diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
index 59187734..057974ed 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from packaging import version
 from termcolor import colored
 
 from . import dns, remote
-from .sshexec import SSHExec
+from .sshexec import SSHExec, Local
 
 #
 # cmdeploy sub commands and options
@@ -62,13 +62,18 @@ def run_cmd_options(parser):
         "--ssh-host",
         dest="ssh_host",
         help="specify an SSH host to deploy to; uses mail_domain from chatmail.ini by default",
+        default=None,
     )
 
 
 def run_cmd(args, out):
     """Deploy chatmail services on the remote server."""
 
-    sshexec = args.get_sshexec()
+    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.mail_domain
+    if ssh_host == "localhost":
+        sshexec = Local(ssh_host)
+    else:
+        sshexec = args.get_sshexec(ssh_host)
     require_iroh = args.config.enable_iroh_relay
     remote_data = dns.get_initial_remote_data(sshexec, args.config.mail_domain)
     if not dns.check_initial_remote_data(remote_data, print=out.red):
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@ def run_cmd(args, out):
     env["CHATMAIL_REQUIRE_IROH"] = "True" if require_iroh else ""
     deploy_path = importlib.resources.files(__package__).joinpath("deploy.py").resolve()
     pyinf = "pyinfra --dry" if args.dry_run else "pyinfra"
-    ssh_host = args.config.mail_domain if not args.ssh_host else args.ssh_host
+    ssh_host = "@local" if ssh_host == "localhost" else f"--ssh-host {ssh_host}"
     cmd = f"{pyinf} --ssh-user root {ssh_host} {deploy_path} -y"
     if version.parse(pyinfra.__version__) < version.parse("3"):
         out.red("Please re-run scripts/initenv.sh to update pyinfra to version 3.")
@@ -330,9 +335,9 @@ def main(args=None):
     if not hasattr(args, "func"):
         return parser.parse_args(["-h"])
 
-    def get_sshexec():
-        print(f"[ssh] login to {args.config.mail_domain}")
-        return SSHExec(args.config.mail_domain, verbose=args.verbose)
+    def get_sshexec(host):
+        print(f"[ssh] login to {host}")
+        return SSHExec(host, verbose=args.verbose)
 
     args.get_sshexec = get_sshexec
 
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/sshexec.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/sshexec.py
index 8a87e781..b5364028 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/sshexec.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/sshexec.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import inspect
 import os
+import subprocess
 import sys
 from queue import Queue
 
@@ -44,30 +45,16 @@ def print_stderr(item="", end="\n"):
     print(item, file=sys.stderr, end=end)
 
 
-class SSHExec:
-    RemoteError = execnet.RemoteError
+class Exec:
     FuncError = FuncError
 
-    def __init__(self, host, verbose=False, python="python3", timeout=60):
-        self.gateway = execnet.makegateway(f"ssh=root@{host}//python={python}")
-        self._remote_cmdloop_channel = bootstrap_remote(self.gateway, remote)
+    def __init__(self, host, verbose, timeout):
+        self.host = host
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.verbose = verbose
 
     def __call__(self, call, kwargs=None, log_callback=None):
-        if kwargs is None:
-            kwargs = {}
-        assert call.__module__.startswith("cmdeploy.remote")
-        modname = call.__module__.replace("cmdeploy.", "")
-        self._remote_cmdloop_channel.send((modname, call.__name__, kwargs))
-        while 1:
-            code, data = self._remote_cmdloop_channel.receive(timeout=self.timeout)
-            if log_callback is not None and code == "log":
-                log_callback(data)
-            elif code == "finish":
-                return data
-            elif code == "error":
-                raise self.FuncError(data)
+        return subprocess.check_output(call)
 
     def logged(self, call, kwargs):
         def log_progress(data):
@@ -85,3 +72,33 @@ class SSHExec:
             res = self(call, kwargs, log_callback=log_progress)
             print_stderr()
             return res
+
+
+class Local(Exec):
+
+    def __init__(self, host, verbose=False, timeout=60):
+        super().__init__(host, verbose, timeout)
+
+
+class SSHExec(Exec):
+    RemoteError = execnet.RemoteError
+
+    def __init__(self, host, verbose=False, timeout=60):
+        super().__init__(host, verbose, timeout)
+        self.gateway = execnet.makegateway(f"ssh=root@{host}//python=python3")
+        self._remote_cmdloop_channel = bootstrap_remote(self.gateway, remote)
+
+    def __call__(self, call, kwargs=None, log_callback=None):
+        if kwargs is None:
+            kwargs = {}
+        assert call.__module__.startswith("cmdeploy.remote")
+        modname = call.__module__.replace("cmdeploy.", "")
+        self._remote_cmdloop_channel.send((modname, call.__name__, kwargs))
+        while 1:
+            code, data = self._remote_cmdloop_channel.receive(timeout=self.timeout)
+            if log_callback is not None and code == "log":
+                log_callback(data)
+            elif code == "finish":
+                return data
+            elif code == "error":
+                raise self.FuncError(data)