diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 68d076e..8ca347d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -248,10 +248,9 @@ models:
   - name: "Local Llama"
     provider: http
     model: llama3.1:8b
+    endpoint: "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
     temperature: 0.7
     max_tokens: 1024
-    additional_params:
-      endpoint: "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
 ```
 
 **Setup:**
@@ -270,10 +269,12 @@ models:
   - name: "Display Name"           # Human-readable name
     provider: anthropic             # anthropic, openai, google, http
     model: model-identifier         # Model ID
+    endpoint: "http://..."          # Optional, for HTTP provider
     temperature: 0.7                # 0.0-1.0
     max_tokens: 1024                # Maximum output tokens
     additional_params:              # Provider-specific params
-      endpoint: "http://..."        # For HTTP provider
+      # endpoint under additional_params is still accepted for backwards compatibility
+      custom_option: "value"
 ```
 
 ### Judge
diff --git a/examples/configs/local_model.yaml b/examples/configs/local_model.yaml
index e642597..448d722 100644
--- a/examples/configs/local_model.yaml
+++ b/examples/configs/local_model.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ models:
   - name: "Local Llama 3.1 8B"
     provider: http
     model: llama3.1:8b
+    endpoint: "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
     temperature: 0.7
     max_tokens: 1024
-    additional_params:
-      endpoint: "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
 
 judge:
   provider: anthropic
diff --git a/promptlens/models/config.py b/promptlens/models/config.py
index 7c85798..e14bc4c 100644
--- a/promptlens/models/config.py
+++ b/promptlens/models/config.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class ModelConfig(BaseModel):
         name: Display name for the model
         provider: Provider name
         model: Model identifier
+        endpoint: Optional endpoint URL (for HTTP/local providers)
+        timeout: Optional request timeout in seconds
         temperature: Sampling temperature
         max_tokens: Maximum tokens to generate
         additional_params: Provider-specific parameters
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ class ModelConfig(BaseModel):
     name: str
     provider: str
     model: str
+    endpoint: Optional[str] = None
+    timeout: Optional[int] = None
     temperature: float = 0.7
     max_tokens: int = 1024
     additional_params: Dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
diff --git a/promptlens/providers/factory.py b/promptlens/providers/factory.py
index 4f78907..8eed5bf 100644
--- a/promptlens/providers/factory.py
+++ b/promptlens/providers/factory.py
@@ -41,13 +41,23 @@ def get_provider(model_config: ModelConfig) -> BaseProvider:
             f"Available providers: {available}"
         )
 
+    # Copy params so we can normalize legacy keys without mutating input
+    additional_params = dict(model_config.additional_params)
+
+    # Backwards compatibility: allow endpoint under additional_params for HTTP provider
+    endpoint = model_config.endpoint
+    if provider_name == "http" and endpoint is None:
+        endpoint = additional_params.pop("endpoint", None)
+
     # Convert ModelConfig to ProviderConfig
     provider_config = ProviderConfig(
         name=provider_name,
         model=model_config.model,
+        endpoint=endpoint,
+        timeout=model_config.timeout or 60,
         temperature=model_config.temperature,
         max_tokens=model_config.max_tokens,
-        additional_params=model_config.additional_params,
+        additional_params=additional_params,
     )
 
     # Get provider class and instantiate
diff --git a/tests/test_provider_factory_hardening.py b/tests/test_provider_factory_hardening.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61c9baa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_provider_factory_hardening.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+from promptlens.models.config import ModelConfig
+from promptlens.providers.factory import get_provider
+from promptlens.providers.http import HTTPProvider
+
+
+def test_http_provider_supports_legacy_endpoint_in_additional_params() -> None:
+    provider = get_provider(
+        ModelConfig(
+            name="Local model",
+            provider="http",
+            model="llama3.1:8b",
+            additional_params={
+                "endpoint": "http://localhost:11434/api/generate",
+                "temperature": 0.2,
+            },
+        )
+    )
+
+    assert isinstance(provider, HTTPProvider)
+    assert provider.endpoint == "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
+    assert "endpoint" not in provider.config.additional_params
+    assert provider.config.additional_params["temperature"] == 0.2
+
+
+def test_http_provider_accepts_top_level_endpoint() -> None:
+    provider = get_provider(
+        ModelConfig(
+            name="Local model",
+            provider="http",
+            model="llama3.1:8b",
+            endpoint="http://localhost:11434/api/generate",
+        )
+    )
+
+    assert isinstance(provider, HTTPProvider)
+    assert provider.endpoint == "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"