diff --git a/clients/githubrepo/client.go b/clients/githubrepo/client.go
index 1c7782bb091..1298924c088 100644
--- a/clients/githubrepo/client.go
+++ b/clients/githubrepo/client.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ type Client struct {
 	gitMode       bool
 }
 
-// WithGitMode configures the repo client to fetch files using git.
-func WithGitMode() Option {
+// WithFileModeGit configures the repo client to fetch files using git.
+func WithFileModeGit() Option {
 	return func(c *repoClientConfig) error {
 		c.gitMode = true
 		return nil
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (client *Client) GetOrgRepoClient(ctx context.Context) (clients.RepoClient,
 
 	options := []Option{WithRoundTripper(client.repoClient.Client().Transport)}
 	if client.gitMode {
-		options = append(options, WithGitMode())
+		options = append(options, WithFileModeGit())
 	}
 	c, err := NewRepoClient(ctx, options...)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index a4e27cfea29..23299e03edb 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ func rootCmd(o *options.Options) error {
 		scorecard.WithProbes(enabledProbes),
 		scorecard.WithChecks(checks),
 	}
-	if o.GitMode {
-		opts = append(opts, scorecard.WithGitMode())
+	if strings.EqualFold(o.FileMode, options.FileModeGit) {
+		opts = append(opts, scorecard.WithFileModeGit())
 	}
 
 	repoResult, err = scorecard.Run(ctx, repo, opts...)
diff --git a/options/flags.go b/options/flags.go
index 7f35e6e49c5..7ad94116c23 100644
--- a/options/flags.go
+++ b/options/flags.go
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ const (
 	// FlagShowDetails is the flag name for outputting additional check info.
 	FlagShowDetails = "show-details"
 
-	// Flag FlagGitMode is the flag name for enabling git compatibility mode.
-	FlagGitMode = "git-mode"
+	// Flag FlagFileMode is the flag name for specifying how files are fetched for a repository.
+	FlagFileMode = "file-mode"
 
 	// FlagShowAnnotations is the flag name for outputting annotations on checks.
 	FlagShowAnnotations = "show-annotations"
@@ -226,10 +226,11 @@ func (o *Options) AddFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 		"output file",
 	)
 
-	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(
-		&o.GitMode,
-		FlagGitMode,
-		o.GitMode,
-		"fetch repository files using git for maximum compatibility",
+	allowedModes := []string{FileModeArchive, FileModeGit}
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(
+		&o.FileMode,
+		FlagFileMode,
+		o.FileMode,
+		fmt.Sprintf("mode to fetch repository files: %s", strings.Join(allowedModes, ", ")),
 	)
 }
diff --git a/options/options.go b/options/options.go
index 086257fcd69..5a646886735 100644
--- a/options/options.go
+++ b/options/options.go
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@ type Options struct {
 	Nuget           string
 	PolicyFile      string
 	ResultsFile     string
+	FileMode        string
 	ChecksToRun     []string
 	ProbesToRun     []string
 	Metadata        []string
 	CommitDepth     int
 	ShowDetails     bool
 	ShowAnnotations bool
-	GitMode         bool
 	// Feature flags.
 	EnableSarif                 bool `env:"ENABLE_SARIF"`
 	EnableScorecardV6           bool `env:"SCORECARD_V6"`
@@ -56,21 +56,15 @@ type Options struct {
 
 // New creates a new instance of `Options`.
 func New() *Options {
-	opts := &Options{}
+	opts := &Options{
+		Commit:   DefaultCommit,
+		Format:   FormatDefault,
+		LogLevel: DefaultLogLevel,
+		FileMode: FileModeArchive,
+	}
 	if err := env.Parse(opts); err != nil {
 		log.Printf("could not parse env vars, using default options: %v", err)
 	}
-	// Defaulting.
-	// TODO(options): Consider moving this to a separate function/method.
-	if opts.Commit == "" {
-		opts.Commit = DefaultCommit
-	}
-	if opts.Format == "" {
-		opts.Format = FormatDefault
-	}
-	if opts.LogLevel == "" {
-		opts.LogLevel = DefaultLogLevel
-	}
 	return opts
 }
 
@@ -90,6 +84,12 @@ const (
 	// FormatRaw specifies that results should be output in raw format.
 	FormatRaw = "raw"
 
+	// File Modes
+	// FileModeGit specifies that files should be fetched using git.
+	FileModeGit = "git"
+	// FileModeArchive specifies that files should be fetched using the export archive (tarball).
+	FileModeArchive = "archive"
+
 	// Environment variables.
 	// EnvVarEnableSarif is the environment variable which controls enabling
 	// SARIF logging.
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ var (
 
 	errCommitIsEmpty          = errors.New("commit should be non-empty")
 	errFormatNotSupported     = errors.New("unsupported format")
+	errFileModeNotSupported   = errors.New("unsupported file mode")
 	errPolicyFileNotSupported = errors.New("policy file is not supported yet")
 	errRawOptionNotSupported  = errors.New("raw option is not supported yet")
 	errRepoOptionMustBeSet    = errors.New(
@@ -177,6 +178,13 @@ func (o *Options) Validate() error {
 		)
 	}
 
+	if !validateFileMode(o.FileMode) {
+		errs = append(
+			errs,
+			errFileModeNotSupported,
+		)
+	}
+
 	if len(errs) != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf(
 			"%w: %+v",
@@ -253,3 +261,12 @@ func validateFormat(format string) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 }
+
+func validateFileMode(mode string) bool {
+	switch strings.ToLower(mode) {
+	case FileModeGit, FileModeArchive:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/scorecard/scorecard.go b/pkg/scorecard/scorecard.go
index a3ae568be4c..007d0671128 100644
--- a/pkg/scorecard/scorecard.go
+++ b/pkg/scorecard/scorecard.go
@@ -341,12 +341,12 @@ func WithOpenSSFBestPraticesClient(client clients.CIIBestPracticesClient) Option
 	}
 }
 
-// WithGitMode will configure supporting repository clients to download files
-// using git, instead of the archive tarball. This is useful for repositories
-// which "export-ignore" files in a .gitattributes file.
+// WithFileModeGit will configure supporting repository clients to download files
+// using git. This is useful for repositories which "export-ignore" files in its
+// .gitattributes file.
 //
 // Repository analysis may be slower.
-func WithGitMode() Option {
+func WithFileModeGit() Option {
 	return func(c *runConfig) error {
 		c.gitMode = true
 		return nil
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, repo clients.Repo, opts ...Option) (Result, error)
 		if c.client == nil {
 			var opts []githubrepo.Option
 			if c.gitMode {
-				opts = append(opts, githubrepo.WithGitMode())
+				opts = append(opts, githubrepo.WithFileModeGit())
 			}
 			client, err := githubrepo.NewRepoClient(ctx, opts...)
 			if err != nil {