diff --git a/scripts/on_sd_start.bat b/scripts/on_sd_start.bat
index b9599834..99fb74bc 100644
--- a/scripts/on_sd_start.bat
+++ b/scripts/on_sd_start.bat
@@ -182,6 +182,16 @@ call WHERE uvicorn > .tmp
     )
 )
 
+@>nul 2>nul call python -c "import safetensors"
+@if "%ERRORLEVEL%" NEQ "0" (
+    @echo. & echo SafeTensors not found. Installing
+    @call pip install safetensors || (
+        echo "Error installing the safetensors package necessary for Stable Diffusion UI. Sorry about that, please try to:" & echo "  1. Run this installer again." & echo "  2. If that doesn't fix it, please try the common troubleshooting steps at https://github.com/cmdr2/stable-diffusion-ui/wiki/Troubleshooting" & echo "  3. If those steps don't help, please copy *all* the error messages in this window, and ask the community at https://discord.com/invite/u9yhsFmEkB" & echo "  4. If that doesn't solve the problem, please file an issue at https://github.com/cmdr2/stable-diffusion-ui/issues" & echo "Thanks!"
+        pause
+        exit /b
+    )
+)
+
 @>nul findstr /m "conda_sd_ui_deps_installed" ..\scripts\install_status.txt
 @if "%ERRORLEVEL%" NEQ "0" (
     @echo conda_sd_ui_deps_installed >> ..\scripts\install_status.txt
diff --git a/scripts/on_sd_start.sh b/scripts/on_sd_start.sh
index 3054f19c..177e4f73 100755
--- a/scripts/on_sd_start.sh
+++ b/scripts/on_sd_start.sh
@@ -150,6 +150,13 @@ else
     pip install picklescan || fail "Picklescan installation failed."
 fi
 
+if python -c "import safetensors" --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "SafeTensors is already installed."
+else
+    echo "SafeTensors not found, installing."
+    pip install safetensors || fail "SafeTensors installation failed."
+fi
+
 
 
 mkdir -p "../models/stable-diffusion"
diff --git a/ui/sd_internal/runtime.py b/ui/sd_internal/runtime.py
index 8500186a..ed1d69a7 100644
--- a/ui/sd_internal/runtime.py
+++ b/ui/sd_internal/runtime.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from basicsr.archs.rrdbnet_arch import RRDBNet
 from realesrgan import RealESRGANer
 
 from threading import Lock
+from safetensors.torch import load_file
 
 import uuid
 
@@ -96,7 +97,12 @@ def isSD2():
 
 def load_model_ckpt():
     if not thread_data.ckpt_file: raise ValueError(f'Thread ckpt_file is undefined.')
-    if not os.path.exists(thread_data.ckpt_file + '.ckpt'): raise FileNotFoundError(f'Cannot find {thread_data.ckpt_file}.ckpt')
+    if os.path.exists(thread_data.ckpt_file + '.ckpt'):
+        thread_data.ckpt_file += '.ckpt'
+    elif os.path.exists(thread_data.ckpt_file + '.safetensors'):
+        thread_data.ckpt_file += '.safetensors'
+    elif not os.path.exists(thread_data.ckpt_file):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f'Cannot find {thread_data.ckpt_file}.ckpt or .safetensors')
 
     if not thread_data.precision:
         thread_data.precision = 'full' if thread_data.force_full_precision else 'autocast'
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ def load_model_ckpt():
     if thread_data.device == 'cpu':
         thread_data.precision = 'full'
 
