diff --git a/kvcache/cache.go b/kvcache/cache.go
index 07015b9e0..405c79733 100644
--- a/kvcache/cache.go
+++ b/kvcache/cache.go
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ type Cache interface {
 
 	// StartForward is called before the start of the model's forward pass.
 	// For each token in the coming batch, there must be a corresponding
-	// entry in positions and seqs.
-	StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch) error
+	// entry in positions and seqs. reserve is to preallocate memory
+	// without actually storing data in the cache.
+	StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch, reserve bool) error
 
 	// CopyPrefix copies tokens in the range [0, len) from srcSeq to dstSeq
 	CopyPrefix(srcSeq, dstSeq int, len int32)
diff --git a/kvcache/causal.go b/kvcache/causal.go
index 4fc18d88f..466722845 100644
--- a/kvcache/causal.go
+++ b/kvcache/causal.go
@@ -146,51 +146,60 @@ func (c *Causal) Close() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Causal) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch) error {
+func (c *Causal) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch, reserve bool) error {
 	c.curBatchSize = len(batch.Positions)
 	c.curSequences = batch.Sequences
 	c.curPositions = batch.Positions
 	c.opts.Except = nil
 
-	c.updateSlidingWindow()
+	if !reserve {
+		c.updateSlidingWindow()
+
+		var err error
+		c.curLoc, err = c.findStartLoc()
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrKvCacheFull) {
+			c.defrag()
+			c.curLoc, err = c.findStartLoc()
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		c.curCellRange = newRange()
+		for i, pos := range batch.Positions {
+			seq := batch.Sequences[i]
+
+			c.cells[c.curLoc+i] = cacheCell{pos: pos, sequences: []int{seq}}
+
+			seqRange, ok := c.cellRanges[seq]
+			if !ok {
+				seqRange = newRange()
+			}
+
+			if c.curLoc+i > seqRange.max {
+				seqRange.max = c.curLoc + i
+			}
+			if seqRange.max > c.curCellRange.max {
+				c.curCellRange.max = seqRange.max
+			}
+
+			if c.curLoc+i < seqRange.min {
+				seqRange.min = c.curLoc + i
+			}
+			if seqRange.min < c.curCellRange.min {
+				c.curCellRange.min = seqRange.min
+			}
+			c.cellRanges[seq] = seqRange
+		}
+	} else {
+		// If we are reserving memory, don't update any of the cache metadata but set the size
+		// to the worst case.
+		c.curLoc = 0
+		c.curCellRange.min = 0
+		c.curCellRange.max = len(c.cells) - 1
+	}
 
 	var err error
-	c.curLoc, err = c.findStartLoc()
-	if errors.Is(err, ErrKvCacheFull) {
-		c.defrag()
-		c.curLoc, err = c.findStartLoc()
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	c.curCellRange = newRange()
-	for i, pos := range batch.Positions {
-		seq := batch.Sequences[i]
-
-		c.cells[c.curLoc+i] = cacheCell{pos: pos, sequences: []int{seq}}
-
-		seqRange, ok := c.cellRanges[seq]
-		if !ok {
-			seqRange = newRange()
-		}
-
-		if c.curLoc+i > seqRange.max {
-			seqRange.max = c.curLoc + i
-		}
-		if seqRange.max > c.curCellRange.max {
-			c.curCellRange.max = seqRange.max
-		}
-
-		if c.curLoc+i < seqRange.min {
-			seqRange.min = c.curLoc + i
-		}
-		if seqRange.min < c.curCellRange.min {
-			c.curCellRange.min = seqRange.min
-		}
-		c.cellRanges[seq] = seqRange
-	}
-
 	c.curMask, err = c.buildMask(ctx)
 
 	return err
diff --git a/kvcache/causal_test.go b/kvcache/causal_test.go
index bd63214cb..78f600905 100644
--- a/kvcache/causal_test.go
+++ b/kvcache/causal_test.go
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ func testCache(t *testing.T, backend ml.Backend, cache Cache, tests []testCase)
 			context := backend.NewContext()
 			defer context.Close()
 
-			err := cache.StartForward(context, input.Batch{Positions: test.pos, Sequences: test.seqs})
+			err := cache.StartForward(context, input.Batch{Positions: test.pos, Sequences: test.seqs}, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
 			}
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func TestCanResume(t *testing.T) {
 	err := cache.StartForward(context, input.Batch{
 		Positions: []int32{0, 1, 2, 3},
 		Sequences: []int{0, 0, 0, 0},
-	})
+	}, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("StartForward failed: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func TestCanResume(t *testing.T) {
 	err = cache.StartForward(context, input.Batch{
 		Positions: []int32{4, 5},
 		Sequences: []int{0, 0},
-	})
+	}, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("StartForward failed: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -440,6 +440,8 @@ func (c *testContext) Forward(...ml.Tensor) ml.Context { return c }
 
 func (c *testContext) Compute(...ml.Tensor) {}
 
+func (c *testContext) Reserve() error { return nil }
+
 func (c *testContext) MaxGraphNodes() int {
 	return 10
 }
diff --git a/kvcache/encoder.go b/kvcache/encoder.go
index 03d650a3f..0f269c3ee 100644
--- a/kvcache/encoder.go
+++ b/kvcache/encoder.go
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ type EncoderCache struct {
 	// anything will be stored)
 	curPos int32
 
+	// curReserve indicates that this forward pass is only for
+	// memory reservation and we should not update our metadata
+	// based on it.
+	curReserve bool
+
 	// ** cache metadata **
 
 	// was something stored in the cache?
@@ -83,12 +88,14 @@ func (c *EncoderCache) Close() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *EncoderCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch) error {
+func (c *EncoderCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch, reserve bool) error {
 	// We work with the most recent image
 	if len(batch.Multimodal) > 0 {
 		c.curPos = batch.Positions[batch.Multimodal[len(batch.Multimodal)-1].Index]
 	}
 
+	c.curReserve = reserve
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -105,8 +112,10 @@ func (c *EncoderCache) Get(ctx ml.Context) (ml.Tensor, ml.Tensor, ml.Tensor) {
 }
 
 func (c *EncoderCache) Put(ctx ml.Context, key, value ml.Tensor) {
-	c.encoderPos = c.curPos
-	c.encoderCached = true
+	if !c.curReserve {
+		c.encoderPos = c.curPos
+		c.encoderCached = true
+	}
 
 	if c.config.PermutedV {
 		value = value.Permute(ctx, 1, 2, 0, 3)
diff --git a/kvcache/wrapper.go b/kvcache/wrapper.go
index 926bc2d41..7533d959e 100644
--- a/kvcache/wrapper.go
+++ b/kvcache/wrapper.go
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ func (c *WrapperCache) Close() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *WrapperCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch) error {
+func (c *WrapperCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch, reserve bool) error {
 	for i, cache := range c.caches {
-		err := cache.StartForward(ctx, batch)
+		err := cache.StartForward(ctx, batch, reserve)
 		if err != nil {
 			// unwind on error - Remove with endIndex set to math.MaxInt32 does not fail
 			for j := i - 1; j >= 0; j-- {
diff --git a/ml/backend.go b/ml/backend.go
index fffc04a48..b2a83cfd5 100644
--- a/ml/backend.go
+++ b/ml/backend.go
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ type Context interface {
 
 	Forward(...Tensor) Context
 	Compute(...Tensor)
+
+	// Reserve is analogous to Compute but rather than executing a
+	// graph, simply preallocates memory. Typically called with a
+	// worst case graph to ensure all resources are available for
+	// for future inference.
+	Reserve() error
+
 	MaxGraphNodes() int
 	Close()
 
diff --git a/ml/backend/ggml/ggml.go b/ml/backend/ggml/ggml.go
index 0aafd60b3..24bdd903d 100644
--- a/ml/backend/ggml/ggml.go
+++ b/ml/backend/ggml/ggml.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import "C"
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
@@ -42,8 +43,12 @@ func devices() []*C.struct_ggml_backend_device {
 }
 
 type Backend struct {
-	meta    *fsggml.GGML
-	sched   *C.struct_ggml_backend_sched
+	meta *fsggml.GGML
+
+	sched         *C.struct_ggml_backend_sched
+	schedBackends []*C.struct_ggml_backend
+	schedBufts    []*C.struct_ggml_backend_buffer_type
+
 	tensors map[string]*C.struct_ggml_tensor
 
 	// input is the backend used for inputs
@@ -389,8 +394,6 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, r *os.File, params ml.BackendParams) (ml.Backend,
 		schedBackends = append(schedBackends, b)
 		schedBufts = append(schedBufts, bt)
 
-		slog.Info("compute graph", "backend", C.GoString(C.ggml_backend_name(b)), "buffer_type", C.GoString(C.ggml_backend_buft_name(bt)))
-
 		if C.ggml_backend_is_cpu(b) {
 			// set number of threads for cpu backend
 			C.ggml_backend_cpu_set_n_threads(b, C.int(Threads(params.NumThreads)))
@@ -409,7 +412,9 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, r *os.File, params ml.BackendParams) (ml.Backend,
 			C.size_t(maxGraphNodes),
 			C._Bool(len(gpus) > 1 && slices.Contains(gpus, output.d)),
 		),
-		input: deviceBufferTypes[input.d],
+		schedBackends: schedBackends,
+		schedBufts:    schedBufts,
+		input:         deviceBufferTypes[input.d],
 		layers: func() map[int]*C.struct_ggml_backend_buffer_type {
 			m := make(map[int]*C.struct_ggml_backend_buffer_type)
 			for i, layer := range layers {
@@ -534,6 +539,24 @@ func (c Context) Compute(tensors ...ml.Tensor) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c Context) Reserve() error {
+	if !C.ggml_backend_sched_reserve(c.b.sched, c.graph) {
+		C.ggml_backend_sched_reset(c.b.sched)
+		return errors.New("failed to reserve graph")
+	}
+
+	slog.Debug("compute graph", "nodes", C.ggml_graph_n_nodes(c.graph), "splits", C.ggml_backend_sched_get_n_splits(c.b.sched))
+	for i := range c.b.schedBackends {
+		size := C.ggml_backend_sched_get_buffer_size(c.b.sched, c.b.schedBackends[i])
+		slog.Info("compute graph", "backend", C.GoString(C.ggml_backend_name(c.b.schedBackends[i])), "buffer_type", C.GoString(C.ggml_backend_buft_name(c.b.schedBufts[i])),
+			"size", format.HumanBytes2(uint64(size)))
+	}
+
+	C.ggml_backend_sched_reset(c.b.sched)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c Context) MaxGraphNodes() int {
 	return c.maxGraphNodes
 }
diff --git a/model/model.go b/model/model.go
index bc8944d22..ab96c4c70 100644
--- a/model/model.go
+++ b/model/model.go
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ func Forward(ctx ml.Context, m Model, inputs []int32, batch input.Batch) (ml.Ten
 
 	cache := m.Config().Cache
 	if cache != nil {
-		err := cache.StartForward(ctx, batch)
+		err := cache.StartForward(ctx, batch, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/runner/ollamarunner/cache_test.go b/runner/ollamarunner/cache_test.go
index 543b4b2fa..062b654cf 100644
--- a/runner/ollamarunner/cache_test.go
+++ b/runner/ollamarunner/cache_test.go
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ func (m *mockCache) Get(ctx ml.Context) (ml.Tensor, ml.Tensor, ml.Tensor)
 func (m *mockCache) Put(ctx ml.Context, key, value ml.Tensor)                                      {}
 func (m *mockCache) Init(backend ml.Backend, dtype ml.DType, maxSequences, capacity, maxBatch int) {}
 func (m *mockCache) Close()                                                                        {}
-func (m *mockCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch) error                          { return nil }
+func (m *mockCache) StartForward(ctx ml.Context, batch input.Batch, reserve bool) error            { return nil }
 func (m *mockCache) CopyPrefix(srcSeq, dstSeq int, len int32)                                      {}
 func (m *mockCache) SetConfig(ml.CacheConfig)                                                      {}
 func (m *mockCache) CanResume(seq int, pos int32) bool                                             { return true }
diff --git a/runner/ollamarunner/runner.go b/runner/ollamarunner/runner.go
index 7b7e09402..fee052805 100644
--- a/runner/ollamarunner/runner.go
+++ b/runner/ollamarunner/runner.go
@@ -728,6 +728,51 @@ func (m *multiLPath) String() string {
 	return strings.Join(*m, ", ")
 }
 
+func (s *Server) reserveWorstCaseGraph() error {
+	ctx := s.model.Backend().NewContext()
+	defer ctx.Close()
+
+	var batch input.Batch
+
+	inputs := make([]int32, s.batchSize)
+	batch.Positions = make([]int32, len(inputs))
+	batch.Sequences = make([]int, len(inputs))
+	for i := range inputs {
+		batch.Positions[i] = int32(i)
+	}
+
+	batch.Outputs = make([]int32, s.parallel)
+	for i := range batch.Outputs {
+		batch.Outputs[i] = int32(i)
+	}
+
+	var err error
+	batch.Inputs, err = ctx.Input().FromIntSlice(inputs, len(inputs))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	cache := s.model.Config().Cache
+	if cache != nil {
+		err := cache.StartForward(ctx, batch, true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	t, err := s.model.Forward(ctx, batch)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = ctx.Forward(t).Reserve()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *Server) loadModel(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	mpath string,
@@ -765,6 +810,11 @@ func (s *Server) loadModel(
 	s.seqs = make([]*Sequence, s.parallel)
 	s.seqsSem = semaphore.NewWeighted(int64(s.parallel))
 
+	err = s.reserveWorstCaseGraph()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
 	s.status = llm.ServerStatusReady
 	s.ready.Done()
 }