diff --git a/engine/controllers/models.cc b/engine/controllers/models.cc
index 29ec8c0ed..eb4a325c9 100644
--- a/engine/controllers/models.cc
+++ b/engine/controllers/models.cc
@@ -402,8 +402,11 @@ void Models::StartModel(
     return;
   auto config = file_manager_utils::GetCortexConfig();
   auto model_handle = (*(req->getJsonObject())).get("model", "").asString();
+  auto custom_prompt_template =
+      (*(req->getJsonObject())).get("prompt_template", "").asString();
   auto result = model_service_->StartModel(
-      config.apiServerHost, std::stoi(config.apiServerPort), model_handle);
+      config.apiServerHost, std::stoi(config.apiServerPort), model_handle,
+      custom_prompt_template);
   if (result.has_error()) {
     Json::Value ret;
     ret["message"] = result.error();
diff --git a/engine/controllers/swagger.cc b/engine/controllers/swagger.cc
index 27d9b7b15..527ae60b8 100644
--- a/engine/controllers/swagger.cc
+++ b/engine/controllers/swagger.cc
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ Json::Value SwaggerController::generateOpenAPISpec() {
     responses["200"]["description"] = "Model details retrieved successfully";
     Json::Value& schema =
         responses["200"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"];
-    responses["responses"]["400"]["description"] = "Failed to get model information";
+    responses["responses"]["400"]["description"] =
+        "Failed to get model information";
 
     responses["400"]["description"] = "Failed to get model information";
     responses["400"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["type"] =
@@ -450,6 +451,8 @@ Json::Value SwaggerController::generateOpenAPISpec() {
         "object";
     start["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["properties"]
          ["model"]["type"] = "string";
+    start["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["properties"]
+         ["prompt_template"]["type"] = "string";
     start["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["required"] =
         Json::Value(Json::arrayValue);
     start["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["required"]
@@ -458,12 +461,12 @@ Json::Value SwaggerController::generateOpenAPISpec() {
     start["responses"]["400"]["description"] = "Failed to start model";
 
     // Stop Model
-   Json::Value& stop = spec["paths"]["/v1/models/stop"]["post"];
+    Json::Value& stop = spec["paths"]["/v1/models/stop"]["post"];
     stop["summary"] = "Stop model";
     stop["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["type"] =
         "object";
     stop["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["properties"]
-         ["model"]["type"] = "string";
+        ["model"]["type"] = "string";
     stop["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["required"] =
         Json::Value(Json::arrayValue);
     stop["requestBody"]["content"]["application/json"]["schema"]["required"]
diff --git a/engine/services/model_service.cc b/engine/services/model_service.cc
index df159c84f..bf6f5e9af 100644
--- a/engine/services/model_service.cc
+++ b/engine/services/model_service.cc
@@ -550,7 +550,8 @@ cpp::result<void, std::string> ModelService::DeleteModel(
 }
 
 cpp::result<bool, std::string> ModelService::StartModel(
-    const std::string& host, int port, const std::string& model_handle) {
+    const std::string& host, int port, const std::string& model_handle,
+    std::optional<std::string> custom_prompt_template) {
   namespace fs = std::filesystem;
   namespace fmu = file_manager_utils;
   cortex::db::Models modellist_handler;
@@ -580,9 +581,17 @@ cpp::result<bool, std::string> ModelService::StartModel(
       return false;
     }
     json_data["model"] = model_handle;
-    json_data["system_prompt"] = mc.system_template;
-    json_data["user_prompt"] = mc.user_template;
-    json_data["ai_prompt"] = mc.ai_template;
+    if (!custom_prompt_template.value_or("").empty()) {
+      auto parse_prompt_result =
+          string_utils::ParsePrompt(custom_prompt_template.value());
+      json_data["system_prompt"] = parse_prompt_result.system_prompt;
+      json_data["user_prompt"] = parse_prompt_result.user_prompt;
+      json_data["ai_prompt"] = parse_prompt_result.ai_prompt;
+    } else {
+      json_data["system_prompt"] = mc.system_template;
+      json_data["user_prompt"] = mc.user_template;
+      json_data["ai_prompt"] = mc.ai_template;
+    }
 
     auto data_str = json_data.toStyledString();
     CTL_INF(data_str);
diff --git a/engine/services/model_service.h b/engine/services/model_service.h
index ca33a7796..c791c7fd7 100644
--- a/engine/services/model_service.h
+++ b/engine/services/model_service.h
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <memory>
+#include <optional>
 #include <string>
 #include "config/model_config.h"
 #include "services/download_service.h"
-
 class ModelService {
  public:
   constexpr auto static kHuggingFaceHost = "huggingface.co";
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ class ModelService {
    */
   cpp::result<void, std::string> DeleteModel(const std::string& model_handle);
 
-  cpp::result<bool, std::string> StartModel(const std::string& host, int port,
-                                            const std::string& model_handle);
+  cpp::result<bool, std::string> StartModel(
+      const std::string& host, int port, const std::string& model_handle,
+      std::optional<std::string> custom_prompt_template = std::nullopt);
 
   cpp::result<bool, std::string> StopModel(const std::string& host, int port,
                                            const std::string& model_handle);
diff --git a/engine/test/components/test_string_utils.cc b/engine/test/components/test_string_utils.cc
index a4f484e36..3d6abeddf 100644
--- a/engine/test/components/test_string_utils.cc
+++ b/engine/test/components/test_string_utils.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 #include "utils/string_utils.h"
 class StringUtilsTestSuite : public ::testing::Test {};
+TEST_F(StringUtilsTestSuite, ParsePrompt) {
+  {
+    std::string prompt =
+        "<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n\n{"
+        "system_message}<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>user<|end_header_id|>\n\n{"
+        "prompt}<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>\n\n";
+    auto result = string_utils::ParsePrompt(prompt);
+    EXPECT_EQ(result.user_prompt,
+              "<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>user<|end_header_id|>\n\n");
+    EXPECT_EQ(result.ai_prompt,
+              "<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>\n\n");
+    EXPECT_EQ(
+        result.system_prompt,
+        "<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n\n");
+  }
+}
 
 TEST_F(StringUtilsTestSuite, TestSplitBy) {
   auto input = "this is a test";
diff --git a/engine/utils/string_utils.h b/engine/utils/string_utils.h
index 5295745b0..4682623c1 100644
--- a/engine/utils/string_utils.h
+++ b/engine/utils/string_utils.h
@@ -7,6 +7,22 @@
 
 namespace string_utils {
 
+struct ParsePromptResult {
+  std::string user_prompt;
+  std::string system_prompt;
+  std::string ai_prompt;
+};
+
+inline ParsePromptResult ParsePrompt(const std::string& prompt) {
+  auto& pt = prompt;
+  ParsePromptResult result;
+  result.user_prompt =
+      pt.substr(pt.find_first_of('}') + 1,
+                pt.find_last_of('{') - pt.find_first_of('}') - 1);
+  result.ai_prompt = pt.substr(pt.find_last_of('}') + 1);
+  result.system_prompt = pt.substr(0, pt.find_first_of('{'));
+  return result;
+}
 inline bool StartsWith(const std::string& str, const std::string& prefix) {
   return str.rfind(prefix, 0) == 0;
 }