diff --git a/pkg/api/message.go b/pkg/api/message.go
index cc7cec1..e51977d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/message.go
+++ b/pkg/api/message.go
@@ -31,6 +31,20 @@ type Message struct {
 	SelectedReply   *Message `gorm:"foreignKey:SelectedReplyID"`
 }
 
+func ApplySystemPrompt(m []Message, system string, force bool) []Message {
+	if len(m) > 0 && m[0].Role == MessageRoleSystem {
+		if force {
+			m[0].Content = system
+		}
+		return m
+	} else {
+		return append([]Message{{
+			Role:    MessageRoleSystem,
+			Content: system,
+		}}, m...)
+	}
+}
+
 func (m *MessageRole) IsAssistant() bool {
 	switch *m {
 	case MessageRoleAssistant, MessageRoleToolCall:
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/new.go b/pkg/cmd/new.go
index 45a2002..e4a61fc 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/new.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/new.go
@@ -25,20 +25,10 @@ func NewCmd(ctx *lmcli.Context) *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("No message was provided.")
 			}
 
-			var messages []api.Message
-
-			system := ctx.Config.GetSystemPrompt()
-			if system != "" {
-				messages = append(messages, api.Message{
-					Role:    api.MessageRoleSystem,
-					Content: system,
-				})
-			}
-
-			messages = append(messages, api.Message{
+			messages := []api.Message{{
 				Role:    api.MessageRoleUser,
 				Content: input,
-			})
+			}}
 
 			conversation, messages, err := ctx.Store.StartConversation(messages...)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/prompt.go b/pkg/cmd/prompt.go
index 9d17959..abab6b9 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/prompt.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/prompt.go
@@ -25,20 +25,10 @@ func PromptCmd(ctx *lmcli.Context) *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("No message was provided.")
 			}
 
-			var messages []api.Message
-
-			system := ctx.Config.GetSystemPrompt()
-			if system != "" {
-				messages = append(messages, api.Message{
-					Role:    api.MessageRoleSystem,
-					Content: system,
-				})
-			}
-
-			messages = append(messages, api.Message{
+			messages := []api.Message{{
 				Role:    api.MessageRoleUser,
 				Content: input,
-			})
+			}}
 
 			_, err = cmdutil.Prompt(ctx, messages, nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/util/util.go b/pkg/cmd/util/util.go
index c4407fa..ba93cd5 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/util/util.go
@@ -22,11 +22,15 @@ func Prompt(ctx *lmcli.Context, messages []api.Message, callback func(api.Messag
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	requestParams := api.RequestParameters{
+	params := api.RequestParameters{
 		Model:       m,
 		MaxTokens:   *ctx.Config.Defaults.MaxTokens,
 		Temperature: *ctx.Config.Defaults.Temperature,
-		ToolBag:     ctx.EnabledTools,
+	}
+
+	system := ctx.DefaultSystemPrompt()
+	if system != "" {
+		messages = api.ApplySystemPrompt(messages, system, false)
 	}
 
 	content := make(chan api.Chunk)
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ func Prompt(ctx *lmcli.Context, messages []api.Message, callback func(api.Messag
 	go ShowDelayedContent(content)
 
 	reply, err := provider.CreateChatCompletionStream(
-		context.Background(), requestParams, messages, content,
+		context.Background(), params, messages, content,
 	)
 
 	if reply.Content != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/lmcli/config.go b/pkg/lmcli/config.go
index ad25250..5c87114 100644
--- a/pkg/lmcli/config.go
+++ b/pkg/lmcli/config.go
@@ -70,14 +70,3 @@ func NewConfig(configFile string) (*Config, error) {
 
 	return c, nil
 }
-
-func (c *Config) GetSystemPrompt() string {
-	if c.Defaults.SystemPromptFile != "" {
-		content, err := util.ReadFileContents(c.Defaults.SystemPromptFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			Fatal("Could not read file contents at %s: %v\n", c.Defaults.SystemPromptFile, err)
-		}
-		return content
-	}
-	return c.Defaults.SystemPrompt
-}
diff --git a/pkg/lmcli/lmcli.go b/pkg/lmcli/lmcli.go
index 6de906a..b48859d 100644
--- a/pkg/lmcli/lmcli.go
+++ b/pkg/lmcli/lmcli.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/api/provider/google"
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/api/provider/ollama"
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/api/provider/openai"
+	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/util"
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/util/tty"
 	"gorm.io/driver/sqlite"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
@@ -81,6 +82,17 @@ func (c *Context) GetModels() (models []string) {
 	return
 }
 
+func (c *Context) DefaultSystemPrompt() string {
+	if c.Config.Defaults.SystemPromptFile != "" {
+		content, err := util.ReadFileContents(c.Config.Defaults.SystemPromptFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			Fatal("Could not read file contents at %s: %v\n", c.Config.Defaults.SystemPromptFile, err)
+		}
+		return content
+	}
+	return c.Config.Defaults.SystemPrompt
+}
+
 func (c *Context) GetModelProvider(model string) (string, api.ChatCompletionProvider, error) {
 	parts := strings.Split(model, "@")
 
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go b/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
index 9984448..c07f4f2 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
@@ -143,12 +143,9 @@ func Chat(shared shared.Shared) Model {
 	m.replyCursor.SetChar(" ")
 	m.replyCursor.Focus()
 
-	system := shared.Ctx.Config.GetSystemPrompt()
+	system := shared.Ctx.DefaultSystemPrompt()
 	if system != "" {
-		m.messages = []api.Message{{
-			Role:    api.MessageRoleSystem,
-			Content: system,
-		}}
+		m.messages = api.ApplySystemPrompt(m.messages, system, false)
 	}
 
 	m.input.Focus()