Tried to adjust it as per needed options.

src/Config/ConfigFinder.php

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 namespace AssetCompress\Config;
 
+use Cake\Cache\Cache;
+use Cake\Core\Configure;
 use Cake\Core\Plugin;
 use MiniAsset\AssetConfig;
 
@@ -26,28 +28,55 @@
      * In addition for each file found the `asset_compress.local.ini`
      * will be loaded if it is present.
      *
-     * @param string $path The configuration file path to start loading from.
+     * @param string|null $path The configuration file path to start loading from.
      * @param bool $skipPlugins Whether to skip config files from plugins. Default `false`.
+     * @param bool $skipLocal Whether to skip config *local* files. Default `false`.
+     * @param string|bool|null $cache Whether to cache the loaded config. Defaults to debug mode level.
      * @return \MiniAsset\AssetConfig The completed configuration object.
      */
-    public function loadAll(?string $path = null, bool $skipPlugins = false): AssetConfig
-    {
+    public function loadAll(
+        ?string $path = null,
+        bool $skipPlugins = false,
+        bool $skipLocal = false,
+        bool|string|null $cache = null,
+    ): AssetConfig {
+        if ($cache === null) {
+            $cache = Configure::read('AssetCompress.cache', !Configure::read('debug'));
+        }
+        if ($cache === true) {
+            $cache = 'default';
+        }
+        if ($cache) {
+            $cachedConfig = Cache::read('asset_compress_config', $cache);
+            if ($cachedConfig) {
+                return $cachedConfig;
+            }
+        }
+
         if (!$path) {
             $path = CONFIG . 'asset_compress.ini';
         }
         $config = new AssetConfig([], [
             'WEBROOT' => WWW_ROOT,
         ]);
-        $this->_load($config, $path);
+        $this->_load($config, $path, '', $skipLocal);
 
         if ($skipPlugins) {
+            if ($cache) {
+                Cache::write('asset_compress_config', $config, $cache);
+            }
+
             return $config;
         }
 
         $plugins = Plugin::loaded();
         foreach ($plugins as $plugin) {
             $pluginConfig = Plugin::path($plugin) . 'config' . DS . 'asset_compress.ini';
-            $this->_load($config, $pluginConfig, $plugin . '.');
+            $this->_load($config, $pluginConfig, $plugin . '.', $skipLocal);
+        }
+
+        if ($cache) {
+            Cache::write('asset_compress_config', $config, $cache);
         }
 
         return $config;
@@ -59,15 +88,20 @@
      * @param \MiniAsset\AssetConfig $config The config object to update.
      * @param string $path The config file to load.
      * @param string $prefix The prefix to use.
+     * @param bool $skipLocal Skip *.local.ini file lookup
      * @return void
      */
-    protected function _load(AssetConfig $config, string $path, string $prefix = ''): void
+    protected function _load(AssetConfig $config, string $path, string $prefix = '', bool $skipLocal = false): void
     {
         if (file_exists($path)) {
             $config->load($path, $prefix);
         }
 
-        $localConfig = preg_replace('/(.*)\.ini$/', '$1.local.ini', $path);
+        if ($skipLocal) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $localConfig = (string)preg_replace('/(.*)\.ini$/', '$1.local.ini', $path);
         if (file_exists($localConfig)) {
             $config->load($localConfig, $prefix);
         }

src/Middleware/AssetCompressMiddleware.php

@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ protected function mapType(AssetTarget $build): string
      *
      * @param \MiniAsset\AssetConfig $config The config object to use.
      * @param string $url The url to get an asset name from.
-     * @return string|bool false if no build can be parsed from URL
+     * @return string|false false if no build can be parsed from URL
      * with url path otherwise
      */
     protected function getName(AssetConfig $config, string $url): bool|string

src/View/Helper/AssetCompressHelper.php

@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@ class AssetCompressHelper extends Helper
      */
     public array $helpers = ['Html'];
 
+    /**
+     * @var array<string, mixed>
+     */
+    protected array $_defaultConfig = [
+        'skipPlugins' => false,
+        'skipLocal' => false,
+        'configPath' => CONFIG . 'asset_compress.ini',
+        'noconfig' => false,
+    ];
+
     /**
      * Configuration object
      *
@@ -66,15 +76,19 @@ class AssetCompressHelper extends Helper
      * Constructor - finds and parses the ini file the plugin uses.
      *
      * @param \Cake\View\View $view The view instance to use.
-     * @param array $settings The settings for the helper.
+     * @param array $config The settings for the helper.
      * @return void
      */
-    public function __construct(View $view, array $settings = [])
+    public function __construct(View $view, array $config = [])
     {
-        parent::__construct($view, $settings);
-        if (empty($settings['noconfig'])) {
+        parent::__construct($view, $config);
+        if (!$this->getConfig('noconfig')) {
+            $skipPlugins = $this->getConfig('skipPlugins');
+            $skipLocal = $this->getConfig('skipLocal');
             $configFinder = new ConfigFinder();
-            $this->assetConfig($configFinder->loadAll());
+            $this->assetConfig(
+                $configFinder->loadAll($this->getConfig('configPath'), $skipPlugins, $skipLocal),
+            );
         }
     }
 

