diff --git a/zotra.el b/zotra.el
index c2315b7..41908a0 100644
--- a/zotra.el
+++ b/zotra.el
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ or zotra-server."
 This is only relevant when `zotra-backend' is either citoid,
 translation-server or zotra-server."
   :group 'zotra
-  :type 'string)
+  :type '(boolean))
 
 
 (defcustom zotra-cli-command
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ If SILENT-ERROR is nil and the command fails, raise a user-error."
         (funcall response-handler response-code output))
     output))
 
-
+(defvar zotra-local-server-cmd nil)
 (defvar zotra-local-server-process nil)
 (defvar zotra-local-server-process-directory nil)
 (defvar zotra-local-server-process-buffer-name "*zotra-local-server*")
@@ -317,8 +317,10 @@ If SILENT-ERROR is nil and the command fails, raise a user-error."
                             (get-buffer-create
                              zotra-local-server-process-buffer-name))
                :noquery t
-               :command (list "npm" "start" "--prefix"
-                              zotra-local-server-directory)))
+               :command (if zotra-local-server-cmd
+                            (list zotra-local-server-cmd "server")
+                          (list "npm" "start" "--prefix")
+                          zotra-local-server-directory)))
         (setq zotra-local-server-process-directory
               zotra-local-server-directory)
         (sleep-for 2)))))
@@ -331,7 +333,7 @@ If SILENT-ERROR is nil and the command fails, raise a user-error."
 
 ;; For `zotra-server', `translation-server' and `zotra-cli' backends
 (defun zotra-contact-server (data content-type endpoint &optional param)
-  (cond 
+  (cond
    ((member zotra-backend '(translation-server zotra-server))
     (zotra-retrieve-synchronously
      (concat zotra-server-path "/" endpoint
@@ -437,7 +439,7 @@ This function does NOT run the hooks in `zotra-after-get-bibtex-entry-hook'."
    (t
     (zotra-get-entry-from-json
      (zotra-get-json data endpoint) entry-format))))
-  
+
 
 (defun zotra-query-url-or-search-string (&optional url-or-search-string)
   "Ask the user where to get bibliographic data from.