Docker Compose Tip #60: Declaring LLMs with the models section

LLMs are now first-class citizens in Compose. The models top-level key lets you declare which models your application needs and wire them into your services, all in the same Compose file. Basic usage Declare a model at the top level, reference it from a service: models: smollm: model: ai/smollm2 services: app: image: myapp models: - smollm When the stack starts, Compose ensures the model is available locally and connects the app service to it. The container receives endpoint information via environment variables. ...

May 8, 2026 · 2 min · 381 words · Guillaume Lours