diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 250711dd..72da30b8 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -324,3 +324,15 @@ func (c *Client) CreateBlob(ctx context.Context, digest string, r io.Reader) err
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (c *Client) Version(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	var version struct {
+		Version string `json:"version"`
+	}
+
+	if err := c.do(ctx, http.MethodGet, "/api/version", nil, &version); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return version.Version, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index df0d90c8..2d31a121 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func CreateHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	request := api.CreateRequest{Name: args[0], Modelfile: string(modelfile)}
-	if err := client.Create(context.Background(), &request, fn); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Create(cmd.Context(), &request, fn); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func RunHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	name := args[0]
 	// check if the model exists on the server
-	_, err = client.Show(context.Background(), &api.ShowRequest{Name: name})
+	_, err = client.Show(cmd.Context(), &api.ShowRequest{Name: name})
 	var statusError api.StatusError
 	switch {
 	case errors.As(err, &statusError) && statusError.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound:
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ func PushHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	request := api.PushRequest{Name: args[0], Insecure: insecure}
-	if err := client.Push(context.Background(), &request, fn); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Push(cmd.Context(), &request, fn); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func ListHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	models, err := client.List(context.Background())
+	models, err := client.List(cmd.Context())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func DeleteHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	for _, name := range args {
 		req := api.DeleteRequest{Name: name}
-		if err := client.Delete(context.Background(), &req); err != nil {
+		if err := client.Delete(cmd.Context(), &req); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		fmt.Printf("deleted '%s'\n", name)
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ func ShowHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	req := api.ShowRequest{Name: args[0]}
-	resp, err := client.Show(context.Background(), &req)
+	resp, err := client.Show(cmd.Context(), &req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func CopyHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	req := api.CopyRequest{Source: args[0], Destination: args[1]}
-	if err := client.Copy(context.Background(), &req); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Copy(cmd.Context(), &req); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	fmt.Printf("copied '%s' to '%s'\n", args[0], args[1])
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ func PullHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	request := api.PullRequest{Name: args[0], Insecure: insecure}
-	if err := client.Pull(context.Background(), &request, fn); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Pull(cmd.Context(), &request, fn); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func generate(cmd *cobra.Command, opts generateOptions) error {
 		opts.WordWrap = false
 	}
 
-	cancelCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(cmd.Context())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	sigChan := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
@@ -507,15 +507,6 @@ func generate(cmd *cobra.Command, opts generateOptions) error {
 	var currentLineLength int
 	var wordBuffer string
 
-	request := api.GenerateRequest{
-		Model:    opts.Model,
-		Prompt:   opts.Prompt,
-		Context:  generateContext,
-		Format:   opts.Format,
-		System:   opts.System,
-		Template: opts.Template,
-		Options:  opts.Options,
-	}
 	fn := func(response api.GenerateResponse) error {
 		p.StopAndClear()
 
@@ -560,7 +551,17 @@ func generate(cmd *cobra.Command, opts generateOptions) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if err := client.Generate(cancelCtx, &request, fn); err != nil {
+	request := api.GenerateRequest{
+		Model:    opts.Model,
+		Prompt:   opts.Prompt,
+		Context:  generateContext,
+		Format:   opts.Format,
+		System:   opts.System,
+		Template: opts.Template,
+		Options:  opts.Options,
+	}
+
+	if err := client.Generate(ctx, &request, fn); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 			return nil
 		}
@@ -584,10 +585,7 @@ func generate(cmd *cobra.Command, opts generateOptions) error {
 		latest.Summary()
 	}
 
-	ctx := cmd.Context()
-	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, generateContextKey("context"), latest.Context)
-	cmd.SetContext(ctx)
-
+	cmd.SetContext(context.WithValue(cmd.Context(), generateContextKey("context"), latest.Context))
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -988,7 +986,7 @@ func initializeKeypair() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func startMacApp(client *api.Client) error {
+func startMacApp(ctx context.Context, client *api.Client) error {
 	exe, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1012,24 +1010,24 @@ func startMacApp(client *api.Client) error {
 		case <-timeout:
 			return errors.New("timed out waiting for server to start")
 		case <-tick:
-			if err := client.Heartbeat(context.Background()); err == nil {
+			if err := client.Heartbeat(ctx); err == nil {
 				return nil // server has started
 			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func checkServerHeartbeat(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+func checkServerHeartbeat(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	client, err := api.ClientFromEnvironment()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := client.Heartbeat(context.Background()); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Heartbeat(cmd.Context()); err != nil {
 		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "connection refused") {
 			return err
 		}
 		if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
-			if err := startMacApp(client); err != nil {
+			if err := startMacApp(cmd.Context(), client); err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("could not connect to ollama app, is it running?")
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -1039,8 +1037,29 @@ func checkServerHeartbeat(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func versionHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
+	client, err := api.ClientFromEnvironment()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	serverVersion, err := client.Version(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("Warning: could not connect to a running Ollama instance")
+	}
+
+	if serverVersion != "" {
+		fmt.Printf("ollama version is %s\n", serverVersion)
+	}
+
+	if serverVersion != version.Version {
+		fmt.Printf("Warning: client version is %s\n", version.Version)
+	}
+}
+
 func NewCLI() *cobra.Command {
 	log.SetFlags(log.LstdFlags | log.Lshortfile)
+	cobra.EnableCommandSorting = false
 
 	rootCmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:           "ollama",
@@ -1050,10 +1069,17 @@ func NewCLI() *cobra.Command {
 		CompletionOptions: cobra.CompletionOptions{
 			DisableDefaultCmd: true,
 		},
-		Version: version.Version,
+		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			if version, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("version"); version {
+				versionHandler(cmd, args)
+				return
+			}
+
+			cmd.Print(cmd.UsageString())
+		},
 	}
 
-	cobra.EnableCommandSorting = false
+	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("version", "v", false, "Show version information")
 
 	createCmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:     "create MODEL",
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index 2259672f..ea3c0692 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -827,6 +827,9 @@ func Serve(ln net.Listener, allowOrigins []string) error {
 		})
 
 		r.Handle(method, "/api/tags", ListModelsHandler)
+		r.Handle(method, "/api/version", func(c *gin.Context) {
+			c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"version": version.Version})
+		})
 	}
 
 	log.Printf("Listening on %s (version %s)", ln.Addr(), version.Version)