diff --git a/examples/server/tests/tests.sh b/examples/server/tests/tests.sh
index 87526c3b4..e61d01b16 100755
--- a/examples/server/tests/tests.sh
+++ b/examples/server/tests/tests.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # make sure we are in the right directory
-SCRIPT_DIR=$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )
-cd $SCRIPT_DIR
+TESTS_DIR=$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )
+cd $TESTS_DIR
 
 set -eu
 
+if [[ "${SLOW_TESTS:-0}" == 1 ]]; then
+    # Slow tests for tool calls need quite a few models ahead of time to avoid timing out.
+    python $TESTS_DIR/../../../scripts/fetch_server_test_models.py
+fi
+
 if [ $# -lt 1 ]
 then
-    pytest -v -x -m "not slow"
+    if [[ "${SLOW_TESTS:-0}" == 1 ]]; then
+        pytest -v -x
+    else
+        pytest -v -x -m "not slow"
+    fi
 else
     pytest "$@"
 fi