diff --git a/aiserver.py b/aiserver.py
index 1eaeda31..08221648 100644
--- a/aiserver.py
+++ b/aiserver.py
@@ -1613,7 +1613,8 @@ def get_model_info(model, directory=""):
                          'gpu':gpu, 'layer_count':layer_count, 'breakmodel':breakmodel, 'multi_online_models': multi_online_models, 'default_url': default_url, 
                          'disk_break_value': disk_blocks, 'disk_break': utils.HAS_ACCELERATE,
                          'break_values': break_values, 'gpu_count': gpu_count,
-                         'url': url, 'gpu_names': gpu_names, 'models_on_url': models_on_url, 'show_online_model_select': show_online_model_select})
+                         'url': url, 'gpu_names': gpu_names, 'models_on_url': models_on_url, 'show_online_model_select': show_online_model_select,
+                         'bit_8_available': koboldai_vars.bit_8_available if koboldai_vars.experimental_features else False})
     if send_horde_models:
         get_cluster_models({'key': key_value, 'url': default_url})
     elif key_value != "" and model in [x[1] for x in model_menu['apilist']] and model != 'CLUSTER':
@@ -2451,7 +2452,7 @@ def reset_model_settings():
     koboldai_vars.revision    = None
     koboldai_vars.lazy_load = True
     
-def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=False, online_model="", use_breakmodel_args=False, breakmodel_args_default_to_cpu=False, url=None):
+def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=False, online_model="", use_breakmodel_args=False, breakmodel_args_default_to_cpu=False, url=None, use_8_bit=False):
     global model
     global generator
     global torch
@@ -2460,6 +2461,10 @@ def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=Fal
     global tokenizer
     koboldai_vars.aibusy = True
     koboldai_vars.horde_share = False
+    if not koboldai_vars.bit_8_available or not koboldai_vars.experimental_features:
+        use_8_bit = False
+    if use_8_bit:
+        koboldai_vars.lazy_load = False
     if(initial_load):
         use_breakmodel_args = True
     reset_model_settings()
@@ -2896,11 +2901,11 @@ def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=Fal
                                 except Exception as e:
                                     tokenizer = GPT2Tokenizer.from_pretrained("gpt2", revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache")
                         try:
-                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.custmodpth, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.custmodpth, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
                         except Exception as e:
                             if("out of memory" in traceback.format_exc().lower()):
                                 raise RuntimeError("One of your GPUs ran out of memory when KoboldAI tried to load your model.")
-                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.custmodpth, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.custmodpth, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
                     elif(os.path.isdir("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')))):
                         try:
                             tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", use_fast=False)
@@ -2913,11 +2918,11 @@ def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=Fal
                                 except Exception as e:
                                     tokenizer = GPT2Tokenizer.from_pretrained("gpt2", revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache")
                         try:
-                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
                         except Exception as e:
                             if("out of memory" in traceback.format_exc().lower()):
                                 raise RuntimeError("One of your GPUs ran out of memory when KoboldAI tried to load your model.")
-                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
                     else:
                         old_rebuild_tensor = torch._utils._rebuild_tensor
                         def new_rebuild_tensor(storage: Union[torch_lazy_loader.LazyTensor, torch.Storage], storage_offset, shape, stride):
@@ -2943,18 +2948,18 @@ def load_model(use_gpu=True, gpu_layers=None, disk_layers=None, initial_load=Fal
                                 except Exception as e:
                                     tokenizer = GPT2Tokenizer.from_pretrained("gpt2", revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache")
                         try:
-                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.model, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.model, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
                         except Exception as e:
                             if("out of memory" in traceback.format_exc().lower()):
                                 raise RuntimeError("One of your GPUs ran out of memory when KoboldAI tried to load your model.")
-                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.model, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", **lowmem)
+                            model     = GPTNeoForCausalLM.from_pretrained(koboldai_vars.model, revision=koboldai_vars.revision, cache_dir="cache", load_in_8bit=use_8_bit, device_map="auto", **lowmem)
 
                         torch._utils._rebuild_tensor = old_rebuild_tensor
 
                         if not args.colab or args.savemodel:
                             import shutil
                             tokenizer.save_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')))
-                            if(koboldai_vars.fp32_model):  # Use save_pretrained to convert fp32 models to fp16
+                            if koboldai_vars.fp32_model:  # Use save_pretrained to convert fp32 models to fp16
                                 model = model.half()
                                 model.save_pretrained("models/{}".format(koboldai_vars.model.replace('/', '_')), max_shard_size="500MiB")
                             else:  # For fp16 models, we can just copy the model files directly
@@ -8483,7 +8488,7 @@ def UI_2_load_model(data):
     koboldai_vars.model = data['model']
     koboldai_vars.custmodpth = data['path']
     print("loading Model")
-    load_model(use_gpu=data['use_gpu'], gpu_layers=data['gpu_layers'], disk_layers=data['disk_layers'], online_model=data['online_model'], url=koboldai_vars.colaburl)
+    load_model(use_gpu=data['use_gpu'], gpu_layers=data['gpu_layers'], disk_layers=data['disk_layers'], online_model=data['online_model'], url=koboldai_vars.colaburl, use_8_bit=data['use_8_bit'])
 
