', 'rust', 'xet']}),
+
     "diffusers_model_load_variant": OptionInfo("default", "Preferred Model variant", gr.Radio, {"choices": ['default', 'fp32', 'fp16']}),
     "diffusers_vae_load_variant": OptionInfo("default", "Preferred VAE variant", gr.Radio, {"choices": ['default', 'fp32', 'fp16']}),
     "custom_diffusers_pipeline": OptionInfo('', 'Load custom Diffusers pipeline'),
diff --git a/webui.py b/webui.py
index ab60b049b..d0e9b3d53 100644
--- a/webui.py
+++ b/webui.py
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ def initialize():
     modules.sd_checkpoint.init_metadata()
     modules.hashes.init_cache()
 
-    paths.check_cache(shared.opts)
-
     modules.sd_samplers.list_samplers()
     timer.startup.record("samplers")
 
@@ -121,8 +119,9 @@ def initialize():
     modules.extra_networks.register_default_extra_networks()
     timer.startup.record("networks")
 
-    from modules.models_hf import hf_init
+    from modules.models_hf import hf_init, hf_check_cache
     hf_init()
+    hf_check_cache()
 
     if shared.cmd_opts.tls_keyfile is not None and shared.cmd_opts.tls_certfile is not None:
         try: