diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 872d3edd..dd5f3022 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -69,6 +69,18 @@ func App(opts ...AppOption) *fiber.App {
 	// Default middleware config
 	app.Use(recover.New())
 
+	if options.preloadJSONModels != "" {
+		if err := ApplyGalleryFromString(options.loader.ModelPath, options.preloadJSONModels, cm); err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	if options.preloadModelsFromPath != "" {
+		if err := ApplyGalleryFromFile(options.loader.ModelPath, options.preloadModelsFromPath, cm); err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	if options.cors {
 		if options.corsAllowOrigins == "" {
 			app.Use(cors.New())
diff --git a/api/gallery.go b/api/gallery.go
index 591b1b7a..b5b74b0d 100644
--- a/api/gallery.go
+++ b/api/gallery.go
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -40,6 +42,43 @@ func newGalleryApplier(modelPath string) *galleryApplier {
 		statuses:  make(map[string]*galleryOpStatus),
 	}
 }
+
+func applyGallery(modelPath string, req ApplyGalleryModelRequest, cm *ConfigMerger) error {
+	url, err := req.DecodeURL()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Send a GET request to the URL
+	response, err := http.Get(url)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer response.Body.Close()
+
+	// Read the response body
+	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(response.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Unmarshal YAML data into a Config struct
+	var config gallery.Config
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal(body, &config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	config.Files = append(config.Files, req.AdditionalFiles...)
+
+	if err := gallery.Apply(modelPath, req.Name, &config, req.Overrides); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Reload models
+	return cm.LoadConfigs(modelPath)
+}
+
 func (g *galleryApplier) updatestatus(s string, op *galleryOpStatus) {
 	g.Lock()
 	defer g.Unlock()
@@ -66,44 +105,7 @@ func (g *galleryApplier) start(c context.Context, cm *ConfigMerger) {
 					g.updatestatus(op.id, &galleryOpStatus{Error: e, Processed: true})
 				}
 
-				url, err := op.req.DecodeURL()
-				if err != nil {
-					updateError(err)
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// Send a GET request to the URL
-				response, err := http.Get(url)
-				if err != nil {
-					updateError(err)
-					continue
-				}
-				defer response.Body.Close()
-
-				// Read the response body
-				body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(response.Body)
-				if err != nil {
-					updateError(err)
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// Unmarshal YAML data into a Config struct
-				var config gallery.Config
-				err = yaml.Unmarshal(body, &config)
-				if err != nil {
-					updateError(fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal YAML: %v", err))
-					continue
-				}
-
-				config.Files = append(config.Files, op.req.AdditionalFiles...)
-
-				if err := gallery.Apply(g.modelPath, op.req.Name, &config, op.req.Overrides); err != nil {
-					updateError(err)
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// Reload models
-				if err := cm.LoadConfigs(g.modelPath); err != nil {
+				if err := applyGallery(g.modelPath, op.req, cm); err != nil {
 					updateError(err)
 					continue
 				}
@@ -114,6 +116,41 @@ func (g *galleryApplier) start(c context.Context, cm *ConfigMerger) {
 	}()
 }
 
+func ApplyGalleryFromFile(modelPath, s string, cm *ConfigMerger) error {
+	dat, err := os.ReadFile(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	var requests []ApplyGalleryModelRequest
+	err = json.Unmarshal(dat, &requests)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, r := range requests {
+		if err := applyGallery(modelPath, r, cm); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+func ApplyGalleryFromString(modelPath, s string, cm *ConfigMerger) error {
+	var requests []ApplyGalleryModelRequest
+	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(s), &requests)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, r := range requests {
+		if err := applyGallery(modelPath, r, cm); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // endpoints
 
 type ApplyGalleryModelRequest struct {
diff --git a/api/options.go b/api/options.go
index f99dda4f..ea7497c7 100644
--- a/api/options.go
+++ b/api/options.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type Option struct {
 	debug, disableMessage           bool
 	imageDir                        string
 	cors                            bool
+	preloadJSONModels               string
+	preloadModelsFromPath           string
 	corsAllowOrigins                string
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +55,17 @@ func WithContext(ctx context.Context) AppOption {
 	}
 }
 
+func WithYAMLConfigPreload(configFile string) AppOption {
+	return func(o *Option) {
+		o.preloadModelsFromPath = configFile
+	}
+}
+
+func WithJSONStringPreload(configFile string) AppOption {
+	return func(o *Option) {
+		o.preloadJSONModels = configFile
+	}
+}
 func WithConfigFile(configFile string) AppOption {
 	return func(o *Option) {
 		o.configFile = configFile
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b5105fe7..f391affc 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -53,6 +53,16 @@ func main() {
 				EnvVars:     []string{"MODELS_PATH"},
 				Value:       filepath.Join(path, "models"),
 			},
+			&cli.StringFlag{
+				Name:        "preload-models",
+				DefaultText: "A List of models to apply in JSON at start",
+				EnvVars:     []string{"PRELOAD_MODELS"},
+			},
+			&cli.StringFlag{
+				Name:        "preload-models-config",
+				DefaultText: "A List of models to apply at startup. Path to a YAML config file",
+				EnvVars:     []string{"PRELOAD_MODELS_CONFIG"},
+			},
 			&cli.StringFlag{
 				Name:        "config-file",
 				DefaultText: "Config file",
@@ -103,6 +113,8 @@ It uses llama.cpp, ggml and gpt4all as backend with golang c bindings.
 			fmt.Printf("Starting LocalAI using %d threads, with models path: %s\n", ctx.Int("threads"), ctx.String("models-path"))
 			return api.App(
 				api.WithConfigFile(ctx.String("config-file")),
+				api.WithJSONStringPreload(ctx.String("preload-models")),
+				api.WithYAMLConfigPreload(ctx.String("preload-models-config")),
 				api.WithModelLoader(model.NewModelLoader(ctx.String("models-path"))),
 				api.WithContextSize(ctx.Int("context-size")),
 				api.WithDebug(ctx.Bool("debug")),