How to persist Ollama data in Docker

What this does

Maps the container's model storage directory to a host filesystem path so models, history, and configuration survive container restarts and rebuilds. After this guide the Ollama data directory is backed by a persistent volume.

Steps

1. Identify the default models directory inside the container. Ollama stores models at /root/.ollama/models by default.

   docker exec ollama ls /root/.ollama/models
   

   Expected output: Directory listing showing downloaded model folders.

2. Create the host directory for persistence.

   mkdir -p ~/ollama-data
   

   Expected output: Quiet success.

3. Stop and remove the existing container.

   docker stop ollama && docker rm ollama
   

   Expected output: Container ID printed for both commands.

4. Launch Ollama with a bind mount for the models directory.

   docker run -d \
     --name ollama \
     -p 11434:11434 \
     -v ~/ollama-data:/root/.ollama/models \
     ollama/ollama
   

   Expected output: Full container ID string.

5. Store the Docker Compose manifest for repeatability.

   services:
     ollama:
       image: ollama/ollama:latest
       container_name: ollama
       ports:
         - "11434:11434"
       volumes:
         - ~/ollama-data:/root/.ollama/models
       restart: unless-stopped
   

   docker compose up -d
   

Verification

docker exec ollama ls /root/.ollama/models
# Expected: Directory listing identical to the host ~/ollama-data contents

Common failures

• Error: no such container: ollama — The container was not named ollama when created. Find the name with docker ps -a.
• Models not found after recreate — The host path was empty at first run. Always stop the container before removing it.
• Permission denied — Run chmod -R 755 ~/ollama-data or adjust ownership.
• Container exits immediately — The bind mount syntax is incorrect. Use an absolute path.
• Port already allocated — Port conflict with another process. Change the host port to 11435:11434.
• Volume mount not propagating — On macOS Docker Desktop, file changes may be delayed. Use docker restart ollama to force re-mount.

Related guides

• How to install Open WebUI with Docker
• How to configure Open WebUI with Ollama backend
• Course Local AI Fundamentals