diff --git a/packages/ai/python/colorize.py b/packages/ai/python/colorize.py
index 6aebbd00..0698dca1 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/colorize.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/colorize.py
@@ -17,23 +17,25 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
     print(json.dumps({"progress": percent, "stage": stage}), file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
 
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 DDCOLOR_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "DDCOLOR_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/ddcolor/ddcolor.onnx",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "ddcolor", "ddcolor.onnx"),
 )
 
 # OpenCV DNN fallback model paths (lightweight ~17 MB)
 OPENCV_PROTO_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "OPENCV_COLORIZE_PROTO",
-    "/opt/models/colorize-opencv/colorization_deploy_v2.prototxt",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "colorize-opencv", "colorization_deploy_v2.prototxt"),
 )
 OPENCV_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "OPENCV_COLORIZE_MODEL",
-    "/opt/models/colorize-opencv/colorization_release_v2.caffemodel",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "colorize-opencv", "colorization_release_v2.caffemodel"),
 )
 OPENCV_POINTS_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "OPENCV_COLORIZE_POINTS",
-    "/opt/models/colorize-opencv/pts_in_hull.npy",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "colorize-opencv", "pts_in_hull.npy"),
 )
 
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/detect_faces.py b/packages/ai/python/detect_faces.py
index 855350ad..9c9507e9 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/detect_faces.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/detect_faces.py
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
 
 # ── Model path for new mp.tasks API ─────────────────────────────────
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 _FACE_DETECT_MODEL_URL = "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/face_detector/blaze_face_short_range/float16/latest/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
-_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = "/opt/models/mediapipe/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
+_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "mediapipe", "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", ".models")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_LOCAL_MODEL_DIR, "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/enhance_faces.py b/packages/ai/python/enhance_faces.py
index 23131972..cde11b7f 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/enhance_faces.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/enhance_faces.py
@@ -26,21 +26,23 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
     print(json.dumps({"progress": percent, "stage": stage}), file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
 
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 GFPGAN_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "GFPGAN_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/gfpgan/GFPGANv1.3.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "gfpgan", "GFPGANv1.3.pth"),
 )
 
 CODEFORMER_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "CODEFORMER_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/codeformer/codeformer.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "codeformer", "codeformer.pth"),
 )
 
 
 # ── Model path for new mp.tasks API ─────────────────────────────────
 
 _FACE_DETECT_MODEL_URL = "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/face_detector/blaze_face_short_range/float16/latest/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
-_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = "/opt/models/mediapipe/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
+_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "mediapipe", "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", ".models")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_LOCAL_MODEL_DIR, "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/face_landmarks.py b/packages/ai/python/face_landmarks.py
index 16351a67..344e9bf9 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/face_landmarks.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/face_landmarks.py
@@ -78,8 +78,10 @@ def detect_with_solutions(img_array):
 
 # ── New API: mp.tasks (mediapipe >= 0.10.30) ───────────────────────
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 MODEL_URL = "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/face_landmarker/face_landmarker/float16/latest/face_landmarker.task"
-_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = "/opt/models/mediapipe/face_landmarker.task"
+_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "mediapipe", "face_landmarker.task")
 MODEL_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", ".models")
 MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(MODEL_DIR, "face_landmarker.task")
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/inpaint.py b/packages/ai/python/inpaint.py
index 3d345849..33b1e143 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/inpaint.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/inpaint.py
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
 # Resolve the LaMa ONNX model path.
 # Docker places it at /opt/models/lama/lama_fp32.onnx.
 # For local dev, check a user-writable cache dir.
-LAMA_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("LAMA_MODEL_DIR", "/opt/models/lama")
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+LAMA_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("LAMA_MODEL_DIR", os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "lama"))
 LAMA_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(LAMA_MODEL_DIR, "lama_fp32.onnx")
 LAMA_LOCAL_CACHE = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".cache", "ashim", "lama")
 LAMA_LOCAL_PATH = os.path.join(LAMA_LOCAL_CACHE, "lama_fp32.onnx")
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/noise_removal.py b/packages/ai/python/noise_removal.py
index f2b09b8c..2fdb310a 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/noise_removal.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/noise_removal.py
@@ -9,15 +9,17 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
     print(json.dumps({"progress": percent, "stage": stage}), file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
 
