diff --git a/static/boot.js b/static/boot.js
index b1c67dd6..a405118c 100644
--- a/static/boot.js
+++ b/static/boot.js
@@ -1477,12 +1477,8 @@ function applyBotName(){
       if(sel&&typeof _applyModelToDropdown==='function'){
         // Fresh page boot must prefer the profile/server default over stale
         // browser-persisted model state. A restored session can still apply its
-        // own persisted model later through loadSession().
-        if(typeof _clearPersistedModelState==='function') _clearPersistedModelState();
-        else {
-          localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model');
-          localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model-state');
-        }
+        // own persisted model later through loadSession(). Preserve the browser
+        // keys for legacy/no-default fallback paths instead of deleting them.
         const existingDefaultOpt=Array.from(sel.options).find(o=>o.value===s.default_model);
         if(existingDefaultOpt&&window._activeProvider&&!existingDefaultOpt.dataset.provider){
           existingDefaultOpt.dataset.provider=window._activeProvider;
@@ -1590,10 +1586,7 @@ function applyBotName(){
   // Fetch available models without blocking session restore. The static HTML
   // options are enough for first paint; the dynamic provider list can settle
   // after the saved session is visible.
-  const _hydrateBootModelDropdown=()=>populateModelDropdown().then(()=>{
-    const sessionModelState=S.session&&S.session.model
-      ? {model:S.session.model,model_provider:S.session.model_provider||null}
-      : null;
+  const _hydrateBootModelDropdown=()=>populateModelDropdown({preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot:true}).then(()=>{
     const savedState=(typeof _readPersistedModelState==='function')
       ? _readPersistedModelState()
       : (localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-model')?{model:localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-model'),model_provider:null}:null);
diff --git a/static/ui.js b/static/ui.js
index b7c581f6..88b5365c 100644
--- a/static/ui.js
+++ b/static/ui.js
@@ -779,6 +779,33 @@ function _modelStateForSelect(sel, modelId){
   const provider=String(_getOptionProviderId(opt)||'').trim();
   return {model:value,model_provider:(provider&&provider!=='default')?provider:null};
 }
+function _captureModelDropdownSelection(sel){
+  if(!sel||!sel.value) return null;
+  try{
+    const state=_modelStateForSelect(sel,sel.value);
+    if(state&&state.model) return state;
+  }catch(_){}
+  return {model:String(sel.value||''),model_provider:null};
+}
+function _reconcileModelDropdownSelection(sel,data,previousState,opts){
+  if(!sel) return null;
+  const activeSession=(typeof S!=='undefined'&&S&&S.session)?S.session:null;
+  // Fresh boot is the only path where the profile/server default intentionally
+  // beats a browser-persisted or static fallback value. Every other model-list
+  // rebuild should preserve the loaded session model or the user's current
+  // in-page selection when it still exists in the refreshed catalog.
+  const shouldApplyBootDefault=!!(opts&&opts.preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot);
+  if(shouldApplyBootDefault && data&&data.default_model && !(activeSession&&activeSession.model)){
+    return _applyModelToDropdown(data.default_model,sel,data.active_provider||null);
+  }
+  if(activeSession&&activeSession.model){
+    return _applyModelToDropdown(activeSession.model,sel,activeSession.model_provider||null);
+  }
+  if(previousState&&previousState.model){
+    return _applyModelToDropdown(previousState.model,sel,previousState.model_provider||null);
+  }
+  return null;
+}
 function _providerQualifiedModelValueForSelect(sel, modelId){
   return _modelStateForSelect(sel,modelId).model;
 }
@@ -988,7 +1015,7 @@ function _applySessionModelFallback(sel){
   return null;
 }
 
-async function populateModelDropdown(){
+async function populateModelDropdown(opts={}){
   const sel=$('modelSelect');
   if(!sel) return;
   try{
@@ -1046,6 +1073,7 @@ async function populateModelDropdown(){
       : _synthGroupsFromConfigured();
 
     if(!groups.length) return; // no server groups and no configured fallback
+    const previousSelection=_captureModelDropdownSelection(sel);
     // Clear existing options
     sel.innerHTML='';
     _dynamicModelLabels={};
@@ -1078,12 +1106,7 @@ async function populateModelDropdown(){
       }
       sel.appendChild(og);
     }
-    // Set default model from server on fresh/blank boot. Loaded sessions keep
-    // their own persisted model and apply it via loadSession(). Do not let stale
-    // browser localStorage suppress the profile default.
-    if(data.default_model && !(S.session&&S.session.model)){
-      _applyModelToDropdown(data.default_model, sel, data.active_provider||null);
-    }
+    _reconcileModelDropdownSelection(sel,data,previousSelection,opts);
     if(typeof syncModelChip==='function') syncModelChip();
     const dd=$('composerModelDropdown');
     if(dd&&dd.classList.contains('open')&&typeof renderModelDropdown==='function'){
diff --git a/tests/test_model_default_boot_precedence.py b/tests/test_model_default_boot_precedence.py
index 730346e3..361fbe53 100644
--- a/tests/test_model_default_boot_precedence.py
+++ b/tests/test_model_default_boot_precedence.py
@@ -3,32 +3,310 @@ Regression coverage for model selector drift on fresh browser boot.
 
