diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 4453a90a..1330b890 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func checkError(resp *http.Response, body []byte) error {
 	err := json.Unmarshal(body, &apiError)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Use the full body as the message if we fail to decode a response.
-		apiError.Message = string(body)
+		apiError.ErrorMessage = string(body)
 	}
 
 	return apiError
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ func (c *Client) do(ctx context.Context, method, path string, reqData, respData
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
-
 }
 
 func (c *Client) stream(ctx context.Context, method, path string, data any, fn func([]byte) error) error {
@@ -137,9 +136,9 @@ func (c *Client) stream(ctx context.Context, method, path string, data any, fn f
 
 		if response.StatusCode >= 400 {
 			return StatusError{
-				StatusCode: response.StatusCode,
-				Status:     response.Status,
-				Message:    errorResponse.Error,
+				StatusCode:   response.StatusCode,
+				Status:       response.Status,
+				ErrorMessage: errorResponse.Error,
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/api/types.go b/api/types.go
index 11c9b8f9..b0433596 100644
--- a/api/types.go
+++ b/api/types.go
@@ -8,16 +8,23 @@ import (
 )
 
 type StatusError struct {
-	StatusCode int
-	Status     string
-	Message    string
+	StatusCode   int
+	Status       string
+	ErrorMessage string `json:"error"`
 }
 
 func (e StatusError) Error() string {
-	if e.Message != "" {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", e.Status, e.Message)
+	switch {
+	case e.Status != "" && e.ErrorMessage != "":
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", e.Status, e.ErrorMessage)
+	case e.Status != "":
+		return e.Status
+	case e.ErrorMessage != "":
+		return e.ErrorMessage
+	default:
+		// this should not happen
+		return "something went wrong, please see the ollama server logs for details"
 	}
-	return e.Status
 }
 
 type GenerateRequest struct {
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index 5b6846b0..c1a32209 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package server
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
@@ -178,6 +179,10 @@ func ListModelsHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 	err = filepath.Walk(fp, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+				log.Printf("manifest file does not exist: %s", fp)
+				return nil
+			}
 			return err
 		}
 		if !info.IsDir() {