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 # Model paths - Docker locations as defaults, with env var overrides
 SCUNET_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "SCUNET_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/scunet/scunet_color_real_psnr.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "scunet", "scunet_color_real_psnr.pth"),
 )
 
 NAFNET_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "NAFNET_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/nafnet/NAFNet-SIDD-width64.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "nafnet", "NAFNet-SIDD-width64.pth"),
 )
 
 # Local cache for dev installs
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/red_eye_removal.py b/packages/ai/python/red_eye_removal.py
index e4443530..27ecc6e5 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/red_eye_removal.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/red_eye_removal.py
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
 
 # ── Model path for new mp.tasks API ─────────────────────────────────
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 _FACE_MESH_MODEL_URL = "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/face_landmarker/face_landmarker/float16/latest/face_landmarker.task"
-_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = "/opt/models/mediapipe/face_landmarker.task"
+_DOCKER_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "mediapipe", "face_landmarker.task")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", ".models")
 _LOCAL_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(_LOCAL_MODEL_DIR, "face_landmarker.task")
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/restore.py b/packages/ai/python/restore.py
index 5d1fb8ad..2a03d62d 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/restore.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/restore.py
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
 
 # ── Model paths ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-LAMA_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("LAMA_MODEL_DIR", "/opt/models/lama")
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
+LAMA_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("LAMA_MODEL_DIR", os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "lama"))
 LAMA_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(LAMA_MODEL_DIR, "lama_fp32.onnx")
 LAMA_LOCAL_CACHE = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".cache", "ashim", "lama")
 LAMA_LOCAL_PATH = os.path.join(LAMA_LOCAL_CACHE, "lama_fp32.onnx")
 
-CODEFORMER_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("CODEFORMER_MODEL_DIR", "/opt/models/codeformer")
+CODEFORMER_MODEL_DIR = os.environ.get("CODEFORMER_MODEL_DIR", os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "codeformer"))
 CODEFORMER_MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(CODEFORMER_MODEL_DIR, "codeformer.onnx")
 CODEFORMER_LOCAL_CACHE = os.path.join(
     os.path.expanduser("~"), ".cache", "ashim", "codeformer"
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ CODEFORMER_LOCAL_CACHE = os.path.join(
 CODEFORMER_LOCAL_PATH = os.path.join(CODEFORMER_LOCAL_CACHE, "codeformer.onnx")
 
 DDCOLOR_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
-    "DDCOLOR_MODEL_PATH", "/opt/models/ddcolor/ddcolor.onnx"
+    "DDCOLOR_MODEL_PATH", os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "ddcolor", "ddcolor.onnx")
 )
 
 LAMA_MODEL_SIZE = 512
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ def _get_codeformer_path():
 # ── Model path for new mp.tasks API ─────────────────────────────────
 
 _FACE_DETECT_MODEL_URL = "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/face_detector/blaze_face_short_range/float16/latest/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
-_FACE_DETECT_DOCKER_PATH = "/opt/models/mediapipe/blaze_face_short_range.tflite"
+_FACE_DETECT_DOCKER_PATH = os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "mediapipe", "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 _FACE_DETECT_LOCAL_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", ".models")
 _FACE_DETECT_LOCAL_PATH = os.path.join(_FACE_DETECT_LOCAL_DIR, "blaze_face_short_range.tflite")
 
diff --git a/packages/ai/python/upscale.py b/packages/ai/python/upscale.py
index c0107902..8792992f 100644
--- a/packages/ai/python/upscale.py
+++ b/packages/ai/python/upscale.py
@@ -26,14 +26,16 @@ def emit_progress(percent, stage):
     print(json.dumps({"progress": percent, "stage": stage}), file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
 
 
+_MODELS_BASE = os.environ.get("MODELS_PATH", "/opt/models")
+
 REALESRGAN_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "REALESRGAN_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/realesrgan/RealESRGAN_x4plus.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "realesrgan", "RealESRGAN_x4plus.pth"),
 )
 
 GFPGAN_MODEL_PATH = os.environ.get(
     "GFPGAN_MODEL_PATH",
-    "/opt/models/gfpgan/GFPGANv1.3.pth",
+    os.path.join(_MODELS_BASE, "gfpgan", "GFPGANv1.3.pth"),
 )