diff --git a/api/types.go b/api/types.go
index 85bdd31671..d3f6fc5a47 100644
--- a/api/types.go
+++ b/api/types.go
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ func (d *Duration) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 		if t < 0 {
 			d.Duration = time.Duration(math.MaxInt64)
 		} else {
-			d.Duration = time.Duration(int(t) * int(time.Second))
+			d.Duration = time.Duration(t * float64(time.Second))
 		}
 	case string:
 		d.Duration, err = time.ParseDuration(t)
diff --git a/api/types_test.go b/api/types_test.go
index fadaa646d6..5393b46230 100644
--- a/api/types_test.go
+++ b/api/types_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ func TestKeepAliveParsingFromJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		req  string
 		exp  *Duration
 	}{
+		{
+			name: "Unset",
+			req:  `{ }`,
+			exp:  nil,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Positive Integer",
 			req:  `{ "keep_alive": 42 }`,
@@ -25,7 +30,7 @@ func TestKeepAliveParsingFromJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "Positive Float",
 			req:  `{ "keep_alive": 42.5 }`,
-			exp:  &Duration{42 * time.Second},
+			exp:  &Duration{42500 * time.Millisecond},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Positive Integer String",
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index ae1662148c..e6e4e2c476 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func (s *Server) GenerateHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 
 	// expire the runner
-	if req.Prompt == "" && req.KeepAlive != nil && int(req.KeepAlive.Seconds()) == 0 {
+	if req.Prompt == "" && req.KeepAlive != nil && req.KeepAlive.Duration == 0 {
 		s.sched.expireRunner(m)
 
 		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, api.GenerateResponse{
@@ -1544,7 +1544,7 @@ func (s *Server) ChatHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 
 	// expire the runner
-	if len(req.Messages) == 0 && req.KeepAlive != nil && int(req.KeepAlive.Seconds()) == 0 {
+	if len(req.Messages) == 0 && req.KeepAlive != nil && req.KeepAlive.Duration == 0 {
 		model, err := GetModel(req.Model)
 		if err != nil {
 			switch {