diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 6ca13f1af..702bbc1aa 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -2260,7 +2260,7 @@ func NewCLI() *cobra.Command {
 		switch cmd {
 		case runCmd:
 			imagegen.AppendFlagsDocs(cmd)
-			appendEnvDocs(cmd, []envconfig.EnvVar{envVars["OLLAMA_HOST"], envVars["OLLAMA_NOHISTORY"]})
+			appendEnvDocs(cmd, []envconfig.EnvVar{envVars["OLLAMA_EDITOR"], envVars["OLLAMA_HOST"], envVars["OLLAMA_NOHISTORY"]})
 		case serveCmd:
 			appendEnvDocs(cmd, []envconfig.EnvVar{
 				envVars["OLLAMA_DEBUG"],
diff --git a/cmd/editor_unix.go b/cmd/editor_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a7848c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/editor_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package cmd
+
+const defaultEditor = "vi"
diff --git a/cmd/editor_windows.go b/cmd/editor_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed428859d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/editor_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package cmd
+
+const defaultEditor = "edit"
diff --git a/cmd/interactive.go b/cmd/interactive.go
index a3c98c68e..1f91f9eca 100644
--- a/cmd/interactive.go
+++ b/cmd/interactive.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ func generateInteractive(cmd *cobra.Command, opts runOptions) error {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + w            Delete the word before the cursor")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + l            Clear the screen")
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + g            Open default editor to compose a prompt")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + c            Stop the model from responding")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + d            Exit ollama (/bye)")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
@@ -147,6 +149,18 @@ func generateInteractive(cmd *cobra.Command, opts runOptions) error {
 			scanner.Prompt.UseAlt = false
 			sb.Reset()
 
+			continue
+		case errors.Is(err, readline.ErrEditPrompt):
+			sb.Reset()
+			content, err := editInExternalEditor(line)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %v\n", err)
+				continue
+			}
+			if strings.TrimSpace(content) == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			scanner.Prefill = content
 			continue
 		case err != nil:
 			return err
@@ -598,6 +612,57 @@ func extractFileData(input string) (string, []api.ImageData, error) {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(input), imgs, nil
 }
 
+func editInExternalEditor(content string) (string, error) {
+	editor := envconfig.Editor()
+	if editor == "" {
+		editor = os.Getenv("VISUAL")
+	}
+	if editor == "" {
+		editor = os.Getenv("EDITOR")
+	}
+	if editor == "" {
+		editor = defaultEditor
+	}
+
+	// Check that the editor binary exists
+	name := strings.Fields(editor)[0]
+	if _, err := exec.LookPath(name); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("editor %q not found, set OLLAMA_EDITOR to the path of your preferred editor", name)
+	}
+
+	tmpFile, err := os.CreateTemp("", "ollama-prompt-*.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("creating temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(tmpFile.Name())
+
+	if content != "" {
+		if _, err := tmpFile.WriteString(content); err != nil {
+			tmpFile.Close()
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("writing to temp file: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	tmpFile.Close()
+
+	args := strings.Fields(editor)
+	args = append(args, tmpFile.Name())
+	cmd := exec.Command(args[0], args[1:]...)
+	cmd.Stdin = os.Stdin
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("editor exited with error: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(tmpFile.Name())
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("reading temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return strings.TrimRight(string(data), "\n"), nil
+}
+
 func getImageData(filePath string) ([]byte, error) {
 	file, err := os.Open(filePath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/envconfig/config.go b/envconfig/config.go
index a7466a84a..96886237c 100644
--- a/envconfig/config.go
+++ b/envconfig/config.go
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ func String(s string) func() string {
 
 var (
 	LLMLibrary = String("OLLAMA_LLM_LIBRARY")
+	Editor     = String("OLLAMA_EDITOR")
 
