diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 711aa1d..6938ce1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ A 9P server that exposes [ollie](../ollie) agent sessions as a virtual filesyste
 
 ```
 ollie/
-  ctl                   write: "new [backend] [agent]" | "kill <session-id>"
+  ctl                   write: "new [backend=x] [model=x] [agent=x]" | "kill <session-id>"
   <session-id>/
     prompt              write: submit a prompt to the agent
     chat                read:  cumulative conversation history
@@ -41,11 +41,15 @@ The server listens on a Unix socket in the Plan 9 namespace (`$NAMESPACE/ollie`)
 ### Create a session
 
 ```sh
-echo new > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl                    # default backend and agent
-echo "new ollama" > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl           # specific backend
-echo "new ollama myagent" > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl   # specific backend and agent
+echo new > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl                                        # all defaults
+echo "new backend=ollama" > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl                       # specific backend
+echo "new backend=ollama model=qwen3:8b" > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl        # backend + model
+echo "new backend=ollama model=qwen3:8b agent=myagent" > ~/mnt/ollie/ctl
 ```
 
+All options are optional and can be specified in any order. Unrecognised keys are rejected.
+Valid keys: `backend`, `model`, `agent`.
+
 A new session directory appears under the mount point named by timestamp + random suffix (e.g. `20260410-014002-ba70fc`).
 
 ### Send a prompt
diff --git a/internal/p9/server.go b/internal/p9/server.go
index 71b1d2e..471a8db 100644
--- a/internal/p9/server.go
+++ b/internal/p9/server.go
@@ -590,16 +590,31 @@ func (s *Server) handleRootCtl(input string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// createSession parses key=value options and starts a new agent session.
+// Recognised keys: backend, model, agent. Unknown keys are rejected.
+// Example: new backend=ollama model=qwen3:8b agent=myagent
 func (s *Server) createSession(args []string) error {
 	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
 
 	backendOverride := ""
+	modelOverride := ""
 	agentName := "default"
-	if len(args) > 0 {
-		backendOverride = args[0]
-	}
-	if len(args) > 1 {
-		agentName = args[1]
+
+	for _, arg := range args {
+		k, v, ok := strings.Cut(arg, "=")
+		if !ok || v == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid option %q (expected key=value)", arg)
+		}
+		switch k {
+		case "backend":
+			backendOverride = v
+		case "model":
+			modelOverride = v
+		case "agent":
+			agentName = v
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unknown option %q (valid: backend, model, agent)", k)
+		}
 	}
 
 	var (
@@ -618,6 +633,10 @@ func (s *Server) createSession(args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("backend: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if modelOverride != "" {
+		be.SetModel(modelOverride)
+	}
+
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(s.sessionsDir, 0700); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("sessions dir: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -664,8 +683,8 @@ func (s *Server) createSession(args []string) error {
 	s.sessions[sessID] = sess
 	s.mu.Unlock()
 
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "olliesrv: new session %s (backend=%s agent=%s)\n",
-		sessID, sess.backendName, agentName)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "olliesrv: new session %s (backend=%s model=%s agent=%s)\n",
+		sessID, sess.backendName, sess.modelName, agentName)
 	return nil
 }