diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 7753eb91..a1ddf667 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -9,10 +9,17 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
+)
+
+const DefaultHost = "localhost:11434"
+
+var (
+	envHost = os.Getenv("OLLAMA_HOST")
 )
 
 type Client struct {
-	base    url.URL
+	Base    url.URL
 	HTTP    http.Client
 	Headers http.Header
 }
@@ -33,14 +40,34 @@ func checkError(resp *http.Response, body []byte) error {
 	return apiError
 }
 
+// Host returns the default host to use for the client. It is determined in the following order:
+// 1. The OLLAMA_HOST environment variable
+// 2. The default host (localhost:11434)
+func Host() string {
+	if envHost != "" {
+		return envHost
+	}
+	return DefaultHost
+}
+
+// FromEnv creates a new client using Host() as the host. An error is returns
+// if the host is invalid.
+func FromEnv() (*Client, error) {
+	u, err := url.Parse(Host())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &Client{Base: *u}, nil
+}
+
 func NewClient(hosts ...string) *Client {
-	host := "127.0.0.1:11434"
+	host := DefaultHost
 	if len(hosts) > 0 {
 		host = hosts[0]
 	}
 
 	return &Client{
-		base: url.URL{Scheme: "http", Host: host},
+		Base: url.URL{Scheme: "http", Host: host},
 		HTTP: http.Client{},
 	}
 }
@@ -57,7 +84,7 @@ func (c *Client) do(ctx context.Context, method, path string, reqData, respData
 		reqBody = bytes.NewReader(data)
 	}
 
-	url := c.base.JoinPath(path).String()
+	url := c.Base.JoinPath(path).String()
 
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, url, reqBody)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -105,7 +132,7 @@ func (c *Client) stream(ctx context.Context, method, path string, data any, fn f
 		buf = bytes.NewBuffer(bts)
 	}
 
-	request, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, c.base.JoinPath(path).String(), buf)
+	request, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, c.Base.JoinPath(path).String(), buf)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 53c039ba..8f7dee30 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ func CreateHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	var spinner *Spinner
 
@@ -117,7 +120,10 @@ func RunHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func PushHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	insecure, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("insecure")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -153,7 +159,10 @@ func PushHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func ListHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	models, err := client.List(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -183,7 +192,10 @@ func ListHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func DeleteHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	req := api.DeleteRequest{Name: args[0]}
 	if err := client.Delete(context.Background(), &req); err != nil {
@@ -194,7 +206,10 @@ func DeleteHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func CopyHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	req := api.CopyRequest{Source: args[0], Destination: args[1]}
 	if err := client.Copy(context.Background(), &req); err != nil {
@@ -214,7 +229,10 @@ func PullHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func pull(model string, insecure bool) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	var currentDigest string
 	var bar *progressbar.ProgressBar
@@ -261,7 +279,10 @@ type generateContextKey string
 
 func generate(cmd *cobra.Command, model, prompt string) error {
 	if len(strings.TrimSpace(prompt)) > 0 {
-		client := api.NewClient()
+		client, err := api.FromEnv()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		spinner := NewSpinner("")
 		go spinner.Spin(60 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -644,7 +665,10 @@ func startMacApp(client *api.Client) error {
 }
 
 func checkServerHeartbeat(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
-	client := api.NewClient()
+	client, err := api.FromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if err := client.Heartbeat(context.Background()); err != nil {
 		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "connection refused") {
 			return err