OLLAMA_CONNECTION_REFUSED info

Error: could not connect to Ollama, is it running?

The Ollama server isn't running, or a client is pointed at the wrong host/port.

Symptom

Error: could not connect to ollama app, is it running?

or a connection-refused error from any client (Open WebUI, a custom script) trying to reach the Ollama API.

Cause

Ollama runs as a background service on 127.0.0.1:11434 by default. This fires when that service isn’t running, or when a client — especially one running inside a separate Docker container — is trying to reach localhost instead of the host machine or Ollama’s container name.

Fix

Confirm the service is running: ollama serve (or check it’s running as a background process/service on your OS).
If Ollama and your client are in separate Docker containers on the same compose network, point the client at the service name, not localhost — e.g. OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama:11434, matching the container name in docker-compose.yml, not http://localhost:11434.
If connecting from outside the host machine, confirm OLLAMA_HOST is set to bind beyond 127.0.0.1 (e.g. 0.0.0.0) — the default only accepts local connections.

Sources

Ollama FAQ (the default bind address 127.0.0.1:11434 and the OLLAMA_HOST setting)

Frequently asked questions

I confirmed Ollama is running, why is it still refused?

If Ollama and your client are in separate Docker containers, "localhost" inside the client's container doesn't reach Ollama's container — point it at the service name from your docker-compose.yml instead, e.g. http://ollama:11434.

Can I connect to Ollama from another machine on my network?

Not with Ollama's default binding. Set OLLAMA_HOST to 0.0.0.0 (or a specific interface) before starting the service — the default only accepts connections from the same machine.