 A stale browser-persisted model (localStorage) must not suppress the configured
 profile/server default on page load. Restored sessions may still apply their own
-session model later through loadSession().
+session model later through loadSession(). The boot fix must not make browser
+model-state writes pointless or let later model-list refreshes reset a live
+in-page selection.
 """
+import json
+import shutil
+import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+
 
 REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
 BOOT_JS = (REPO / "static" / "boot.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
 UI_JS = (REPO / "static" / "ui.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+NODE = shutil.which("node")
 
 
-def test_boot_settings_applies_default_even_when_browser_model_state_exists():
-    assert "Fresh page boot must prefer the profile/server default" in BOOT_JS
-    assert "_clearPersistedModelState" in BOOT_JS
-    assert "localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model-state')" in BOOT_JS
-    assert "if(sel&&typeof _applyModelToDropdown==='function')" in BOOT_JS
+_DRIVER_SRC = r"""
+const fs = require('fs');
+const ui = fs.readFileSync(process.argv[2], 'utf8');
+
+function extractFunc(name) {
+  const re = new RegExp('(?:async\\s+)?function\\s+' + name + '\\s*\\(');
+  const start = ui.search(re);
+  if (start < 0) throw new Error(name + ' not found');
+  let openParen = ui.indexOf('(', start);
+  let i = openParen + 1;
+  let parenDepth = 1;
+  while (parenDepth > 0 && i < ui.length) {
+    if (ui[i] === '(') parenDepth++;
+    else if (ui[i] === ')') parenDepth--;
+    i++;
+  }
+  i = ui.indexOf('{', i);
+  let depth = 1;
+  i++;
+  while (depth > 0 && i < ui.length) {
+    if (ui[i] === '{') depth++;
+    else if (ui[i] === '}') depth--;
+    i++;
+  }
+  return ui.slice(start, i);
+}
+
+const calls = {syncModelChip: 0, renderModelDropdown: 0, positionModelDropdown: 0, liveFetches: []};
+let modelSelect;
+let apiModels;
+
+function makeSelect(options, initialValue) {
+  const sel = {id: 'modelSelect', options: [], selectedIndex: -1, selectedOptions: []};
+  Object.defineProperty(sel, 'value', {
+    get() { return this._value || ''; },
+    set(v) {
+      this._value = v;
+      const idx = this.options.findIndex(o => o.value === v);
+      this.selectedIndex = idx;
+      this.selectedOptions = idx >= 0 ? [this.options[idx]] : [];
+    }
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(sel, 'innerHTML', {
+    get() { return ''; },
+    set(_v) {
+      this.options = [];
+      this.value = '';
+    }
+  });
+  sel.querySelector = function(_selector) { return this.options[0] || null; };
+  sel.appendChild = function(node) {
+    const incoming = node && node.tagName === 'OPTGROUP' ? node.children : [node];
+    for (const opt of incoming || []) {
+      opt.parentElement = opt.parentElement || node;
+      this.options.push(opt);
+      if (this.selectedIndex < 0) this.value = opt.value;
+      else if (this._value === opt.value) this.value = opt.value;
+    }
+  };
+  for (const item of options || []) {
+    const group = {tagName: 'OPTGROUP', dataset: {provider: item.provider || ''}, children: []};
+    const opt = {tagName: 'OPTION', value: item.value, textContent: item.label || item.value, title: '', dataset: {}, parentElement: group};
+    group.children.push(opt);
+    sel.appendChild(group);
+  }
+  sel.value = initialValue || '';
+  return sel;
+}
+
+function $(id) {
+  if (id === 'modelSelect') return modelSelect;
+  if (id === 'composerModelDropdown') return {classList: {contains(){ return false; }}};
+  return null;
+}
+function t(key) { return key; }
+function getModelLabel(v) { return v; }
+function syncModelChip() { calls.syncModelChip++; }
+function renderModelDropdown() { calls.renderModelDropdown++; }
+function _positionModelDropdown() { calls.positionModelDropdown++; }
+function _redirectIfUnauth() { return false; }
+function _fetchLiveModels(provider, _sel) { calls.liveFetches.push(provider); }
+
+const document = {
+  baseURI: 'http://127.0.0.1/hermes/',
+  createElement(tag) {
+    const upper = tag.toUpperCase();
+    if (upper === 'OPTGROUP') {
+      return {
+        tagName: 'OPTGROUP',
+        label: '',
+        dataset: {},
+        children: [],
+        appendChild(opt) { opt.parentElement = this; this.children.push(opt); },
+      };
+    }
+    return {tagName: upper, value: '', textContent: '', title: '', dataset: {}, parentElement: null};
+  },
+};
+const localStorage = {getItem(){return null;}, setItem(){}, removeItem(){}};
+const window = {_defaultModel: null, _activeProvider: null, _configuredModelBadges: {}};
+let _dynamicModelLabels = {};
+let _liveModelFetchPending = new Set();
+let _liveModelCache = {};
+
+for (const name of [
+  '_getOptionProviderId', '_providerFromModelValue', '_modelStateForSelect',
+  '_captureModelDropdownSelection', '_findModelInDropdown', '_refreshOpenModelDropdown',
+  '_applyModelToDropdown', '_reconcileModelDropdownSelection', 'populateModelDropdown'
+]) {
+  eval(extractFunc(name));
+}
+
+const args = JSON.parse(process.argv[3]);
+apiModels = args.apiModels;
+modelSelect = makeSelect(args.initialOptions, args.initialValue);
+var S = {session: args.session || null};
+
+fetch = async function(url) {
+  const href = String(url);
+  if (href.includes('api/models')) {
+    return {json: async () => apiModels};
+  }
+  throw new Error('unexpected fetch ' + href);
+};
+
+populateModelDropdown(args.opts || {}).then(() => {
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({
+    selectValue: modelSelect.value,
+    selectedProvider: modelSelect.selectedOptions[0] ? _getOptionProviderId(modelSelect.selectedOptions[0]) : null,
+    defaultModel: window._defaultModel,
+    activeProvider: window._activeProvider,
+    calls,
+  }));
+}).catch(err => {
+  console.error(err && err.stack || err);
+  process.exit(1);
+});
+"""
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def populate_driver_path(tmp_path_factory):
+    p = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("model_default_driver") / "driver.js"
+    p.write_text(_DRIVER_SRC, encoding="utf-8")
+    return str(p)
+
+
+def test_boot_settings_applies_default_without_deleting_browser_model_state():
+    snippet = _boot_default_apply_snippet()
+    assert "Fresh page boot must prefer the profile/server default" in snippet
+    assert "if(sel&&typeof _applyModelToDropdown==='function')" in snippet
     assert "if(sel&&!savedState&&typeof _applyModelToDropdown==='function')" not in BOOT_JS
+    assert "_clearPersistedModelState" not in snippet
+    assert "localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model')" not in snippet
+    assert "localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model-state')" not in snippet
 