 	CudaVisibleDevices    = String("CUDA_VISIBLE_DEVICES")
 	HipVisibleDevices     = String("HIP_VISIBLE_DEVICES")
@@ -291,6 +292,7 @@ func AsMap() map[string]EnvVar {
 		"OLLAMA_SCHED_SPREAD":      {"OLLAMA_SCHED_SPREAD", SchedSpread(), "Always schedule model across all GPUs"},
 		"OLLAMA_MULTIUSER_CACHE":   {"OLLAMA_MULTIUSER_CACHE", MultiUserCache(), "Optimize prompt caching for multi-user scenarios"},
 		"OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH":    {"OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH", ContextLength(), "Context length to use unless otherwise specified (default: 4k/32k/256k based on VRAM)"},
+		"OLLAMA_EDITOR":            {"OLLAMA_EDITOR", Editor(), "Path to editor for interactive prompt editing (Ctrl+G)"},
 		"OLLAMA_NEW_ENGINE":        {"OLLAMA_NEW_ENGINE", NewEngine(), "Enable the new Ollama engine"},
 		"OLLAMA_REMOTES":           {"OLLAMA_REMOTES", Remotes(), "Allowed hosts for remote models (default \"ollama.com\")"},
 
diff --git a/readline/errors.go b/readline/errors.go
index bb3fbd473..1be5213e5 100644
--- a/readline/errors.go
+++ b/readline/errors.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var ErrInterrupt = errors.New("Interrupt")
+var ErrEditPrompt = errors.New("EditPrompt")
 
 type InterruptError struct {
 	Line []rune
diff --git a/readline/readline.go b/readline/readline.go
index 42464da50..0113aa2ce 100644
--- a/readline/readline.go
+++ b/readline/readline.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type Instance struct {
 	Terminal    *Terminal
 	History     *History
 	Pasting     bool
+	Prefill     string
 	pastedLines []string
 }
 
@@ -89,6 +90,27 @@ func (i *Instance) Readline() (string, error) {
 
 	buf, _ := NewBuffer(i.Prompt)
 
+	// Prefill the buffer with any text that we received from an external editor
+	if i.Prefill != "" {
+		lines := strings.Split(i.Prefill, "\n")
+		i.Prefill = ""
+		for idx, l := range lines {
+			for _, r := range l {
+				buf.Add(r)
+			}
+			if idx < len(lines)-1 {
+				i.pastedLines = append(i.pastedLines, buf.String())
+				buf.Buf.Clear()
+				buf.Pos = 0
+				buf.DisplayPos = 0
+				buf.LineHasSpace.Clear()
+				fmt.Println()
+				fmt.Print(i.Prompt.AltPrompt)
+				i.Prompt.UseAlt = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	var esc bool
 	var escex bool
 	var metaDel bool
@@ -251,6 +273,29 @@ func (i *Instance) Readline() (string, error) {
 			buf.ClearScreen()
 		case CharCtrlW:
 			buf.DeleteWord()
+		case CharBell:
+			output := buf.String()
+			numPastedLines := len(i.pastedLines)
+			if numPastedLines > 0 {
+				output = strings.Join(i.pastedLines, "\n") + "\n" + output
+				i.pastedLines = nil
+			}
+
+			// Move cursor to the last display line of the current buffer
+			currLine := buf.DisplayPos / buf.LineWidth
+			lastLine := buf.DisplaySize() / buf.LineWidth
+			if lastLine > currLine {
+				fmt.Print(CursorDownN(lastLine - currLine))
+			}
+
+			// Clear all lines from bottom to top: buffer wrapped lines + pasted lines
+			for range lastLine + numPastedLines {
+				fmt.Print(CursorBOL + ClearToEOL + CursorUp)
+			}
+			fmt.Print(CursorBOL + ClearToEOL)
+
+			i.Prompt.UseAlt = false
+			return output, ErrEditPrompt
 		case CharCtrlZ:
 			fd := os.Stdin.Fd()
 			return handleCharCtrlZ(fd, i.Terminal.termios)