diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 5bfd646..7c1bf5c 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repos:
 
   # for commit message formatting
   - repo: https://github.com/commitizen-tools/commitizen
-    rev: v4.8.3
+    rev: v4.9.0
     hooks:
       - id: commitizen
         stages: [commit-msg]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9701618..37e35fc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <div align="center">
   <img src='https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ollama4j/ollama4j/65a9d526150da8fcd98e2af6a164f055572bf722/ollama4j.jpeg' width='100' alt="ollama4j-icon">
-  
+
   ### Ollama4j
 </div>
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3338089..82d69a0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -426,4 +426,4 @@
         </profile>
     </profiles>
 
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/ollama4j/OllamaAPI.java b/src/main/java/io/github/ollama4j/OllamaAPI.java
index 99f1f7a..a399adf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/ollama4j/OllamaAPI.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/ollama4j/OllamaAPI.java
@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ public class OllamaAPI {
     @SuppressWarnings({"FieldMayBeFinal", "FieldCanBeLocal"})
     private int numberOfRetriesForModelPull = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * When set to true, tools will not be automatically executed by the library.
+     * Instead, tool calls will be returned to the client for manual handling.
+     * <p>
+     * Default is false for backward compatibility.
+     */
+    @Setter
+    private boolean clientHandlesTools = false;
+
     /**
      * Instantiates the Ollama API with default Ollama host:
      * <a href="http://localhost:11434">http://localhost:11434</a>
@@ -1349,6 +1358,10 @@ public class OllamaAPI {
             result = requestCaller.callSync(request);
         }
 
+        if (clientHandlesTools) {
+            return result;
+        }
+
         // check if toolCallIsWanted
         List<OllamaChatToolCalls> toolCalls = result.getResponseModel().getMessage().getToolCalls();
         int toolCallTries = 0;
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/github/ollama4j/integrationtests/OllamaAPIIntegrationTest.java b/src/test/java/io/github/ollama4j/integrationtests/OllamaAPIIntegrationTest.java
index 3b3b74a..51d8edf 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/github/ollama4j/integrationtests/OllamaAPIIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/github/ollama4j/integrationtests/OllamaAPIIntegrationTest.java
@@ -303,6 +303,8 @@ class OllamaAPIIntegrationTest {
     @Order(11)
     void testChatWithExplicitToolDefinition() throws OllamaBaseException, IOException, URISyntaxException,
             InterruptedException, ToolInvocationException {
+        // Ensure default behavior (library handles tools) for baseline assertions
+        api.setClientHandlesTools(false);
         String theToolModel = TOOLS_MODEL;
         api.pullModel(theToolModel);
         OllamaChatRequestBuilder builder = OllamaChatRequestBuilder.getInstance(theToolModel);
@@ -336,10 +338,61 @@ class OllamaAPIIntegrationTest {
         assertNull(finalToolCalls, "Final tool calls in the response message should be null");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @Order(13)
+    void testChatWithExplicitToolDefinitionWithClientHandlesTools() throws OllamaBaseException, IOException, URISyntaxException,
+            InterruptedException, ToolInvocationException {
+        String theToolModel = TOOLS_MODEL;
+        api.pullModel(theToolModel);
+        OllamaChatRequestBuilder builder = OllamaChatRequestBuilder.getInstance(theToolModel);
+
+        api.registerTool(employeeFinderTool());
+
+        try {
+            // enable client-handled tools so the library does not auto-execute tool calls
+            api.setClientHandlesTools(true);
+
+            OllamaChatRequest requestModel = builder
+                    .withMessage(OllamaChatMessageRole.USER, "Give me the ID and address of the employee Rahul Kumar.")
+                    .build();
+            requestModel.setOptions(new OptionsBuilder().setTemperature(0.9f).build().getOptionsMap());
+
+            OllamaChatResult chatResult = api.chat(requestModel);
+
+            assertNotNull(chatResult, "chatResult should not be null");
+            assertNotNull(chatResult.getResponseModel(), "Response model should not be null");
+            assertNotNull(chatResult.getResponseModel().getMessage(), "Response message should not be null");
+            assertEquals(
+                    OllamaChatMessageRole.ASSISTANT.getRoleName(),
+                    chatResult.getResponseModel().getMessage().getRole().getRoleName(),
+                    "Role of the response message should be ASSISTANT"
+            );
+
+            // When clientHandlesTools is true, the assistant message should contain tool calls
+            List<OllamaChatToolCalls> toolCalls = chatResult.getResponseModel().getMessage().getToolCalls();
+            assertNotNull(toolCalls, "Assistant message should contain tool calls when clientHandlesTools is true");
+            assertFalse(toolCalls.isEmpty(), "Tool calls should not be empty");
+            OllamaToolCallsFunction function = toolCalls.get(0).getFunction();
+            assertEquals("get-employee-details", function.getName(), "Tool function name should be 'get-employee-details'");
+            Object employeeName = function.getArguments().get("employee-name");
+            assertNotNull(employeeName, "Employee name argument should not be null");
+            assertEquals("Rahul Kumar", employeeName, "Employee name argument should be 'Rahul Kumar'");
+
+            // Since tools were not auto-executed, chat history should contain only the user and assistant messages
+            assertEquals(2, chatResult.getChatHistory().size(),
+                    "Chat history should contain only user and assistant (tool call) messages when clientHandlesTools is true");
+        } finally {
+            // reset to default to avoid affecting other tests
+            api.setClientHandlesTools(false);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     @Order(14)
     void testChatWithToolsAndStream() throws OllamaBaseException, IOException, URISyntaxException,
             InterruptedException, ToolInvocationException {
+        // Ensure default behavior (library handles tools) for streamed test
+        api.setClientHandlesTools(false);
         String theToolModel = TOOLS_MODEL;
         api.pullModel(theToolModel);