diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/dialogs/DialogModelNotAvailable.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/dialogs/DialogModelNotAvailable.svelte
index 89d23cd4b..583c5fcb0 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/dialogs/DialogModelNotAvailable.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/dialogs/DialogModelNotAvailable.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { ICON_CLASS_DEFAULT } from '$lib/constants/css-classes';
+	import { URL_PARAMS } from '$lib/constants';
 	import * as AlertDialog from '$lib/components/ui/alert-dialog';
 	import { AlertTriangle, ArrowRight } from '@lucide/svelte';
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@
 	function handleSelectModel(model: string) {
 		// Build URL with selected model, preserving other params
 		const url = new URL(page.url);
-		url.searchParams.set('model', model);
+		url.searchParams.set(URL_PARAMS.MODEL, model);
 
 		handleOpenChange(false);
 		goto(url.toString());
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/routes.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/routes.ts
index 0d6b5942f..26c7d9a29 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/routes.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/routes.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
-export const NEW_CHAT_PARAM = 'new_chat';
+/** Query params the chat routes read from the URL. */
+export const URL_PARAMS = {
+	/** Prompt to send on arrival. */
+	QUERY: 'q',
+	/** Model to select. */
+	MODEL: 'model',
+	/** Load the selected model instead of waiting for the first message. */
+	LOAD: 'load',
+	/** Start a new chat. */
+	NEW_CHAT: 'new_chat'
+} as const;
 
 /** Settings section slugs — used for routes and navigation. */
 export const SETTINGS_SECTION_SLUGS = {
@@ -16,7 +26,7 @@ export const ROUTES = {
 	/** Root — start of the app. */
 	START: '#/',
 	/** New chat — root with new chat query param. */
-	NEW_CHAT: `?${NEW_CHAT_PARAM}=true#/`,
+	NEW_CHAT: `?${URL_PARAMS.NEW_CHAT}=true#/`,
 	/** Chat base — for dynamic chat URLs use RouterService. */
 	CHAT: '#/chat',
 	/** MCP servers. */
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
index 9db1d445f..fef9b9f53 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@
 	import { chatStore } from '$lib/stores/chat.svelte';
 	import { conversationsStore, isConversationsInitialized } from '$lib/stores/conversations.svelte';
 	import { modelsStore, modelOptions } from '$lib/stores/models.svelte';
+	import { isRouterMode } from '$lib/stores/server.svelte';
 	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
 	import { page } from '$app/state';
 	import { replaceState } from '$app/navigation';
-	import { APP_NAME, NEW_CHAT_PARAM } from '$lib/constants';
+	import { APP_NAME, URL_PARAMS } from '$lib/constants';
 
-	let qParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get('q'));
-	let modelParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get('model'));
-	let newChatParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(NEW_CHAT_PARAM));
+	let qParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.QUERY));
+	let modelParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.MODEL));
+	let newChatParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.NEW_CHAT));
+	let loadParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.LOAD));
 
 	// Dialog state for model not available error
 	let showModelNotAvailable = $state(false);
@@ -23,9 +25,10 @@
 	function clearUrlParams() {
 		const url = new URL(page.url);
 
-		url.searchParams.delete('q');
-		url.searchParams.delete('model');
-		url.searchParams.delete(NEW_CHAT_PARAM);
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.QUERY);
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.MODEL);
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.LOAD);
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.NEW_CHAT);
 
 		replaceState(url.toString(), {});
 	}
@@ -39,6 +42,14 @@
 			if (model) {
 				try {
 					await modelsStore.selectModelById(model.id);
+
+					// with ?load=true, start loading right away so the model is ready sooner;
+					// not awaited, so the UI stays usable during the load
+					if (loadParam === 'true' && isRouterMode() && !modelsStore.isModelLoaded(model.id)) {
+						modelsStore
+							.loadModel(model.id)
+							.catch((error) => console.error('Failed to load model:', error));
+					}
 				} catch (error) {
 					console.error('Failed to select model:', error);
 					requestedModelName = modelParam;
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/chat/[id]/+page.svelte b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/chat/[id]/+page.svelte
index f14553c90..f5fe42eaa 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/chat/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/chat/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 	import { page } from '$app/state';
 	import { afterNavigate } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { DialogModelNotAvailable } from '$lib/components/app';
-	import { APP_NAME, ROUTES } from '$lib/constants';
+	import { APP_NAME, ROUTES, URL_PARAMS } from '$lib/constants';
 	import { chatStore } from '$lib/stores/chat.svelte';
 	import { conversationsStore, activeConversation } from '$lib/stores/conversations.svelte';
 	import { modelsStore, modelOptions } from '$lib/stores/models.svelte';
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 	let currentChatId: string | undefined = undefined;
 
 	// URL parameters for prompt and model selection
-	let qParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get('q'));
-	let modelParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get('model'));
+	let qParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.QUERY));
+	let modelParam = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get(URL_PARAMS.MODEL));
 
 	// Dialog state for model not available error
 	let showModelNotAvailable = $state(false);
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 	 */
 	function clearUrlParams() {
 		const url = new URL(page.url);
-		url.searchParams.delete('q');
-		url.searchParams.delete('model');
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.QUERY);
+		url.searchParams.delete(URL_PARAMS.MODEL);
 		replaceState(url.toString(), {});
 	}