-    print('loading', thread_data.ckpt_file + '.ckpt', 'to device', thread_data.device, 'using precision', thread_data.precision)
+    print('loading', thread_data.ckpt_file, 'to device', thread_data.device, 'using precision', thread_data.precision)
 
     if thread_data.test_sd2:
         load_model_ckpt_sd2()
@@ -115,7 +121,7 @@ def load_model_ckpt():
         load_model_ckpt_sd1()
 
 def load_model_ckpt_sd1():
-    sd = load_model_from_config(thread_data.ckpt_file + '.ckpt')
+    sd = load_model_from_config(thread_data.ckpt_file)
     li, lo = [], []
     for key, value in sd.items():
         sp = key.split(".")
@@ -202,7 +208,7 @@ def load_model_ckpt_sd1():
         thread_data.model_fs_is_half = False
 
     print(f'''loaded model
- model file: {thread_data.ckpt_file}.ckpt
+ model file: {thread_data.ckpt_file}
  model.device: {model.device}
  modelCS.device: {modelCS.cond_stage_model.device}
  modelFS.device: {thread_data.modelFS.device}
@@ -213,7 +219,7 @@ def load_model_ckpt_sd2():
     config = OmegaConf.load(config_file)
     verbose = False
 
-    sd = load_model_from_config(thread_data.ckpt_file + '.ckpt')
+    sd = load_model_from_config(thread_data.ckpt_file)
 
     thread_data.model = instantiate_from_config(config.model)
     m, u = thread_data.model.load_state_dict(sd, strict=False)
@@ -239,7 +245,7 @@ def load_model_ckpt_sd2():
         thread_data.model_fs_is_half = False
 
     print(f'''loaded model
- model file: {thread_data.ckpt_file}.ckpt
+ model file: {thread_data.ckpt_file}
  using precision: {thread_data.precision}''')
 
 def unload_filters():
@@ -401,7 +407,12 @@ def is_model_reload_necessary(req: Request):
     # custom model support:
     #  the req.use_stable_diffusion_model needs to be a valid path
     #  to the ckpt file (without the extension).
-    if not os.path.exists(req.use_stable_diffusion_model + '.ckpt'): raise FileNotFoundError(f'Cannot find {req.use_stable_diffusion_model}.ckpt')
+    if os.path.exists(req.use_stable_diffusion_model + '.ckpt'):
+        req.use_stable_diffusion_model += '.ckpt'
+    elif os.path.exists(req.use_stable_diffusion_model + '.safetensors'):
+        req.use_stable_diffusion_model += '.safetensors'
+    elif not os.path.exists(req.use_stable_diffusion_model): 
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f'Cannot find {req.use_stable_diffusion_model}.ckpt or .safetensors')
 
     needs_model_reload = False
     if not thread_data.model or thread_data.ckpt_file != req.use_stable_diffusion_model or thread_data.vae_file != req.use_vae_model:
@@ -869,13 +880,21 @@ def chunk(it, size):
 
 def load_model_from_config(ckpt, verbose=False):
     print(f"Loading model from {ckpt}")
-    pl_sd = torch.load(ckpt, map_location="cpu")
+
+    if ckpt.endswith(".safetensors"):
+        print("Loading from safetensors")
+        pl_sd = load_file(ckpt, device="cpu")
+    else:
+        pl_sd = torch.load(ckpt, map_location="cpu")
+
     if "global_step" in pl_sd:
         print(f"Global Step: {pl_sd['global_step']}")
-    sd = pl_sd["state_dict"]
-    return sd
 
-# utils
+    if "state_dict" in pl_sd:
+        return pl_sd["state_dict"]
+    else:
+        return pl_sd
+
 class UserInitiatedStop(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/ui/server.py b/ui/server.py
index ffdb5ce2..c7760889 100644
--- a/ui/server.py
+++ b/ui/server.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ USER_UI_PLUGINS_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(SD_DIR, '..', 'plugins', 'ui'
 CORE_UI_PLUGINS_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(SD_UI_DIR, 'plugins', 'ui'))
 UI_PLUGINS_SOURCES = ((CORE_UI_PLUGINS_DIR, 'core'), (USER_UI_PLUGINS_DIR, 'user'))
 
-STABLE_DIFFUSION_MODEL_EXTENSIONS = ['.ckpt']
+STABLE_DIFFUSION_MODEL_EXTENSIONS = ['.ckpt', '.safetensors']
 VAE_MODEL_EXTENSIONS = ['.vae.pt', '.ckpt']
 
 OUTPUT_DIRNAME = "Stable Diffusion UI" # in the user's home folder