 #==================================================================#
 # Event triggered when load story is clicked
diff --git a/environments/huggingface.yml b/environments/huggingface.yml
index f7b146cd..3b3a6307 100644
--- a/environments/huggingface.yml
+++ b/environments/huggingface.yml
@@ -35,4 +35,5 @@ dependencies:
     - python-socketio[client]
     - ansi2html
     - flask_compress
-    - ijson
\ No newline at end of file
+    - ijson
+    - bitsandbytes-cuda111
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/koboldai_settings.py b/koboldai_settings.py
index a654f7c8..a914af33 100644
--- a/koboldai_settings.py
+++ b/koboldai_settings.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+import importlib
 import os, re, time, threading, json, pickle, base64, copy, tqdm, datetime, sys
 from typing import Union
 from io import BytesIO
@@ -1087,7 +1088,7 @@ class system_settings(settings):
                          'lua_koboldcore', 'sp', 'sp_length', '_horde_pid', 'horde_share', 'aibusy', 
                          'serverstarted', 'inference_config', 'image_pipeline', 'summarizer', 
                          'summary_tokenizer', 'use_colab_tpu', 'noai', 'disable_set_aibusy', 'cloudflare_link', 'tts_model',
-                         'generating_image']
+                         'generating_image', 'bit_8_available']
     settings_name = "system"
     def __init__(self, socketio, koboldai_var):
         self.socketio = socketio
@@ -1171,6 +1172,8 @@ class system_settings(settings):
         self.keep_img_gen_in_memory = False
         self.cookies = {} #cookies for colab since colab's URL changes, cookies are lost
         self.experimental_features = False
+        #check if bitsandbytes is installed
+        self.bit_8_available = importlib.util.find_spec("bitsandbytes") is not None and sys.platform.startswith('linux') #We can install bitsandbytes, but it doesn't work on windows, so limit it here
         
         @dataclass
         class _inference_config:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 0650e1e1..dba4bacc 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -23,4 +23,5 @@ diffusers
 psutil
 ansi2html
 flask_compress
-ijson
\ No newline at end of file
+ijson
+bitsandbytes-cuda111
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/koboldai.js b/static/koboldai.js
index 4397194b..7987d983 100644
--- a/static/koboldai.js
+++ b/static/koboldai.js
@@ -1437,6 +1437,7 @@ function show_model_menu(data) {
 	document.getElementById("modelkey").value = "";
 	document.getElementById("modelurl").classList.add("hidden");
 	document.getElementById("use_gpu_div").classList.add("hidden");
+	document.getElementById("use_8_bit_div").classList.add("hidden");
 	document.getElementById("modellayers").classList.add("hidden");
 	document.getElementById("oaimodel").classList.add("hidden");
 	var model_layer_bars = document.getElementById('model_layer_bars');
@@ -1586,6 +1587,14 @@ function selected_model_info(data) {
 		document.getElementById("modelurl").classList.add("hidden");
 	}
 	
+	//hide or unhide 8 bit mode
+	if (data.bit_8_available) {
+		document.getElementById("use_8_bit_div").classList.remove("hidden");
+	} else {
+		document.getElementById("use_8_bit_div").classList.add("hidden");
+		document.getElementById("use_8_bit").checked = false;
+	}
+	
 	//default URL loading
 	if (data.default_url != null) {
 		document.getElementById("modelurl").value = data.default_url;
@@ -1815,7 +1824,8 @@ function load_model() {
 	message = {'model': model, 'path': path, 'use_gpu': document.getElementById("use_gpu").checked, 
 			   'key': document.getElementById('modelkey').value, 'gpu_layers': gpu_layers.join(), 
 			   'disk_layers': disk_layers, 'url': document.getElementById("modelurl").value, 
-			   'online_model': selected_models};
+			   'online_model': selected_models,
+			   'use_8_bit': document.getElementById('use_8_bit').checked};
 	socket.emit("load_model", message);
 	closePopups();
 }
diff --git a/templates/popups.html b/templates/popups.html
index 47564f07..3e66753a 100644
--- a/templates/popups.html
+++ b/templates/popups.html
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
 				<input type="checkbox" data-toggle="toggle" data-onstyle="success" id="use_gpu" checked>
 				<div class="box-label">Use GPU</div>
 			</div>
+			<div class="box flex-push-right hidden" id=use_8_bit_div>
+				<input type="checkbox" data-toggle="toggle" data-onstyle="success" id="use_8_bit" checked>
+				<div class="box-label">Use 8 bit mode</div>
+			</div>
 			<button type="button" class="btn popup_load_cancel_button action_button disabled" onclick="load_model()" id="btn_loadmodelaccept" disabled>Load</button>
 			<button type="button" class="btn popup_load_cancel_button" onclick='closePopups();' id="btn_loadmodelclose">Cancel</button>
 		</div>