diff --git a/common/config_models.py b/common/config_models.py
index 057e216..0958a8e 100644
--- a/common/config_models.py
+++ b/common/config_models.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class ModelConfig(BaseConfigModel):
     backend: Optional[str] = Field(
         None,
         description=(
-            "Backend to use for this model (default: exllamav2)\n"
+            "Backend to use for this model (auto-detect if not specified)\n"
             "Options: exllamav2, exllamav3"
         ),
     )
diff --git a/common/model.py b/common/model.py
index 2c7bd65..9cdfdeb 100644
--- a/common/model.py
+++ b/common/model.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from common.logger import get_loading_progress_bar
 from common.networking import handle_request_error
 from common.tabby_config import config
 from common.optional_dependencies import dependencies
+from common.transformers_utils import HuggingFaceConfig
 from common.utils import unwrap
 
 # Global variables for model container
@@ -56,6 +57,24 @@ def load_progress(module, modules):
     yield module, modules
 
 
+async def detect_backend(model_path: pathlib.Path) -> str:
+    """Determine the appropriate backend based on model files and configuration."""
+
+    try:
+        hf_config = await HuggingFaceConfig.from_directory(model_path)
+        quant_method = hf_config.quant_method()
+
+        if quant_method == "exl3":
+            return "exllamav3"
+        else:
+            return "exllamav2"
+    except Exception as exc:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "Failed to read the model's config.json. "
+            f"Please check your model directory at {model_path}."
+        ) from exc
+
+
 async def apply_inline_overrides(model_dir: pathlib.Path, **kwargs):
     """Sets overrides from a model folder's config yaml."""
 
@@ -124,7 +143,9 @@ async def load_model_gen(model_path: pathlib.Path, **kwargs):
     kwargs = await apply_inline_overrides(model_path, **kwargs)
 
     # Create a new container and check if the right dependencies are installed
-    backend_name = unwrap(kwargs.get("backend"), "exllamav2").lower()
+    backend_name = unwrap(
+        kwargs.get("backend"), await detect_backend(model_path)
+    ).lower()
     container_class = _BACKEND_REGISTRY.get(backend_name)
 
     if not container_class:
@@ -140,6 +161,7 @@ async def load_model_gen(model_path: pathlib.Path, **kwargs):
                 f"Available backends: {available_backends}"
             )
 
+    logger.info(f"Using backend {backend_name}")
     new_container: BaseModelContainer = await container_class.create(
         model_path.resolve(), **kwargs
     )
diff --git a/common/transformers_utils.py b/common/transformers_utils.py
index 045312c..d1e5ac1 100644
--- a/common/transformers_utils.py
+++ b/common/transformers_utils.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import aiofiles
 import json
 import pathlib
-from typing import List, Optional, Union
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ class HuggingFaceConfig(BaseModel):
     Will be expanded as needed.
     """
 
+    quantization_config: Optional[Dict] = None
+
     @classmethod
-    async def from_file(cls, model_directory: pathlib.Path):
+    async def from_directory(cls, model_directory: pathlib.Path):
         """Create an instance from a generation config file."""
 
         hf_config_path = model_directory / "config.json"
@@ -54,6 +56,14 @@ class HuggingFaceConfig(BaseModel):
             hf_config_dict = json.loads(contents)
             return cls.model_validate(hf_config_dict)
 
+    def quant_method(self):
+        """Wrapper method to fetch quant type"""
+
+        if isinstance(self.quantization_config, Dict):
+            return self.quantization_config.get("quant_method")
+        else:
+            return None
+
 
 class TokenizerConfig(BaseModel):
     """
diff --git a/config_sample.yml b/config_sample.yml
index 045db51..ffe2605 100644
--- a/config_sample.yml
+++ b/config_sample.yml
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ model:
   # Example: ['max_seq_len', 'cache_mode'].
   use_as_default: []
 
-  # Backend to use for the model (default: exllamav2)
+  # Backend to use for this model (auto-detect if not specified)
   # Options: exllamav2, exllamav3
-  backend: exllamav2
+  backend:
 
   # Max sequence length (default: Empty).
   # Fetched from the model's base sequence length in config.json by default.