diff --git a/model/renderers/intellect3.go b/model/renderers/intellect3.go
index 7894bb7a1..149e70821 100644
--- a/model/renderers/intellect3.go
+++ b/model/renderers/intellect3.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ollama/ollama/api"
 )
 
+const intellect3DefaultSystemMessage = "You are INTELLECT-3, a helpful assistant developed by Prime Intellect, that can interact with a computer to solve tasks."
+
 type Intellect3Renderer struct{}
 
 func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, think *api.ThinkValue) (string, error) {
@@ -28,6 +30,11 @@ func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, th
 	if systemMessage != "" || len(tools) > 0 {
 		sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "system\n")
 
+		// Use default system message when tools present but no user system message
+		if systemMessage == "" && len(tools) > 0 {
+			systemMessage = intellect3DefaultSystemMessage
+		}
+
 		sb.WriteString(systemMessage)
 
 		if len(tools) > 0 {
@@ -87,15 +94,15 @@ func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, th
 		switch message.Role {
 		case "assistant":
 			if len(message.ToolCalls) > 0 {
-				sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "assistant")
+				sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "assistant\n")
 
 				// Add thinking tags if present
 				if message.Thinking != "" {
-					sb.WriteString("\n<think>" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Thinking) + "</think>")
+					sb.WriteString("<think>" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Thinking) + "</think>\n")
 				}
 
 				if message.Content != "" {
-					sb.WriteString("\n" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Content) + "\n")
+					sb.WriteString(strings.TrimSpace(message.Content) + "\n")
 				}
 
 				for _, toolCall := range message.ToolCalls {
@@ -108,20 +115,16 @@ func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, th
 				}
 				sb.WriteString("<|im_end|>\n")
 			} else {
-				sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "assistant")
+				sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "assistant\n")
 
 				// Add thinking tags if present
 				if message.Thinking != "" {
-					sb.WriteString("\n<think>" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Thinking) + "</think>")
+					sb.WriteString("<think>" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Thinking) + "</think>\n")
 				}
 
 				// Add content if present
 				if message.Content != "" {
-					if message.Thinking != "" {
-						sb.WriteString("\n" + strings.TrimSpace(message.Content))
-					} else {
-						sb.WriteString("\n" + message.Content)
-					}
+					sb.WriteString(message.Content)
 				}
 
 				if !prefill {
@@ -129,10 +132,6 @@ func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, th
 				}
 			}
 		case "tool":
-			// consecutive tool responses should share a single `<im_start>user`, but
-			// have their own <tool_response> tags
-
-			// only start a new user block if this is the first tool response
 			if i == 0 || filteredMessages[i-1].Role != "tool" {
 				sb.WriteString(imStartTag + "user\n")
 			}
@@ -141,7 +140,6 @@ func (r *Intellect3Renderer) Render(messages []api.Message, tools []api.Tool, th
 			sb.WriteString(message.Content)
 			sb.WriteString("\n</tool_response>\n")
 
