diff --git a/h1st/model/model.py b/h1st/model/model.py
index 9608d72d..1831dd39 100644
--- a/h1st/model/model.py
+++ b/h1st/model/model.py
@@ -47,9 +47,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.stats = {}
         self.metrics = {}
         self.base_model = None
-        self.model_repo = ModelRepository()
 
-    def persist(self, version=None) -> str:
+    def persist(self, path: str, version: str = None) -> str:
         """
         Persist this model's properties to the ModelRepository. Currently, only `stats`, `metrics`, `model` properties are supported.
 
@@ -59,15 +58,15 @@ def persist(self, version=None) -> str:
         :param version: model version, leave blank for autogeneration
         :returns: model version
         """
-        repo = self.model_repo.get_model_repo(self)
+        repo = ModelRepository(storage=path)
         return repo.persist(model=self, version=version)
 
-    def load(self, version: str = None) -> Any:
+    def load(self, path: str, version: str = None) -> Any:
         """
         Load parameters from the specified `version` from the ModelRepository.
         Leave version blank to load latest version.
         """
-        repo = self.model_repo.get_model_repo(self)
+        repo = ModelRepository(storage=path)
         repo.load(model=self, version=version)
 
         return self
diff --git a/h1st/model/repository/model_repository.py b/h1st/model/repository/model_repository.py
index 53aecd04..02d3a3ab 100644
--- a/h1st/model/repository/model_repository.py
+++ b/h1st/model/repository/model_repository.py
@@ -525,14 +525,15 @@ def _get_key(self, model, version):
 
         return key
 
-    def get_model_repo(self, ref=None):
+    @classmethod
+    def get_model_repo(cls, ref=None):
         """
         Retrieve the default model repository for the project
 
         :param ref: target model
         :returns: Model repository instance
         """
-        if not hasattr(self, "MODEL_REPO"):  # ModelRepository.MODEL_REPO
+        if not hasattr(cls, "MODEL_REPO"):  # global ModelRepository.MODEL_REPO
             repo_path = None
             if ref is not None:
                 # root module
@@ -566,9 +567,9 @@ def get_model_repo(self, ref=None):
             if not repo_path:
                 raise RuntimeError("Please set MODEL_REPO_PATH in config.py")
 
-            self.MODEL_REPO = ModelRepository(storage=repo_path)
+            setattr(cls, "MODEL_REPO", ModelRepository(storage=repo_path))
 
-        return self.MODEL_REPO
+        return getattr(cls, "MODEL_REPO")
 
 
 def _tar_create(target, source):
diff --git a/h1st/model/repository/storage/s3.py b/h1st/model/repository/storage/s3.py
index 4d2dc2f9..b8a10af8 100644
--- a/h1st/model/repository/storage/s3.py
+++ b/h1st/model/repository/storage/s3.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def set_obj(self, name: str, value: Any) -> NoReturn:
         :param value: value in python object
         """
         key = self._to_key(name)
-        logger.info(f"---Saving obj {key} to S3, value {value}")
+        logger.info(f"---Saving obj {key} to S3")
 
         with self.fs.open(key, 'wb') as f:
             return cloudpickle.dump(value, f)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def set_bytes(self, name: str, value: bytes) -> NoReturn:
         :param value: value in bytes
         """
         key = self._to_key(name)
-        logger.info(f"---Saving bytes {key} to S3, value {value}")
+        logger.info(f"---Saving bytes {key} to S3")
 
         with self.fs.open(key, 'wb') as f:
             f.write(value)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 84b55c1a..26c23dd0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "h1st"
-version = "2.1.5"
+version = "2.1.6"
 description = "Human-First AI (H1st)"
 authors = ["Aitomatic, Inc. <engineering@aitomatic.com>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"