diff --git a/src/gitea_runner_manager/cli.py b/src/gitea_runner_manager/cli.py
index 5d8627b..2fe8231 100644
--- a/src/gitea_runner_manager/cli.py
+++ b/src/gitea_runner_manager/cli.py
@@ -306,6 +306,12 @@ def status(
     type=click.Choice(["docker", "binary"]),
     help=_("Override deployment mode from registry"),
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--force",
+    "-f",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help=_("Skip remote cleanup and only remove the local registry entry"),
+)
 @_handle_errors("Remove failed: {error}")
 def remove(
     runner_name: str,
@@ -314,6 +320,7 @@ def remove(
     key: str | None,
     token: str | None,
     mode: str | None,
+    force: bool,
     ask_become_pass: bool,
 ) -> None:
     manager = RunnerManager()
@@ -326,6 +333,7 @@ def remove(
         gitea_url=os.getenv("GITEA_URL", ""),
         mode=mode,
         ask_become_pass=ask_become_pass,
+        force=force,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/src/gitea_runner_manager/i18n.py b/src/gitea_runner_manager/i18n.py
index 1275458..51b11df 100644
--- a/src/gitea_runner_manager/i18n.py
+++ b/src/gitea_runner_manager/i18n.py
@@ -467,6 +467,13 @@ TRANSLATIONS: dict[str, dict[str, str]] = {
         "ru": "Удалить runner '{name}' из локального реестра",
         "zh": "从本地注册表移除 runner '{name}'",
     },
+    "Skip remote cleanup and only remove the local registry entry": {
+        "en": "Skip remote cleanup and only remove the local registry entry",
+        "bg": "Пропуснете отдалеченото почистване и премахнете само локалния запис",
+        "de": "Remote-Bereinigung überspringen und nur den lokalen Registrierungseintrag entfernen",
+        "ru": "Пропустить удаленную очистку и удалить только локальную запись реестра",
+        "zh": "跳过远程清理，仅删除本地注册表条目",
+    },
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/gitea_runner_manager/runner_manager.py b/src/gitea_runner_manager/runner_manager.py
index 4b71fbc..4873d8a 100644
--- a/src/gitea_runner_manager/runner_manager.py
+++ b/src/gitea_runner_manager/runner_manager.py
@@ -240,8 +240,14 @@ class RunnerManager:
         gitea_url: str = "",
         mode: str | None = None,
         ask_become_pass: bool = False,
+        force: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
-        """Remove a runner instance completely."""
+        """Remove a runner instance completely.
+
+        When *force* is ``True``, skip the remote Ansible playbook and
+        only remove the local registry entry. Use this when the remote
+        host is already gone or unreachable.
+        """
         if not gitea_url:
             raise AnsibleError(_("GITEA_URL must be set (or pass --url)"))
         actual_host, actual_user, actual_key, actual_mode = self._resolve_runner(name, host, user, key, mode)
@@ -249,15 +255,16 @@ class RunnerManager:
             raise AnsibleError(_("GITEA_REGISTRATION_TOKEN must be set (or pass --token)"))
         with track_steps() as tracker:
             tracker.begin(_("Removing Gitea Runner {name} from {host}", name=name, host=actual_host))
-            extra_vars = (
-                f"runner_name={name} registration_token={token} gitea_url={gitea_url} runner_mode={actual_mode}"
-            )
-            cmd = self._build_cmd(
-                "remove-runner.yml", actual_host, actual_user, extra_vars, actual_key, ask_become_pass
-            )
-            self._executor.run(
-                cmd, description=_("Removing Gitea Runner {name} from {host}", name=name, host=actual_host)
-            )
+            if not force:
+                extra_vars = (
+                    f"runner_name={name} registration_token={token} gitea_url={gitea_url} runner_mode={actual_mode}"
+                )
+                cmd = self._build_cmd(
+                    "remove-runner.yml", actual_host, actual_user, extra_vars, actual_key, ask_become_pass
+                )
+                self._executor.run(
+                    cmd, description=_("Removing Gitea Runner {name} from {host}", name=name, host=actual_host)
+                )
             tracker.done()
 
             tracker.begin(_("Remove runner '{name}' from local registry", name=name))
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cli.py b/tests/unit/test_cli.py
index 6930c0c..63f4cdb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cli.py
@@ -375,6 +375,27 @@ class TestCLI:
             gitea_url="https://git.example.com",
             mode=None,
             ask_become_pass=False,
+            force=False,
+        )
+
+    @patch("gitea_runner_manager.cli.RunnerManager")
+    def test_remove_force_flag(self, mock_manager_class: MagicMock) -> None:
+        mock_manager = MagicMock()
+        mock_manager_class.return_value = mock_manager
+
+        runner = CliRunner(env={"GITEA_URL": "https://git.example.com"})
+        result = runner.invoke(cli, ["remove", "r1", "--token", "tok", "--force"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        mock_manager.remove.assert_called_once_with(
+            name="r1",
+            host=None,
+            user=None,
+            key=None,
+            token="tok",
+            gitea_url="https://git.example.com",
+            mode=None,
+            ask_become_pass=False,
+            force=True,
         )
 
     @patch("gitea_runner_manager.cli.RunnerManager")
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_runner_manager.py b/tests/unit/test_runner_manager.py
index 2ac69c5..7743c5e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_runner_manager.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_runner_manager.py
@@ -381,6 +381,17 @@ class TestRunnerManager:
             manager.remove("r1", token="tok")
         mock_registry.remove.assert_not_called()
 
+    def test_remove_force_skips_playbook(self) -> None:
+        mock_registry = MagicMock()
+        mock_registry.get.return_value = {"host": "host", "user": "user", "key": None, "mode": "docker"}
+        manager = RunnerManager(registry=mock_registry)
+        mock_executor = MagicMock()
+        manager._executor = mock_executor
+
+        manager.remove("r1", token="tok", gitea_url="https://git.example.com", force=True)
+        mock_executor.run.assert_not_called()
+        mock_registry.remove.assert_called_once_with("r1")
+
     def test_list_runners(self) -> None:
         mock_registry = MagicMock()
         mock_registry.list.return_value = {