diff --git a/shlr/Makefile b/shlr/Makefile
index f710c14c38..32aab706cf 100644
--- a/shlr/Makefile
+++ b/shlr/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ CS_TAR=https://codeload.github.com/aquynh/capstone/tar.gz/$(CS_VER)
 CS_PATCHES=0
 else
 CS_TAR=
-CS_URL=$(GIT_PREFIX)github.com/aquynh/capstone.git
+CS_URL_BASE=github.com/aquynh/capstone
+CS_URL=$(GIT_PREFIX)$(CS_URL_BASE).git
+CS_ARCHIVE=https://$(CS_URL_BASE)/archive
 CS_UPD=20190506
 ifeq ($(CS_NEXT),1)
 CS_TIP=d59d1e75d1f261e938fc23130a5bffdc56d1af74
@@ -41,6 +43,11 @@ else
 CS_TIP=7090f081b17a5293a2c185a06513fede18065d3c
 CS_BRA=v4
 endif
+ifeq ($(CS_COMMIT_ARCHIVE),1)
+CS_ARCHIVE_URL=$(CS_ARCHIVE)/$(CS_TIP).zip
+else
+CS_ARCHIVE_URL=
+endif
 # NOTE: when you update CS_TIP or CS_BRA, also update them in shlr/meson.build
 #CS_BRA=next
 #CS_TIP=38607453f3de85733f9604dffc27778db3b53766
@@ -281,7 +288,7 @@ capstone-sync:
 ifeq ($(WITHOUT_PULL),1)
 	@echo "Nothing to sync because of --without-pull"
 else
-	"$(SHELL)" capstone.sh "${CS_URL}" "${CS_BRA}" "${CS_TIP}" "${CS_REV}"
+	"$(SHELL)" capstone.sh "${CS_URL}" "${CS_BRA}" "${CS_TIP}" "${CS_REV}" "${CS_ARCHIVE_URL}"
 	@echo "[capstone] Applying patches"
 ifeq ($(CS_PATCHES),1)
 	-cd capstone ; if [ -d .git ]; then $(GIT) reset --hard ; fi
diff --git a/shlr/capstone.sh b/shlr/capstone.sh
index ca937294e2..c7e866a1f5 100755
--- a/shlr/capstone.sh
+++ b/shlr/capstone.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ CS_URL="$1" # url
 CS_BRA="$2" # branch name
 CS_TIP="$3" # tip commit
 CS_REV="$4" # revert
+CS_ARCHIVE="$5" # download archived tip
 CS_DEPTH_CLONE=512
 
 git --help > /dev/null 2>&1
@@ -32,11 +33,27 @@ parse_capstone_tip() {
 	BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
 }
 
-clone_capstone() {
+download_archive() {
+	echo '[capstone] Downloading capstone snapshot...' >&2
+	wget -O .cs_tmp.zip "$CS_ARCHIVE" || fatal_msg 'Cannot download archived capstone'
+	unzip .cs_tmp.zip
+	mv "capstone-$CS_TIP" capstone
+}
+
+git_clone() {
+	echo '[capstone] Cloning capstone from git...' >&2
+	git clone --quiet --single-branch --branch "${CS_BRA}" \
+	    --depth "$CS_DEPTH_CLONE" "${CS_URL}" capstone \
+	|| fatal_msg 'Cannot clone capstone from git'
+}
+
+get_capstone() {
 	if [ ! -d capstone ]; then
-		git clone --quiet --single-branch --branch "${CS_BRA}" \
-		    --depth "$CS_DEPTH_CLONE" "${CS_URL}" capstone \
-		  || fatal_msg 'Cannot clone capstone from git'
+		if [ -n "${CS_ARCHIVE}" ]; then
+			download_archive
+		else
+			git_clone
+		fi
 	fi
 	cd capstone && parse_capstone_tip
 	cd - || fatal_msg 'Cannot change working directory'
@@ -71,12 +88,12 @@ if [ -d capstone ] && [ ! -d capstone/.git ]; then
 	#patch_capstone
 	cd -
 else
-	clone_capstone
+	get_capstone
 
 	if [ "${BRANCH}" != "${CS_BRA}" ]; then
 		echo '[capstone] Reset capstone' >&2
 		rm -rf capstone
-		clone_capstone
+		get_capstone
 	fi
 
 #	if [ "${HEAD}" = "${CS_TIP}" ]; then