diff --git a/pkg/inference/scheduling/loader.go b/pkg/inference/scheduling/loader.go
index 536bd80ff..d27c12bdb 100644
--- a/pkg/inference/scheduling/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/inference/scheduling/loader.go
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ const (
 	// being it is almost certainly greater than the number of models that most
 	// developers' systems will be able to load.
 	maximumRunnerSlots = 8
-	// runnerIdleTimeout is the maximum amount of time that a runner can sit
-	// idle (i.e. without any requests) before being terminated.
-	runnerIdleTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	// defaultRunnerIdleTimeout is the default maximum amount of time that a
+	// runner can sit idle (i.e. without any requests) before being terminated.
+	defaultRunnerIdleTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
 )
 
 var (
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ type loader struct {
 	backends map[string]inference.Backend
 	// modelManager is the shared model manager.
 	modelManager *models.Manager
+	// runnerIdleTimeout is the loader-specific default runner idle timeout.
+	runnerIdleTimeout time.Duration
 	// totalMemory is the total system memory allocated to the loader.
 	totalMemory uint64
 	// idleCheck is used to signal the run loop when timestamps have updated.
@@ -103,6 +105,19 @@ func newLoader(
 	// tune this heuristic for systems with enormous amounts of VRAM.
 	nSlots := min(runtime.NumCPU(), maximumRunnerSlots)
 
+	// Check if we have a special environment.
+	isGPUEnabledCloudEnvironment := environment.Get() == environment.EnvironmentCloud &&
+		os.Getenv("NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES") != ""
+
+	// Compute the idle runner timeout.
+	//
+	// HACK: On GPU-enabled cloud engines, we'll bump this to 8 hours. We can
+	// remove this once we have configurable TTLs.
+	runnerIdleTimeout := defaultRunnerIdleTimeout
+	if isGPUEnabledCloudEnvironment {
+		runnerIdleTimeout = 8 * time.Hour
+	}
+
 	// Compute the amount of available memory.
 	//
 	// TODO: For now, we treat the system as having memory size 1 and all models
@@ -113,28 +128,30 @@ func newLoader(
 	// computing model size through estimation (using parameter count and
 	// quantization data type size).
 	//
-	// HACK: On GPU-enabled cloud engines, we'll temporarily bump this to 2.
+	// HACK: On GPU-enabled cloud engines, we'll bump this to 2. We can remove
+	// this once we have VRAM estimation.
 	totalMemory := uint64(1)
-	if environment.Get() == environment.EnvironmentCloud && os.Getenv("NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES") != "" {
+	if isGPUEnabledCloudEnvironment {
 		totalMemory = 2
 	}
 
 	// Create the loader.
 	l := &loader{
-		log:             log,
-		backends:        backends,
-		modelManager:    modelManager,
-		totalMemory:     totalMemory,
-		idleCheck:       make(chan struct{}, 1),
-		guard:           make(chan struct{}, 1),
-		availableMemory: totalMemory,
-		waiters:         make(map[chan<- struct{}]bool),
-		runners:         make(map[runnerKey]int, nSlots),
-		slots:           make([]*runner, nSlots),
-		references:      make([]uint, nSlots),
-		allocations:     make([]uint64, nSlots),
-		timestamps:      make([]time.Time, nSlots),
-		runnerConfigs:   make(map[runnerKey]inference.BackendConfiguration),
+		log:               log,
+		backends:          backends,
+		modelManager:      modelManager,
+		runnerIdleTimeout: runnerIdleTimeout,
+		totalMemory:       totalMemory,
+		idleCheck:         make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		guard:             make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		availableMemory:   totalMemory,
+		waiters:           make(map[chan<- struct{}]bool),
+		runners:           make(map[runnerKey]int, nSlots),
+		slots:             make([]*runner, nSlots),
+		references:        make([]uint, nSlots),
+		allocations:       make([]uint64, nSlots),
+		timestamps:        make([]time.Time, nSlots),
+		runnerConfigs:     make(map[runnerKey]inference.BackendConfiguration),
 	}
 	l.guard <- struct{}{}
 	return l
@@ -175,7 +192,7 @@ func (l *loader) evict(idleOnly bool) int {
 	now := time.Now()
 	for r, slot := range l.runners {
 		unused := l.references[slot] == 0
-		idle := unused && now.Sub(l.timestamps[slot]) > runnerIdleTimeout
+		idle := unused && now.Sub(l.timestamps[slot]) > l.runnerIdleTimeout
 		defunct := false
 		select {
 		case <-l.slots[slot].done:
@@ -282,7 +299,7 @@ func (l *loader) idleCheckDuration() time.Duration {
 	// Compute the remaining duration. If negative, check immediately, otherwise
 	// wait until 100 milliseconds after expiration time (to avoid checking
 	// right on the expiration boundary).
-	if remaining := runnerIdleTimeout - time.Since(oldest); remaining < 0 {
+	if remaining := l.runnerIdleTimeout - time.Since(oldest); remaining < 0 {
 		return 0
 	} else {
 		return remaining + 100*time.Millisecond