diff --git a/server/sched.go b/server/sched.go
index 37e83694..fa034d28 100644
--- a/server/sched.go
+++ b/server/sched.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 type LlmRequest struct {
 	ctx             context.Context //nolint:containedctx
 	model           *Model
-	ggml            *llm.GGML // TODO - how large is this, and do we need to free it after we've finished loading?
 	opts            api.Options
 	sessionDuration time.Duration
 	successCh       chan *runnerRef
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ type Scheduler struct {
 	loaded   map[string]*runnerRef
 	loadedMu sync.Mutex
 
-	loadFn      func(req *LlmRequest, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList)
+	loadFn      func(req *LlmRequest, ggml *llm.GGML, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList)
 	newServerFn func(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *llm.GGML, adapters []string, projectors []string, opts api.Options) (llm.LlamaServer, error)
 	getGpuFn    func() gpu.GpuInfoList
 }
@@ -74,20 +73,14 @@ func InitScheduler(ctx context.Context) *Scheduler {
 
 // context must be canceled to decrement ref count and release the runner
 func (s *Scheduler) GetRunner(c context.Context, model *Model, opts api.Options, sessionDuration time.Duration) (chan *runnerRef, chan error) {
-	ggml, err := llm.LoadModel(model.ModelPath)
 	req := &LlmRequest{
 		ctx:             c,
 		model:           model,
-		ggml:            ggml,
 		opts:            opts,
 		sessionDuration: sessionDuration,
 		successCh:       make(chan *runnerRef),
 		errCh:           make(chan error, 1),
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		req.errCh <- err
-		return req.successCh, req.errCh
-	}
 	select {
 	case s.pendingReqCh <- req:
 	default:
@@ -130,28 +123,39 @@ func (s *Scheduler) processPending(ctx context.Context) {
 						pending.useLoadedRunner(runner, s.finishedReqCh)
 						break
 					}
-				} else if loadedCount == 0 {
-					slog.Debug("loading first model", "model", pending.model.ModelPath)
-					gpus := s.getGpuFn()
-					g := pickBestFitGPUs(pending, gpus)
-					if g != nil {
-						gpus = g
-					}
-					s.loadFn(pending, gpus)
-					break
 				} else if loadedMax > 0 && loadedCount >= loadedMax {
 					slog.Debug("max runners achieved, unloading one to make room", "runner_count", loadedCount)
 					runnerToExpire = s.findRunnerToUnload(pending)
 				} else {
-					// More than one loaded model, so we have to see if the new one fits
+					// Either no models are loaded or below loadedMax
 					// Get a refreshed GPU list
 					gpus := s.getGpuFn()
+
+					// Load model for fitting
+					ggml, err := llm.LoadModel(pending.model.ModelPath)
+					if err != nil {
+						pending.errCh <- err
+						break
+					}
+
+					// No models loaded. Load the model but prefer the best fit.
+					if loadedCount == 0 {
+						slog.Debug("loading first model", "model", pending.model.ModelPath)
+						g := pickBestFitGPUs(pending, ggml, gpus)
+						if g != nil {
+							gpus = g
+						}
+						s.loadFn(pending, ggml, gpus)
+						break
+					}
+
+					// More than one loaded model, so we have to see if the new one fits
 					// Update free memory from currently loaded models
 					s.updateFreeSpace(gpus)
-					gpus = pickBestFitGPUs(pending, gpus)
+					gpus = pickBestFitGPUs(pending, ggml, gpus)
 					if gpus != nil {
 						slog.Debug("new model fits with existing models, loading")
-						s.loadFn(pending, gpus)
+						s.loadFn(pending, ggml, gpus)
 						break
 					}
 					runnerToExpire = s.findRunnerToUnload(pending)
@@ -282,8 +286,8 @@ func (pending *LlmRequest) useLoadedRunner(runner *runnerRef, finished chan *Llm
 	}()
 }
 
-func (s *Scheduler) load(req *LlmRequest, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) {
-	llama, err := s.newServerFn(gpus, req.model.ModelPath, req.ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts)
+func (s *Scheduler) load(req *LlmRequest, ggml *llm.GGML, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) {
+	llama, err := s.newServerFn(gpus, req.model.ModelPath, ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		// some older models are not compatible with newer versions of llama.cpp
 		// show a generalized compatibility error until there is a better way to
@@ -454,7 +458,7 @@ func (a ByDuration) Less(i, j int) bool {
 
 // pickBestFitGPUs will try to find the optimal placement of the model in the available GPUs where the model fully fits
 // If the model can not be fit fully within the available GPU(s) nil is returned
-func pickBestFitGPUs(req *LlmRequest, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) gpu.GpuInfoList {
+func pickBestFitGPUs(req *LlmRequest, ggml *llm.GGML, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) gpu.GpuInfoList {
 	var estimatedVRAM uint64
 	for _, gl := range gpus.ByLibrary() {
 		var ok bool
@@ -466,7 +470,7 @@ func pickBestFitGPUs(req *LlmRequest, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) gpu.GpuInfoList {
 
 		// First attempt to fit the model into a single GPU
 		for _, g := range sgl {
-			if ok, estimatedVRAM = llm.PredictServerFit([]gpu.GpuInfo{g}, req.ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts); ok {
+			if ok, estimatedVRAM = llm.PredictServerFit([]gpu.GpuInfo{g}, ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts); ok {
 				slog.Debug("new model will fit in available VRAM in single GPU, loading", "model", req.model.ModelPath, "gpu", g.ID, "available", g.FreeMemory, "required", format.HumanBytes2(estimatedVRAM))
 				return []gpu.GpuInfo{g}
 			}
@@ -477,7 +481,7 @@ func pickBestFitGPUs(req *LlmRequest, gpus gpu.GpuInfoList) gpu.GpuInfoList {
 		// - try subsets of GPUs instead of just falling back to 1 or all in a family
 