-			// close the user block only if this is the last tool response
 			if i == len(filteredMessages)-1 || filteredMessages[i+1].Role != "tool" {
 				sb.WriteString(imEndTag + "\n")
 			}
diff --git a/model/renderers/intellect3_test.go b/model/renderers/intellect3_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0e1a0529
--- /dev/null
+++ b/model/renderers/intellect3_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+package renderers
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	"github.com/ollama/ollama/api"
+)
+
+func TestIntellect3Renderer(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		msgs     []api.Message
+		tools    []api.Tool
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "basic user message",
+			msgs: []api.Message{
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Hello!"},
+			},
+			expected: "<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Hello!<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"<think>",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "with system message",
+			msgs: []api.Message{
+				{Role: "system", Content: "You are helpful."},
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Hi"},
+			},
+			expected: "<|im_start|>system\n" +
+				"You are helpful.<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Hi<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"<think>",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "multi-turn conversation",
+			msgs: []api.Message{
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Hello"},
+				{Role: "assistant", Content: "Hi!"},
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Bye"},
+			},
+			expected: "<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Hello<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"Hi!<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Bye<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"<think>",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "with tools no system message",
+			msgs: []api.Message{
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Weather?"},
+			},
+			tools: []api.Tool{
+				{
+					Type: "function",
+					Function: api.ToolFunction{
+						Name:        "get_weather",
+						Description: "Get weather",
+						Parameters: api.ToolFunctionParameters{
+							Type: "object",
+							Properties: map[string]api.ToolProperty{
+								"location": {Type: api.PropertyType{"string"}},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: "<|im_start|>system\n" +
+				"You are INTELLECT-3, a helpful assistant developed by Prime Intellect, that can interact with a computer to solve tasks.\n\n" +
+				"# Tools\n\n" +
+				"You have access to the following functions:\n\n" +
+				"<tools>\n" +
+				"<function>\n" +
+				"<name>get_weather</name>\n" +
+				"<description>Get weather</description>\n" +
+				"<parameters>\n" +
+				"<parameter>\n" +
+				"<name>location</name>\n" +
+				"<type>string</type>\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"</parameters>\n" +
+				"</function>\n" +
+				"</tools>\n\n" +
+				"If you choose to call a function ONLY reply in the following format with NO suffix:\n\n" +
+				"<tool_call>\n" +
+				"<function=example_function_name>\n" +
+				"<parameter=example_parameter_1>\n" +
+				"value_1\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"<parameter=example_parameter_2>\n" +
+				"This is the value for the second parameter\n" +
+				"that can span\n" +
+				"multiple lines\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"</function>\n" +
+				"</tool_call>\n\n" +
+				"<IMPORTANT>\n" +
+				"Reminder:\n" +
+				"- Function calls MUST follow the specified format: an inner <function=...></function> block must be nested within <tool_call></tool_call> XML tags\n" +
+				"- Required parameters MUST be specified\n" +
+				"- You may provide optional reasoning for your function call in natural language BEFORE the function call, but NOT after\n" +
+				"- If there is no function call available, answer the question like normal with your current knowledge and do not tell the user about function calls\n" +
+				"</IMPORTANT><|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Weather?<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"<think>",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "tool call and response",
+			msgs: []api.Message{
+				{Role: "user", Content: "Weather?"},
+				{
+					Role:    "assistant",
+					Content: "Checking.",
+					ToolCalls: []api.ToolCall{
+						{
+							ID: "1",
+							Function: api.ToolCallFunction{
+								Name:      "get_weather",
+								Arguments: map[string]any{"location": "SF"},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				{Role: "tool", Content: `{"temp": 68}`, ToolCallID: "1"},
+			},
+			tools: []api.Tool{
+				{
+					Type: "function",
+					Function: api.ToolFunction{
+						Name: "get_weather",
+						Parameters: api.ToolFunctionParameters{
+							Type: "object",
+							Properties: map[string]api.ToolProperty{
+								"location": {Type: api.PropertyType{"string"}},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: "<|im_start|>system\n" +
+				"You are INTELLECT-3, a helpful assistant developed by Prime Intellect, that can interact with a computer to solve tasks.\n\n" +
+				"# Tools\n\n" +
+				"You have access to the following functions:\n\n" +
+				"<tools>\n" +
+				"<function>\n" +
+				"<name>get_weather</name>\n" +
+				"<parameters>\n" +
+				"<parameter>\n" +
+				"<name>location</name>\n" +
+				"<type>string</type>\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"</parameters>\n" +
+				"</function>\n" +
+				"</tools>\n\n" +
+				"If you choose to call a function ONLY reply in the following format with NO suffix:\n\n" +
+				"<tool_call>\n" +
+				"<function=example_function_name>\n" +
+				"<parameter=example_parameter_1>\n" +
+				"value_1\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"<parameter=example_parameter_2>\n" +
+				"This is the value for the second parameter\n" +
+				"that can span\n" +
+				"multiple lines\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"</function>\n" +
+				"</tool_call>\n\n" +
+				"<IMPORTANT>\n" +
+				"Reminder:\n" +
+				"- Function calls MUST follow the specified format: an inner <function=...></function> block must be nested within <tool_call></tool_call> XML tags\n" +
+				"- Required parameters MUST be specified\n" +
+				"- You may provide optional reasoning for your function call in natural language BEFORE the function call, but NOT after\n" +
+				"- If there is no function call available, answer the question like normal with your current knowledge and do not tell the user about function calls\n" +
+				"</IMPORTANT><|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"Weather?<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"Checking.\n\n" +
+				"<tool_call>\n" +
+				"<function=get_weather>\n" +
+				"<parameter=location>\n" +
+				"SF\n" +
+				"</parameter>\n" +
+				"</function>\n" +
+				"</tool_call><|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>user\n" +
+				"<tool_response>\n" +
+				`{"temp": 68}` + "\n" +
+				"</tool_response>\n" +
+				"<|im_end|>\n" +
+				"<|im_start|>assistant\n" +
+				"<think>",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			rendered, err := (&Intellect3Renderer{}).Render(tt.msgs, tt.tools, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(rendered, tt.expected); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("mismatch (-got +want):\n%s", diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}