diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_immcantation.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_immcantation.yml
index b2b1dff9..d74bb5f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_immcantation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_immcantation.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 name: nf-core CI immcantation
 # This workflow runs the pipeline with the minimal test dataset to check that it completes without any syntax errors
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - dev
   pull_request:
     branches-ignore:
       - "master"
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 702d7d32..030ac0b0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 - [#114](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/114): Added Bcellmagic html report.
 - [#114](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/114): Improved documentation on amplicon protocol support.
 - [#115](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/115): Improved output file structure and documentation.
-- [#124](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/124): Template update to nf-core tools v2.0.1
+- [#124](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/124): Template update to nf-core tools v2.0.1.
 
 ### `Fixed`
 
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 - [#104](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/104): Fix bug in pairseq barcode copy before consensus.
 - [#114](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/114): Analysis not restricted to Ig heavy chains.
 - [#123](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/123): Fix report Rmarkdown reading for running on AWS.
+- [#284](https://github.com/nf-core/bcellmagic/pull/284): Use cached IMGT and IgBlast reference data by default.
 
 ### `Dependencies`
 
diff --git a/conf/test_fetchimgt.config b/conf/test_fetchimgt.config
index 81500d7f..e223d687 100644
--- a/conf/test_fetchimgt.config
+++ b/conf/test_fetchimgt.config
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ params {
     input = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nf-core/test-datasets/airrflow/testdata-bcr/Metadata_test_airr.tsv'
     cprimers = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nf-core/test-datasets/airrflow/testdata-bcr/C_primers.fasta'
     vprimers = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nf-core/test-datasets/airrflow/testdata-bcr/V_primers.fasta'
+    fetch_imgt = true
 
     mode = 'fastq'
 
diff --git a/main.nf b/main.nf
index d5ad4496..24de2277 100644
--- a/main.nf
+++ b/main.nf
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ if (params.help) {
 
 // Validate input parameters
 if (params.validate_params) {
-   validateParameters()
+    validateParameters()
 }
 
 WorkflowMain.initialise(workflow, params, log)
diff --git a/modules/local/igblast/igblast_assigngenes.nf b/modules/local/igblast/igblast_assigngenes.nf
deleted file mode 100644
index b4ea2c35..00000000
--- a/modules/local/igblast/igblast_assigngenes.nf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,65 +0,0 @@
-process IGBLAST_ASSIGNGENES {
-    tag "$meta.id"
-    label 'process_low'
-    label 'immcantation'
-
-    conda "bioconda::changeo=1.3.0 bioconda::igblast=1.19.0 conda-forge::wget=1.20.1"
-    container "${ workflow.containerEngine == 'singularity' && !task.ext.singularity_pull_docker_container ?
-        'https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/mulled-v2-7d8e418eb73acc6a80daea8e111c94cf19a4ecfd:00534555924705cdf2f7ac48b4b8b4083527ca58-1' :
-        'biocontainers/mulled-v2-7d8e418eb73acc6a80daea8e111c94cf19a4ecfd:00534555924705cdf2f7ac48b4b8b4083527ca58-1' }"
-
-    input:
-    tuple val(meta), path(reads) // reads in fasta format
-    path(igblast) // igblast fasta
-
-    output:
-    tuple val(meta), path("*db-pass.tsv"), emit: tab
-    path "versions.yml" , emit: versions
-    path("*_command_log.txt"), emit: logs //process logs
-    path("*_makedb_command_log.txt"), emit: makedb_log
-
-    script:
-    def args = task.ext.args ?: ''
-    """
-    igblastn \
-        -germline_db_V igblast_base/database/imgt_${meta.species}_${meta.locus.toLowerCase()}_v \
-        -germline_db_D igblast_base/database/imgt_${meta.species}_${meta.locus.toLowerCase()}_d \
-        -germline_db_J igblast_base/database/imgt_${meta.species}_${meta.locus.toLowerCase()}_j \
-        -auxiliary_data igblast_base/optional_file/${meta.species}_gl.aux \
-        -organism ${meta.species} \
-        $args \
-        -query $reads \
-        -out ${meta.id}_db-pass.tsv
-
-    echo "START> AssignGenes" > ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "COMMAND> igblast" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "VERSION> \$( igblastn -version | grep -o "igblast[0-9\\. ]\\+" | grep -o "[0-9\\. ]\\+" )" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "FILE> ${reads}" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "ORGANISM> ${meta.species}" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "LOCI> ${meta.locus.toLowerCase()}" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "NPROC> ${task.cpus}\n" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "PROGRESS> ...Done \n" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "PASS> \$(tail -n +2 ${meta.id}_db-pass.tsv | wc -l )" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "OUTPUT> ${meta.id}_igblast.fmt7" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-    echo "END> AssignGenes" >> ${meta.id}_changeo_assigngenes_command_log.txt
-
-    echo "START> MakeDB" > ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "COMMAND> igblast" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "ALIGNER_FILE> ${meta.id}_igblast.fmt7" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "SEQ_FILE> ${reads}" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "ASIS_ID> False" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "ASIS_CALLS> False" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "VALIDATE> strict" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "EXTENDED> True" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "INFER_JUNCTION> False\n" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "PROGRESS> ...\n" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "PROGRESS> ... Done\n" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "OUTPUT> ${meta.id}_db-pass.tsv" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "PASS> \$(tail -n +2 ${meta.id}_db-pass.tsv | wc -l )" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "FAIL> 0" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-    echo "END> MakeDB" >> ${meta.id}_makedb_command_log.txt
-
-    echo "\"${task.process}\":" > versions.yml
-    echo "   igblastn: \$( igblastn -version | grep -o "igblast[0-9\\. ]\\+" | grep -o "[0-9\\. ]\\+" )" >> versions.yml
-    """
-}
diff --git a/nextflow.config b/nextflow.config
index 536e9d68..1b772655 100644
--- a/nextflow.config
+++ b/nextflow.config
@@ -60,8 +60,9 @@ params {
     // -----------------------
     productive_only = true
     reassign = true
-    igblast_base = null
-    imgtdb_base = null
+    igblast_base = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nf-core/test-datasets/airrflow/database-cache/igblast_base.zip'
+    imgtdb_base = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nf-core/test-datasets/airrflow/database-cache/imgtdb_base.zip'
+    fetch_imgt = false
     save_databases = true
 
