diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 20da8cd2c..f3fca9366 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -132,6 +132,17 @@ func getModelfileName(cmd *cobra.Command) (string, error) {
 	return absName, nil
 }
 
+// isLocalhost returns true if the configured Ollama host is a loopback or unspecified address.
+func isLocalhost() bool {
+	host := envconfig.Host()
+	h, _, _ := net.SplitHostPort(host.Host)
+	if h == "localhost" {
+		return true
+	}
+	ip := net.ParseIP(h)
+	return ip != nil && (ip.IsLoopback() || ip.IsUnspecified())
+}
+
 func CreateHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	p := progress.NewProgress(os.Stderr)
 	defer p.Stop()
@@ -146,10 +157,7 @@ func CreateHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Check for --experimental flag for safetensors model creation
 	experimental, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("experimental")
 	if experimental {
-		host := envconfig.Host()
-		h, _, _ := net.SplitHostPort(host.Host)
-		ip := net.ParseIP(h)
-		if ip == nil || (!ip.IsLoopback() && !ip.IsUnspecified()) {
+		if !isLocalhost() {
 			return errors.New("remote safetensor model creation not yet supported")
 		}
 		// Get Modelfile content - either from -f flag or default to "FROM ."
@@ -221,10 +229,7 @@ func CreateHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		if filename == "" {
 			// No Modelfile found - check if current directory is an image gen model
 			if create.IsTensorModelDir(".") {
-				host := envconfig.Host()
-				h, _, _ := net.SplitHostPort(host.Host)
-				ip := net.ParseIP(h)
-				if ip == nil || (!ip.IsLoopback() && !ip.IsUnspecified()) {
+				if !isLocalhost() {
 					return errors.New("remote safetensor model creation not yet supported")
 				}
 				quantize, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("quantize")
diff --git a/cmd/cmd_test.go b/cmd/cmd_test.go
index dfbd63a85..49852c02d 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -1928,3 +1928,38 @@ func TestLoadOrUnloadModel_CloudModelAuth(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIsLocalhost(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		host     string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{"default empty", "", true},
+		{"localhost no port", "localhost", true},
+		{"localhost with port", "localhost:11435", true},
+		{"127.0.0.1 no port", "127.0.0.1", true},
+		{"127.0.0.1 with port", "127.0.0.1:11434", true},
+		{"0.0.0.0 no port", "0.0.0.0", true},
+		{"0.0.0.0 with port", "0.0.0.0:11434", true},
+		{"::1 no port", "::1", true},
+		{"[::1] with port", "[::1]:11434", true},
+		{"loopback with scheme", "http://localhost:11434", true},
+		{"remote hostname", "example.com", false},
+		{"remote hostname with port", "example.com:11434", false},
+		{"remote IP", "192.168.1.1", false},
+		{"remote IP with port", "192.168.1.1:11434", false},
+		{"remote with scheme", "http://example.com:11434", false},
+		{"https remote", "https://example.com:443", false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("OLLAMA_HOST", tt.host)
+			got := isLocalhost()
+			if got != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("isLocalhost() with OLLAMA_HOST=%q = %v, want %v", tt.host, got, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}