diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.test.tsx
index f7765de04c595..21af3324a82f4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.test.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ vi.mock('@/store/notifications', () => ({
 
 type Controls = ReturnType<typeof useModelControls>
 
+function deferred<T>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T) => void
+  let reject!: (reason?: unknown) => void
+
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((res, rej) => {
+    resolve = res
+    reject = rej
+  })
+
+  return { promise, resolve, reject }
+}
+
 function Harness({
   activeSessionId,
   onReady,
@@ -59,6 +71,7 @@ function Harness({
 
 describe('useModelControls', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
     $activeSessionId.set(null)
     setCurrentModel('')
     setCurrentProvider('')
@@ -195,4 +208,58 @@ describe('useModelControls', () => {
     await result.current.refreshCurrentModel(true)
     expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('openai/gpt-5.5')
   })
+
+  it('retries a forced refresh until the profile default becomes available', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    vi.mocked(getGlobalModelInfo)
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('booting'))
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('still booting'))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ model: 'openai/gpt-5.5', provider: 'openai-codex' })
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+      useModelControls({
+        activeSessionId: null,
+        queryClient: new QueryClient(),
+        requestGateway: vi.fn()
+      })
+    )
+
+    const refreshPromise = result.current.refreshCurrentModel(true)
+
+    await vi.runAllTimersAsync()
+    await refreshPromise
+
+    expect(getGlobalModelInfo).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+    expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('openai/gpt-5.5')
+    expect($currentProvider.get()).toBe('openai-codex')
+  })
+
+  it('ignores stale forced refresh results when a newer profile refresh wins the race', async () => {
+    const first = deferred<{ model: string; provider: string }>()
+    const second = deferred<{ model: string; provider: string }>()
+
+    vi.mocked(getGlobalModelInfo)
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => first.promise)
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => second.promise)
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+      useModelControls({
+        activeSessionId: null,
+        queryClient: new QueryClient(),
+        requestGateway: vi.fn()
+      })
+    )
+
+    const staleRefresh = result.current.refreshCurrentModel(true)
+    const latestRefresh = result.current.refreshCurrentModel(true)
+
+    second.resolve({ model: 'anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6', provider: 'anthropic' })
+    await latestRefresh
+
+    first.resolve({ model: 'openai/gpt-5.5', provider: 'openai-codex' })
+    await staleRefresh
+
+    expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6')
+    expect($currentProvider.get()).toBe('anthropic')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts
index 50788b1e0befe..90ea5d27c2e80 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { type QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query'
-import { useCallback } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useRef } from 'react'
 
 import { getGlobalModelInfo } from '@/hermes'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
@@ -24,9 +24,18 @@ interface ModelControlsOptions {
   requestGateway: <T = unknown>(method: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<T>
 }
 
+const FORCE_REFRESH_RETRY_DELAYS_MS = [250, 750, 2_000] as const
+
+function delay(ms: number): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    setTimeout(resolve, ms)
+  })
+}
+
 export function useModelControls({ activeSessionId, queryClient, requestGateway }: ModelControlsOptions) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
   const copy = t.desktop
+  const refreshRequestIdRef = useRef(0)
 
   const updateModelOptionsCache = useCallback(
     (provider: string, model: string, includeGlobal: boolean) => {
@@ -47,30 +56,55 @@ export function useModelControls({ activeSessionId, queryClient, requestGateway
   // $currentModel) survives the lifecycle refreshes that fire on boot / fresh
   // draft / session events. A live session owns the footer, so skip entirely.
   const refreshCurrentModel = useCallback(async (force = false) => {
-    try {
-      if ($activeSessionId.get()) {
-        return
-      }
+    if ($activeSessionId.get()) {
+      return
+    }
 
-      if (!force && $currentModel.get()) {
-        return
-      }
+    if (!force && $currentModel.get()) {
+      return
+    }
 
-      const result = await getGlobalModelInfo()
+    const requestId = ++refreshRequestIdRef.current
+    const retryDelays = force ? FORCE_REFRESH_RETRY_DELAYS_MS : []
+
+    for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= retryDelays.length; attempt += 1) {
+      try {
+        const result = await getGlobalModelInfo()
+
+        if (refreshRequestIdRef.current !== requestId) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        if ($activeSessionId.get() || (!force && $currentModel.get())) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        if (typeof result.model === 'string') {
+          setCurrentModel(result.model)
+        }
+
+        if (typeof result.provider === 'string') {
+          setCurrentProvider(result.provider)
+        }
 
-      if ($activeSessionId.get() || (!force && $currentModel.get())) {
         return
-      }
+      } catch {
+        if (refreshRequestIdRef.current !== requestId) {
+          return
+        }
 
-      if (typeof result.model === 'string') {
-        setCurrentModel(result.model)
-      }
+        const retryDelay = retryDelays[attempt]
+
+        if (typeof retryDelay !== 'number') {
+          return
+        }
+
+        await delay(retryDelay)
 
-      if (typeof result.provider === 'string') {
-        setCurrentProvider(result.provider)
+        if (refreshRequestIdRef.current !== requestId) {
+          return
+        }
       }
-    } catch {
-      // The delayed session.info event still updates this once the agent is ready.
     }
   }, [])