diff --git a/impl/src/rendering/templates/remote_crates.bzl.template b/impl/src/rendering/templates/remote_crates.bzl.template
index f30a6b8b..c0bb4cd8 100644
--- a/impl/src/rendering/templates/remote_crates.bzl.template
+++ b/impl/src/rendering/templates/remote_crates.bzl.template
@@ -6,39 +6,55 @@ load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl", "maybe")  # buildifier: di
 {% if experimental_api %}
 {% include "templates/partials/crates_macro.template" %}
 {% endif %}
-def {{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}_fetch_remote_crates():
 {%- if crates %}
+def {{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}_fetch_remote_crates(
+        # Each of these may be used to temporarily override the location of
+        # the crate to a path on your local filesystem for local development
+        # of crates you may be using in your project.
+{%- for crate in crates %}
+        {{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}=None,
+{%  endfor %}
+    ):
     """This function defines a collection of repos and should be called in a WORKSPACE file"""
 {%- for crate in crates %}
+    if {{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}:
+        maybe(
+            native.new_local_repository,
+            name = "{{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}__{{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}",
+            path = {{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}},
+            build_file = "{{workspace.workspace_path}}/remote:BUILD.{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}.bazel",
+        )
+    else:
 {%- if crate.source_details.git_data %}
-    maybe(
-        new_git_repository,
-        name = "{{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}__{{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}",
-        remote = "{{crate.source_details.git_data.remote}}",
-        commit = "{{crate.source_details.git_data.commit}}",
-        build_file = Label("{{workspace.workspace_path}}/remote:BUILD.{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}.bazel"),
-        init_submodules = True,
-        {%- include "templates/partials/remote_crates_patch.template" %}
-    )
+        maybe(
+            new_git_repository,
+            name = "{{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}__{{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}",
+            remote = "{{crate.source_details.git_data.remote}}",
+            commit = "{{crate.source_details.git_data.commit}}",
+            build_file = Label("{{workspace.workspace_path}}/remote:BUILD.{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}.bazel"),
+            init_submodules = True,
+            {%- include "templates/partials/remote_crates_patch.template" %}
+        )
 {%- else %}
-    maybe(
-        http_archive,
-        name = "{{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}__{{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}",
-        url = "{{ crate.source_details.download_url }}",
-        type = "tar.gz",
-{%- if crate.sha256 %}
-        sha256 = "{{crate.sha256}}",
-{%- endif %}
-        strip_prefix = "{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}",
-        {%- include "templates/partials/remote_crates_patch.template" %}
-        build_file = Label("{{workspace.workspace_path}}/remote:BUILD.{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}.bazel"),
-    )
+        maybe(
+            http_archive,
+            name = "{{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}__{{crate.pkg_name | replace(from="-", to="_")}}__{{crate.pkg_version | slugify | replace(from="-", to="_")}}",
+            url = "{{ crate.source_details.download_url }}",
+            type = "tar.gz",
+    {%- if crate.sha256 %}
+            sha256 = "{{crate.sha256}}",
+    {%- endif %}
+            strip_prefix = "{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}",
+            {%- include "templates/partials/remote_crates_patch.template" %}
+            build_file = Label("{{workspace.workspace_path}}/remote:BUILD.{{crate.pkg_name}}-{{crate.pkg_version}}.bazel"),
+        )
 {%- endif %}
 {%  endfor %}
 {%- else %}
+def {{workspace.gen_workspace_prefix}}_fetch_remote_crates():
     """No crates were detected in the source Cargo.toml. This is a no-op"""
     pass
 {% endif %}
 {%- else %}
 {% include "templates/partials/crates_macro.template" %}
-{% endif %}
+{% endif %}