diff --git a/docs/python-api.md b/docs/python-api.md
index 9665281..774958e 100644
--- a/docs/python-api.md
+++ b/docs/python-api.md
@@ -464,6 +464,33 @@ response = conversation.prompt(
 
 Access `conversation.responses` for a list of all of the responses that have so far been returned during the conversation.
 
+### Conversations using tools
+
+You can pass a list of tool functions to the `tools=[]` argument when you start a new conversation:
+```python
+import llm
+
+def upper(text: str) -> str:
+    "convert text to upper case"
+    return text.upper()
+
+def reverse(text: str) -> str:
+    "reverse text"
+    return text[::-1]
+
+model = llm.get_model("gpt-4.1-mini")
+conversation = model.conversation(tools=[upper, reverse])
+```
+You can then call the `conversation.chain()` method multiple times to have a conversation that uses those tools:
+```python
+print(conversation.chain(
+    "Convert panda to uppercase and reverse it"
+).text())
+print(conversation.chain(
+    "Same with pangolin"
+).text())
+```
+
 (python-api-listing-models)=
 
 ## Listing models
diff --git a/llm/models.py b/llm/models.py
index 284b4e9..db71392 100644
--- a/llm/models.py
+++ b/llm/models.py
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ class _BaseConversation:
     id: str = field(default_factory=lambda: str(ULID()).lower())
     name: Optional[str] = None
     responses: List["_BaseResponse"] = field(default_factory=list)
+    tools: Optional[List[Tool]] = None
 
     @classmethod
     @abstractmethod
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ class Conversation(_BaseConversation):
                 attachments=attachments,
                 system=system,
                 schema=schema,
-                tools=tools,
+                tools=tools or self.tools,
                 tool_results=tool_results,
                 system_fragments=system_fragments,
                 options=self.model.Options(**options),
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ class Conversation(_BaseConversation):
                 attachments=attachments,
                 system=system,
                 schema=schema,
-                tools=tools,
+                tools=tools or self.tools,
                 tool_results=tool_results,
                 system_fragments=system_fragments,
                 model=self.model,
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ class AsyncConversation(_BaseConversation):
                 attachments=attachments,
                 system=system,
                 schema=schema,
-                tools=tools,
+                tools=tools or self.tools,
                 tool_results=tool_results,
                 system_fragments=system_fragments,
                 model=self.model,
@@ -1481,8 +1482,8 @@ class _BaseModel(ABC, _get_key_mixin):
 
 
 class _Model(_BaseModel):
-    def conversation(self) -> Conversation:
-        return Conversation(model=self)
+    def conversation(self, tools: Optional[List[Tool]] = None) -> Conversation:
+        return Conversation(model=self, tools=tools)
 
     def prompt(
         self,
@@ -1580,8 +1581,8 @@ class KeyModel(_Model):
 
 
 class _AsyncModel(_BaseModel):
-    def conversation(self) -> AsyncConversation:
-        return AsyncConversation(model=self)
+    def conversation(self, tools: Optional[List[Tool]] = None) -> AsyncConversation:
+        return AsyncConversation(model=self, tools=tools)
 
     def prompt(
         self,
diff --git a/tests/test_tools.py b/tests/test_tools.py
index 553b47a..de2fb35 100644
--- a/tests/test_tools.py
+++ b/tests/test_tools.py
@@ -170,3 +170,34 @@ async def test_async_tools_run_tools_in_parallel():
     delta_ns = start_timestamps[1][1] - start_timestamps[0][1]
     # They should have run in parallel so it should be less than 0.02s difference
     assert delta_ns < (100_000_000 * 0.2)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.vcr
+def test_conversation_with_tools(vcr):
+    import llm
+
+    def add(a: int, b: int) -> int:
+        return a + b
+
+    def multiply(a: int, b: int) -> int:
+        return a * b
+
+    model = llm.get_model("echo")
+    conversation = model.conversation(tools=[add, multiply])
+
+    output1 = conversation.chain(
+        json.dumps(
+            {"tool_calls": [{"name": "multiply", "arguments": {"a": 5324, "b": 23233}}]}
+        )
+    ).text()
+    assert "123692492" in output1
+    output2 = conversation.chain(
+        json.dumps(
+            {
+                "tool_calls": [
+                    {"name": "add", "arguments": {"a": 841758375, "b": 123123}}
+                ]
+            }
+        )
+    ).text()
+    assert "841881498" in output2