 		// Now try all the GPUs
-		if ok, estimatedVRAM = llm.PredictServerFit(gl, req.ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts); ok {
+		if ok, estimatedVRAM = llm.PredictServerFit(gl, ggml, req.model.AdapterPaths, req.model.ProjectorPaths, req.opts); ok {
 			slog.Debug("new model will fit in available VRAM, loading", "model", req.model.ModelPath, "library", gl[0].Library, "required", format.HumanBytes2(estimatedVRAM))
 			return gl
 		}
diff --git a/server/sched_test.go b/server/sched_test.go
index 27d64a9b..3b06e2ba 100644
--- a/server/sched_test.go
+++ b/server/sched_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, done := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Millisecond)
 	defer done()
 	s := InitScheduler(ctx)
+	var ggml *llm.GGML // value not used in tests
 	req := &LlmRequest{
 		ctx:             ctx,
 		model:           &Model{ModelPath: "foo"},
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("something failed to load model blah")
 	}
 	gpus := gpu.GpuInfoList{}
-	s.load(req, gpus)
+	s.load(req, ggml, gpus)
 	require.Len(t, req.successCh, 0)
 	require.Len(t, req.errCh, 1)
 	require.Len(t, s.loaded, 0)
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 	s.newServerFn = func(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *llm.GGML, adapters []string, projectors []string, opts api.Options) (llm.LlamaServer, error) {
 		return server, nil
 	}
-	s.load(req, gpus)
+	s.load(req, ggml, gpus)
 	select {
 	case err := <-req.errCh:
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 
 	req.model.ModelPath = "dummy_model_path"
 	server.waitResp = fmt.Errorf("wait failure")
-	s.load(req, gpus)
+	s.load(req, ggml, gpus)
 	select {
 	case err := <-req.errCh:
 		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "wait failure")
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ type bundle struct {
 	ctxDone func()
 	srv     *mockLlm
 	req     *LlmRequest
+	ggml    *llm.GGML
 }
 
 func (scenario *bundle) newServer(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *llm.GGML, adapters []string, projectors []string, opts api.Options) (llm.LlamaServer, error) {
@@ -132,14 +134,15 @@ func newScenario(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, modelName string, estimatedV
 		{Name: "blk.0.attn.weight", Kind: uint32(0), Offset: uint64(0), Shape: []uint64{1, 1, 1, 1}, WriterTo: &bytes.Reader{}},
 	})
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
 	fname := f.Name()
 	model := &Model{Name: modelName, ModelPath: fname}
-	ggml, err := llm.LoadModel(model.ModelPath)
+	scenario.ggml, err = llm.LoadModel(model.ModelPath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+
 	scenario.req = &LlmRequest{
 		ctx:             scenario.ctx,
 		model:           model,
-		ggml:            ggml,
 		sessionDuration: 5 * time.Millisecond,
 		successCh:       make(chan *runnerRef, 1),
 		errCh:           make(chan error, 1),
@@ -157,13 +160,13 @@ func TestRequests(t *testing.T) {
 	scenario1a.req.sessionDuration = 0
 	scenario1b := newScenario(t, ctx, "ollama-model-1", 11)
 	scenario1b.req.model = scenario1a.req.model
-	scenario1b.req.ggml = scenario1a.req.ggml
+	scenario1b.ggml = scenario1a.ggml
 	scenario1b.req.sessionDuration = 0
 
 	// simple reload of same model
 	scenario2a := newScenario(t, ctx, "ollama-model-1", 20)
 	scenario2a.req.model = scenario1a.req.model
-	scenario2a.req.ggml = scenario1a.req.ggml
+	scenario2a.ggml = scenario1a.ggml
 
 	// Multiple loaded models
 	scenario3a := newScenario(t, ctx, "ollama-model-3a", 1*format.GigaByte)
@@ -322,13 +325,14 @@ func TestGetRunner(t *testing.T) {
 	successCh1c, errCh1c := s.GetRunner(scenario1c.ctx, scenario1c.req.model, scenario1c.req.opts, scenario1c.req.sessionDuration)
 	require.Len(t, s.pendingReqCh, 0)
 	require.Len(t, successCh1c, 0)
+	require.Len(t, errCh1c, 0)
+
+	time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+	require.Len(t, s.loaded, 0)
 	require.Len(t, errCh1c, 1)
 	err = <-errCh1c
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "bad path")
 	scenario1b.ctxDone()
-
-	time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
-	require.Len(t, s.loaded, 0)
 }
 
 // TODO - add one scenario that triggers the bogus finished event with positive ref count
@@ -366,7 +370,9 @@ func TestPrematureExpired(t *testing.T) {
 	require.LessOrEqual(t, len(s.finishedReqCh), 1)
 	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 	require.Len(t, s.finishedReqCh, 0)
+	s.loadedMu.Lock()
 	require.Len(t, s.loaded, 0)
+	s.loadedMu.Unlock()
 
 	// also shouldn't happen in real life
 	s.finishedReqCh <- scenario1a.req
@@ -426,7 +432,6 @@ func TestUpdateFreeSpace(t *testing.T) {
 	s.updateFreeSpace(gpus)
 	require.Equal(t, uint64(850), gpus[0].FreeMemory)
 	require.Equal(t, uint64(1850), gpus[1].FreeMemory)
-
 }
 
 func TestFindRunnerToUnload(t *testing.T) {