tests/TestCase/AssetScannerTest.php

@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 
 class AssetScannerTest extends TestCase
 {
+    protected string $_testFiles;
+    protected AssetScanner $Scanner;
+
     public function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();

tests/TestCase/Command/AssetCompressCommandsTest.php

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ class AssetCompressCommandsTest extends TestCase
 {
     use ConsoleIntegrationTestTrait;
 
+    protected string $testConfig;
+
     /**
      * setup method.
      *
@@ -36,7 +38,6 @@ public function setUp(): void
     public function tearDown(): void
     {
         parent::tearDown();
-        unset($this->Shell);
         $fs = new Filesystem();
         $fs->deleteDir(WWW_ROOT . 'cache_js');
         $fs->deleteDir(WWW_ROOT . 'cache_css');

tests/TestCase/Config/ConfigFinderTest.php

@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
  */
 class ConfigFinderTest extends TestCase
 {
+    protected $_testFiles;
+    protected $testConfig;
+
     /**
      * setup method
      *

tests/TestCase/Filter/ImportInlineTest.php

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 class ImportInlineTest extends TestCase
 {
+    protected ImportInline $filter;
+
     public function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();

tests/TestCase/Filter/SprocketsTest.php

@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 class SprocketsTest extends TestCase
 {
+    protected string $_testFiles;
+    protected string $_jsDir;
+    protected Sprockets $filter;
+
     public function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();
@@ -34,9 +38,9 @@ public function testThemeAndPluginInclusion()
         ];
         $this->filter->settings($settings);
 
-        $this->_themeDir = $this->_testFiles . 'Plugin' . DS . $settings['theme'] . DS;
+        $themeDir = $this->_testFiles . 'Plugin' . DS . $settings['theme'] . DS;
 
-        $content = file_get_contents($this->_themeDir . 'webroot' . DS . 'theme.js');
+        $content = file_get_contents($themeDir . 'webroot' . DS . 'theme.js');
         $result = $this->filter->input('theme.js', $content);
         $expected = <<<TEXT
 var Theme = new Class({

tests/TestCase/View/Helper/AssetCompressHelperTest.php

@@ -56,6 +56,72 @@ public function tearDown(): void
         unset($this->Helper);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test that plugin scans are enabled
+     */
+    public function testConfigPathWithPlugins(): void
+    {
+        $this->loadPlugins(['TestAssetIni']);
+        $helper = new AssetCompressHelper($this->View, [
+            'configPath' => APP . 'config/bare.ini',
+        ]);
+        $config = $helper->assetConfig();
+        $this->assertTrue($config->hasTarget('pink.css'));
+        $this->assertTrue($config->hasTarget('TestAssetIni.all.css'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that plugin scans can be disabled.
+     */
+    public function testSkipPluginsOption(): void
+    {
+        $this->loadPlugins(['TestAssetIni']);
+        $helper = new AssetCompressHelper($this->View, [
+            'skipPlugins' => true,
+            'configPath' => APP . 'config/bare.ini',
+        ]);
+        $config = $helper->assetConfig();
+        $this->assertTrue($config->hasTarget('pink.css'));
+        $this->assertFalse($config->hasTarget('TestAssetIni.all.css'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that .local file scans can be disabled.
+     */
+    public function testLoadLocalOption(): void
+    {
+        $this->loadPlugins(['TestAssetIni']);
+        $helper = new AssetCompressHelper($this->View, [
+            'skipPlugins' => true,
+            'configPath' => APP . 'config/overridable.ini',
+        ]);
+        $config = $helper->assetConfig();
+        $this->assertEquals('', $config->get('general.cacheConfig'));
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            '/path/to/local/yuicompressor',
+            $config->filterConfig('YuiJs')['path'],
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that .local file scans can be disabled.
+     */
+    public function testSkipLocalOption(): void
+    {
+        $this->loadPlugins(['TestAssetIni']);
+        $helper = new AssetCompressHelper($this->View, [
+            'skipPlugins' => true,
+            'skipLocal' => true,
+            'configPath' => APP . 'config/overridable.ini',
+        ]);
+        $config = $helper->assetConfig();
+        $this->assertEquals('1', $config->get('general.cacheConfig'));
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            '/path/to/yuicompressor',
+            $config->filterConfig('YuiJs')['path'],
+        );
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test that generated elements can have attributes added.
      *