diff --git a/llm/server.go b/llm/server.go
index ed5f288f..da83416e 100644
--- a/llm/server.go
+++ b/llm/server.go
@@ -81,7 +81,17 @@ func NewLlamaServer(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *GGML, adapters, pr
 	var err error
 	var cpuRunner string
 	var estimate MemoryEstimate
-	var systemMemory uint64
+	var systemTotalMemory uint64
+	var systemFreeMemory uint64
+
+	systemMemInfo, err := gpu.GetCPUMem()
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("failed to lookup system memory", "error", err)
+	} else {
+		systemTotalMemory = systemMemInfo.TotalMemory
+		systemFreeMemory = systemMemInfo.FreeMemory
+		slog.Debug("system memory", "total", format.HumanBytes2(systemTotalMemory), "free", systemFreeMemory)
+	}
 
 	// If the user wants zero GPU layers, reset the gpu list to be CPU/system ram info
 	if opts.NumGPU == 0 {
@@ -91,19 +101,10 @@ func NewLlamaServer(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *GGML, adapters, pr
 		cpuRunner = serverForCpu()
 		estimate = EstimateGPULayers(gpus, ggml, projectors, opts)
 	} else {
-		if gpus[0].Library == "metal" {
-			memInfo, err := gpu.GetCPUMem()
-			if err != nil {
-				slog.Error("failed to lookup system memory", "error", err)
-			} else {
-				systemMemory = memInfo.TotalMemory
-				slog.Debug("system memory", "total", format.HumanBytes2(systemMemory))
-			}
-		}
 		estimate = EstimateGPULayers(gpus, ggml, projectors, opts)
 
 		switch {
-		case gpus[0].Library == "metal" && estimate.VRAMSize > systemMemory:
+		case gpus[0].Library == "metal" && estimate.VRAMSize > systemTotalMemory:
 			// disable partial offloading when model is greater than total system memory as this
 			// can lead to locking up the system
 			opts.NumGPU = 0
@@ -211,7 +212,10 @@ func NewLlamaServer(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *GGML, adapters, pr
 	}
 
 	// Windows CUDA should not use mmap for best performance
-	if (runtime.GOOS == "windows" && gpus[0].Library == "cuda") || opts.UseMMap == api.TriStateFalse {
+	// Linux  with a model larger than free space, mmap leads to thrashing
+	if (runtime.GOOS == "windows" && gpus[0].Library == "cuda" && opts.UseMMap == api.TriStateUndefined) ||
+		(runtime.GOOS == "linux" && systemFreeMemory < estimate.TotalSize && opts.UseMMap == api.TriStateUndefined) ||
+		opts.UseMMap == api.TriStateFalse {
 		params = append(params, "--no-mmap")
 	}