diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index b0f9681cd5..a26ec5a0af 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
@@ -98,22 +99,21 @@ func RunHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	models, err := client.List(context.Background())
+	name := args[0]
+	// check if the model exists on the server
+	_, err = client.Show(context.Background(), &api.ShowRequest{Name: name})
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	canonicalModelPath := server.ParseModelPath(args[0])
-	for _, model := range models.Models {
-		if model.Name == canonicalModelPath.GetShortTagname() {
-			return RunGenerate(cmd, args)
+		var statusError api.StatusError
+		switch {
+		case errors.As(err, &statusError) && statusError.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound:
+			if err := PullHandler(cmd, args); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		case err != nil:
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := PullHandler(cmd, args); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	return RunGenerate(cmd, args)
 }
 
@@ -731,21 +731,6 @@ func RunServer(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		origins = strings.Split(o, ",")
 	}
 
-	if noprune := os.Getenv("OLLAMA_NOPRUNE"); noprune == "" {
-		if err := server.PruneLayers(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		manifestsPath, err := server.GetManifestPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if err := server.PruneDirectory(manifestsPath); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
 	return server.Serve(ln, origins)
 }
 
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index 5c52dbfefa..34aa41461c 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -614,6 +614,22 @@ var defaultAllowOrigins = []string{
 }
 
 func Serve(ln net.Listener, allowOrigins []string) error {
+	if noprune := os.Getenv("OLLAMA_NOPRUNE"); noprune == "" {
+		// clean up unused layers and manifests
+		if err := PruneLayers(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		manifestsPath, err := GetManifestPath()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := PruneDirectory(manifestsPath); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	config := cors.DefaultConfig()
 	config.AllowWildcard = true