diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 79e4e0f9..98a6d3f8 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ func api(defaultModel *llama.LLama, loader *ModelLoader, listenAddr string, thre
 		input := new(struct {
 			Messages []Message `json:"messages"`
 			Model    string    `json:"model"`
+			Prompt   string    `json:"prompt"`
 		})
 		if err := c.BodyParser(input); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -126,12 +127,16 @@ func api(defaultModel *llama.LLama, loader *ModelLoader, listenAddr string, thre
 
 		predInput := strings.Join(mess, "\n")
 
-		// A model can have a "file.bin.tmpl" file associated with a prompt template prefix
-		templatedInput, err := loader.TemplatePrefix(input.Model, struct {
-			Input string
-		}{Input: predInput})
-		if err == nil {
-			predInput = templatedInput
+		if input.Prompt == "" {
+			// A model can have a "file.bin.tmpl" file associated with a prompt template prefix
+			templatedInput, err := loader.TemplatePrefix(input.Model, struct {
+				Input string
+			}{Input: predInput})
+			if err == nil {
+				predInput = templatedInput
+			}
+		} else {
+			predInput = input.Prompt + predInput
 		}
 
 		// Generate the prediction using the language model