     // -----------------------
diff --git a/nextflow_schema.json b/nextflow_schema.json
index 1468cdf1..7117deb4 100644
--- a/nextflow_schema.json
+++ b/nextflow_schema.json
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
                 },
                 "miairr": {
                     "type": "string",
-                    "default": "bcellmagic/assets/reveal/mapping_MiAIRR_BioSample_v1.3.1.tsv",
+                    "default": "airrflow/assets/reveal/mapping_MiAIRR_BioSample_v1.3.1.tsv",
                     "description": "Path to MiAIRR-BioSample mapping",
                     "fa_icon": "fas fa-table"
                 }
@@ -286,14 +286,19 @@
                 "imgtdb_base": {
                     "type": "string",
                     "description": "Path to the cached IMGT database.",
-                    "help_text": "If it is not provided, the database will be newly downloaded.",
+                    "help_text": "By default, we provide a pre-downloaded version of the IMGT database. It is also possible to provide a custom IMGT reference database. To fetch a fresh version of IMGT, set the `--fetch_imgt` parameter instead.",
                     "fa_icon": "fas fa-database"
                 },
                 "igblast_base": {
                     "type": "string",
                     "description": "Path to the cached igblast database.",
-                    "help_text": "If it is not provided, the database will be newly downloaded.",
+                    "help_text": "By default, we provide a pre-downloaded version of the IMGT database. It is also possible to provide a custom IMGT reference database. To fetch a fresh version of IMGT, set the `--fetch_imgt` parameter instead.",
                     "fa_icon": "fas fa-database"
+                },
+                "fetch_imgt": {
+                    "type": "boolean",
+                    "description": "Set this flag to fetch the IMGT reference data at runtime.",
+                    "fa_icon": "fas fa-cloud-download-alt"
                 }
             },
             "fa_icon": "fas fa-edit"
diff --git a/subworkflows/local/vdj_annotation.nf b/subworkflows/local/vdj_annotation.nf
index 31ed0fd6..d30375c6 100644
--- a/subworkflows/local/vdj_annotation.nf
+++ b/subworkflows/local/vdj_annotation.nf
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ include { UNZIP_DB as UNZIP_IMGT } from '../../modules/local/unzip_db'
 include { CHANGEO_ASSIGNGENES } from '../../modules/local/changeo/changeo_assigngenes'
 include { CHANGEO_MAKEDB } from '../../modules/local/changeo/changeo_makedb'
 include { CHANGEO_PARSEDB_SPLIT } from '../../modules/local/changeo/changeo_parsedb_split'
-include { IGBLAST_ASSIGNGENES } from '../../modules/local/igblast/igblast_assigngenes'
 // reveal
 include { FILTER_QUALITY  } from '../../modules/local/reveal/filter_quality'
 include { FILTER_JUNCTION_MOD3  } from '../../modules/local/reveal/filter_junction_mod3'
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ workflow VDJ_ANNOTATION {
     // TODO: this can take a long time, and the progress shows 0%. Would be
     // nice to have some better progress reporting.
     // And maybe run this as 2 separate steps, one for IMGT and one for IgBLAST?
-    if( params.igblast_base ){
+    if( !params.fetch_imgt ){
         if (params.igblast_base.endsWith(".zip")) {
             Channel.fromPath("${params.igblast_base}")
                     .ifEmpty{ error "IGBLAST DB not found: ${params.igblast_base}" }
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ workflow VDJ_ANNOTATION {
         }
     }
 
-    if( params.imgtdb_base ){
+    if( !params.fetch_imgt ){
         if (params.imgtdb_base.endsWith(".zip")) {
             Channel.fromPath("${params.imgtdb_base}")
                     .ifEmpty{ error "IMGTDB not found: ${params.imgtdb_base}" }
@@ -50,12 +49,12 @@ workflow VDJ_ANNOTATION {
             ch_versions = ch_versions.mix(UNZIP_IMGT.out.versions.ifEmpty(null))
         } else {
             Channel.fromPath("${params.imgtdb_base}")
-                .ifEmpty { error "IMGTDB not found: ${params.imgtdb_base}" }
+                .ifEmpty { error "IMGT DB not found: ${params.imgtdb_base}" }
                 .set { ch_imgt }
         }
     }
 
-    if (!params.igblast_base | !params.imgtdb_base) {
+    if (params.fetch_imgt) {
         FETCH_DATABASES()
         ch_igblast = FETCH_DATABASES.out.igblast
         ch_imgt = FETCH_DATABASES.out.imgt