diff --git a/ui-svelte/src/components/AppSidebar.svelte b/ui-svelte/src/components/AppSidebar.svelte
index 356981f7..603f4d67 100644
--- a/ui-svelte/src/components/AppSidebar.svelte
+++ b/ui-svelte/src/components/AppSidebar.svelte
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { link } from "svelte-spa-router";
-  import { House, Boxes, Activity, ScrollText, Gauge, Sun, Moon, Monitor, ChevronRight } from "@lucide/svelte";
+  import { House, Boxes, Activity, ScrollText, Gauge, Sun, Moon, Monitor, ChevronRight, Play, PowerOff, Loader2 } from "@lucide/svelte";
   import * as Sidebar from "$lib/components/ui/sidebar/index.js";
   import * as Collapsible from "$lib/components/ui/collapsible/index.js";
   import { Button } from "$lib/components/ui/button/index.js";
   import { toggleTheme, themeMode, appTitle } from "../stores/theme";
   import { currentRoute } from "../stores/route";
   import { playgroundActivity } from "../stores/playgroundActivity";
-  import { performanceEnabled } from "../stores/api";
+  import { performanceEnabled, models, loadModel, unloadSingleModel } from "../stores/api";
   import { selectedPlaygroundTab, playgroundTabs, playgroundMenuOpen } from "../stores/playground";
+  import { modelsMenuOpen } from "../stores/sidebar";
+  import type { Model } from "../lib/types";
   import ConnectionStatus from "./ConnectionStatus.svelte";
 
+  let pendingLoads = $state<Record<string, boolean>>({});
+  const loadControllers = new Map<string, AbortController>();
+
   function handleTitleChange(newTitle: string): void {
     const sanitized = newTitle.replace(/\n/g, "").trim().substring(0, 64) || "llama-swap";
     appTitle.set(sanitized);
@@ -33,6 +38,51 @@
   function isActive(path: string, current: string): boolean {
     return path === "/" ? current === "/" : current.startsWith(path);
   }
+
+  type DotColor = "grey" | "yellow" | "green";
+  function statusDotColor(model: Model): DotColor {
+    if (pendingLoads[model.id] && model.state === "stopped") return "yellow";
+    if (model.state === "ready") return "green";
+    if (model.state === "starting" || model.state === "stopping") return "yellow";
+    return "grey";
+  }
+
+  const dotClass: Record<DotColor, string> = {
+    grey: "bg-muted-foreground/40",
+    yellow: "bg-warning",
+    green: "bg-success",
+  };
+
+  async function handleLoadModel(modelId: string): Promise<void> {
+    if (pendingLoads[modelId]) return;
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    loadControllers.set(modelId, controller);
+    pendingLoads[modelId] = true;
+    try {
+      await loadModel(modelId, controller.signal);
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error(e);
+    } finally {
+      loadControllers.delete(modelId);
+      delete pendingLoads[modelId];
+    }
+  }
+
+  function cancelLoad(modelId: string): void {
+    loadControllers.get(modelId)?.abort();
+  }
+
+  function onToggleLoad(e: MouseEvent, model: Model): void {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    if (model.state === "stopped" && pendingLoads[model.id]) {
+      cancelLoad(model.id);
+    } else if (model.state === "stopped") {
+      handleLoadModel(model.id);
+    } else if (model.state === "ready") {
+      unloadSingleModel(model.id);
+    }
+  }
 </script>
 
 <Sidebar.Root collapsible="icon">
@@ -58,6 +108,66 @@
     <Sidebar.Group>
       <Sidebar.GroupContent>
         <Sidebar.Menu class="gap-1">
+          <Sidebar.MenuItem>
+            <Collapsible.Root
+              open={$modelsMenuOpen}
+              onOpenChange={(v) => modelsMenuOpen.set(v)}
+              class="gap-0"
+            >
+              <Collapsible.Trigger>
+                {#snippet child({ props })}
+                  <Sidebar.MenuButton
+                    {...props}
+                    isActive={isActive("/models", $currentRoute)}
+                    tooltipContent="Models"
+                  >
+                    <Boxes />
+                    <span>Models</span>
+                    <ChevronRight
+                      class="ml-auto transition-transform duration-200 {$modelsMenuOpen ? 'rotate-90' : ''}"
+                    />
+                  </Sidebar.MenuButton>
+                {/snippet}
+              </Collapsible.Trigger>
+              <Collapsible.Content>
+                <Sidebar.MenuSub>
+                  {#each $models as model (model.id)}
+                    <Sidebar.MenuSubItem>
+                      <Sidebar.MenuSubButton
+                        isActive={isActive("/models", $currentRoute)}
+                      >
+                        {#snippet child({ props })}
+                          <a href="/models" use:link {...props}>
+                            <span class={`size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full ${dotClass[statusDotColor(model)]}`}></span>
+                            <span class="flex-1 truncate">{model.id}</span>
+                            <button
+                              type="button"
+                              class="flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-sm text-muted-foreground hover:bg-sidebar-accent hover:text-sidebar-accent-foreground disabled:opacity-50"
+                              title={model.state === "ready" ? "Unload" : pendingLoads[model.id] ? "Cancel" : "Load"}
+                              aria-label={model.state === "ready" ? "Unload model" : "Load model"}
+                              disabled={model.state === "starting" || model.state === "stopping"}
+                              onclick={(e) => onToggleLoad(e, model)}
+                            >
+                              {#if pendingLoads[model.id] && model.state === "stopped"}
+                                <Loader2 class="size-3.5 animate-spin" />
+                              {:else if model.state === "ready"}
+                                <PowerOff class="size-3.5" />
+                              {:else if model.state === "starting" || model.state === "stopping"}
+                                <Loader2 class="size-3.5 animate-spin" />
+                              {:else}
+                                <Play class="size-3.5" />
+                              {/if}
+                            </button>
+                          </a>
+                        {/snippet}
+                      </Sidebar.MenuSubButton>
+                    </Sidebar.MenuSubItem>
+                  {/each}
+                </Sidebar.MenuSub>
+              </Collapsible.Content>
+            </Collapsible.Root>
+          </Sidebar.MenuItem>
+
           <Sidebar.MenuItem>
             <Collapsible.Root
               open={$playgroundMenuOpen}
@@ -104,17 +214,6 @@
             </Collapsible.Root>
           </Sidebar.MenuItem>
 
-          <Sidebar.MenuItem>
-            <Sidebar.MenuButton isActive={isActive("/models", $currentRoute)} tooltipContent="Models">
-              {#snippet child({ props })}
-                <a href="/models" use:link {...props}>
-                  <Boxes />
-                  <span>Models</span>
-                </a>
-              {/snippet}
-            </Sidebar.MenuButton>
-          </Sidebar.MenuItem>
-
           <Sidebar.MenuItem>
             <Sidebar.MenuButton isActive={isActive("/activity", $currentRoute)} tooltipContent="Activity">
               {#snippet child({ props })}
diff --git a/ui-svelte/src/stores/sidebar.ts b/ui-svelte/src/stores/sidebar.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d713bcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-svelte/src/stores/sidebar.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { persistentStore } from "./persistent";
+
+export const modelsMenuOpen = persistentStore<boolean>("models-menu-open", true);