diff --git a/static/app.js b/static/app.js
index 46776dd67..927ee8b28 100644
--- a/static/app.js
+++ b/static/app.js
@@ -4051,6 +4051,7 @@ function startOdysseusApp() {
 
   // Non-critical: load in parallel, resolve silently
   modelsModule.refreshModels(false).then(() => {
+    try { sessionModule.updateModelPicker(); } catch (_) {}
     const modelsBox = document.getElementById('models');
     const hasModels = modelsBox && modelsBox.querySelector('.models-row');
     if (!hasModels) {
diff --git a/static/js/modelPicker.js b/static/js/modelPicker.js
index 2feda9add..75a4a4af4 100644
--- a/static/js/modelPicker.js
+++ b/static/js/modelPicker.js
@@ -754,6 +754,18 @@ export function updateModelPicker() {
   // silently pre-populate the chatbox of the next user that signed in. If
   // we have no session model and no pending-chat pick, fall through to
   // the "Select model" placeholder below.
+  //
+  // But if the server model cache already has an online endpoint, make the
+  // same safe fallback visible in the picker immediately. The send path can
+  // already resolve a usable model; the UI should not sit on "Select model"
+  // and make it look broken.
+  if (!modelId && !currentSessionId && window.modelsModule && window.modelsModule.getCachedItems) {
+    const fallback = _firstAvailableModel();
+    if (fallback) {
+      _deps.setPendingChat(fallback);
+      modelId = fallback.modelId;
+    }
+  }
 
   // Check if selected model is still available — fall back ONLY for pending chats with no user selection
   // Never override an existing session's model — the user explicitly chose it