Ollama / Ollama

Ollama OOM crash during GGUF metadata parsing in v0.24.0

Fix Ollama server crashing with OOM during GGUF metadata parsing after upgrading to v0.24.0 Includes evidence for Ollama troubleshooting demand.

Category
Ollama
Error signature
runtime: out of memory during GGUF metadata parsing (readString/n_kv allocation) in Ollama v0.24.0
Quick fix
Compare the failing environment with a known working setup, then change one configuration value at a time.
Updated

What this error means

runtime: out of memory during GGUF metadata parsing (readString/n_kv allocation) in Ollama v0.24.0 is a Ollama failure pattern reported for developers trying to fix ollama server crashing with oom during gguf metadata parsing after upgrading to v0.24.0. Based on the imported evidence, treat this as a tool-specific troubleshooting page rather than a generic API error.

Why this happens

GitHub issue #16175 filed 2026-05-15 against ollama/ollama, labeled bug. Ollama v0.24.0 crashes on startup with fatal OOM error during GGUF metadata parsing on RTX 5060 Ti 16GB + 32GB RAM system. Category mapped to Ollama per approved category list.

Common causes

Quick fixes

  1. Confirm the exact error signature matches runtime: out of memory during GGUF metadata parsing (readString/n_kv allocation) in Ollama v0.24.0.
  2. Check the Ollama account, local tool state, and provider configuration involved in the failing workflow.
  3. Compare the failing environment with a known working setup, then change one configuration value at a time.

Platform/tool-specific checks

Step-by-step troubleshooting

  1. Capture the exact error message and the command, editor action, or request that triggered it.
  2. Check whether the failure is account/auth, quota/rate, model/provider, local runtime, or deployment configuration.
  3. Review the source evidence below and compare it with your environment.
  4. Apply one change at a time and rerun the smallest failing action.
  5. Keep the working fix documented for the team or deployment environment.

How to prevent it

Sources checked

Evidence note: GitHub issue #16175 filed 2026-05-15 against ollama/ollama, labeled bug. Ollama v0.24.0 crashes on startup with fatal OOM error during GGUF metadata parsing on RTX 5060 Ti 16GB + 32GB RAM system. Category mapped to Ollama per approved category list.

FAQ

What should I check first?

Start with the exact runtime: out of memory during GGUF metadata parsing (readString/n_kv allocation) in Ollama v0.24.0 text and the smallest action that reproduces it.

Can I ignore this error?

No. Treat it as a failed Ollama workflow until the root cause is understood.

Is this guaranteed to have one fix?

No. The imported evidence supports the troubleshooting path above, but tool behavior can vary by account, plan, version, provider, and local configuration.

How do I know the fix worked?

Rerun the same command, editor action, or request. The fix is working when that action completes without runtime: out of memory during GGUF metadata parsing (readString/n_kv allocation) in Ollama v0.24.0.