diff --git a/llm/server.go b/llm/server.go
index aa504d19..07c58cff 100644
--- a/llm/server.go
+++ b/llm/server.go
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ func NewLlamaServer(gpus gpu.GpuInfoList, model string, ggml *GGML, adapters, pr
 		}
 	}
 
+	// On linux, over-allocating CPU memory will almost always result in an error
+	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
+		systemMemoryRequired := estimate.TotalSize - estimate.VRAMSize
+		if systemMemoryRequired > systemTotalMemory {
+			slog.Warn("model request too large for system", "requested", format.HumanBytes2(systemMemoryRequired), "system", format.HumanBytes2(systemTotalMemory))
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("model requires more system memory (%s) than is available (%s)", format.HumanBytes2(systemMemoryRequired), format.HumanBytes2(systemTotalMemory))
+		}
+	}
+
 	estimate.log()
 
 	// Loop through potential servers
diff --git a/server/sched.go b/server/sched.go
index 48047bfe..2daed3ab 100644
--- a/server/sched.go
+++ b/server/sched.go
@@ -135,11 +135,6 @@ func (s *Scheduler) processPending(ctx context.Context) {
 			}
 
 			for {
-				cpus := s.getCpuFn()
-				var systemMem gpu.GpuInfo
-				if len(cpus) > 0 {
-					systemMem = cpus[0]
-				}
 				var runnerToExpire *runnerRef
 				s.loadedMu.Lock()
 				runner := s.loaded[pending.model.ModelPath]
@@ -193,38 +188,6 @@ func (s *Scheduler) processPending(ctx context.Context) {
 						break
 					}
 
-					estimate := llm.EstimateGPULayers(gpus, ggml, pending.model.ProjectorPaths, pending.opts)
-					maxSize := systemMem.FreeMemory
-
-					// Add available GPU memory to the total pool
-					// macOS hardware has unified memory so don't double count
-					if runtime.GOOS != "darwin" {
-						for _, gpu := range gpus {
-							if gpu.Library == "cpu" {
-								continue
-							}
-							if loadedCount == 0 {
-								// If no other models are loaded, set the limit based on what's available
-								maxSize += gpu.FreeMemory
-							} else {
-								// Other models could be unloaded, favor total memory for limit
-								maxSize += gpu.TotalMemory
-							}
-						}
-					}
-
-					// Block attempting to load a model larger than system memory + GPU memory
-					if estimate.TotalSize > maxSize {
-						slog.Warn("model request too large for system", "requested", format.HumanBytes2(estimate.TotalSize), "system", format.HumanBytes2(maxSize))
-
-						// Linux will crash if over-allocating memory - return an error to the user.
-						// TODO (jmorganca): add reasonable upper limits for darwin and windows as well
-						if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
-							pending.errCh <- fmt.Errorf("requested model (%s) is too large for this system (%s)", format.HumanBytes2(estimate.TotalSize), format.HumanBytes2(maxSize))
-							break
-						}
-					}
-
 					// Evaluate if the model will fit in the available system memory, or if we should unload a model first
 					if len(gpus) == 1 && gpus[0].Library == "cpu" {
 						// simplifying assumption of defaultParallel when in CPU mode