 
-def test_populate_model_dropdown_default_not_blocked_by_localstorage():
-    assert "Do not let stale\n    // browser localStorage suppress the profile default" in UI_JS
-    assert "if(data.default_model && !(S.session&&S.session.model))" in UI_JS
-    assert "_readPersistedModelState()" not in _populate_default_guard_snippet()
-    assert "localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-model')" not in _populate_default_guard_snippet()
+def test_boot_model_dropdown_explicitly_requests_profile_default_precedence():
+    assert "populateModelDropdown({preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot:true})" in BOOT_JS
+    assert "const allowBootSavedModelOverride=!window._defaultModel" in BOOT_JS
 
 
-def _populate_default_guard_snippet() -> str:
-    marker = "// Set default model from server on fresh/blank boot."
+def test_populate_model_dropdown_reconciles_selection_after_rebuild():
+    assert "const previousSelection=_captureModelDropdownSelection(sel);" in UI_JS
+    assert "_reconcileModelDropdownSelection(sel,data,previousSelection,opts);" in UI_JS
+    snippet = _reconcile_selection_snippet()
+    assert "preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot" in snippet
+    assert "return _applyModelToDropdown(data.default_model,sel,data.active_provider||null);" in snippet
+    assert "return _applyModelToDropdown(activeSession.model,sel,activeSession.model_provider||null);" in snippet
+    assert "return _applyModelToDropdown(previousState.model,sel,previousState.model_provider||null);" in snippet
+    assert "_readPersistedModelState()" not in snippet
+    assert "localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-model')" not in snippet
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(NODE is None, reason="node not on PATH")
+def test_non_boot_model_refresh_preserves_current_in_page_selection(populate_driver_path):
+    got = _run_populate_driver(
+        populate_driver_path,
+        initial_value="@expensive:gpt-5.5",
+        opts={},
+        session=None,
+    )
+
+    assert got["selectValue"] == "@expensive:gpt-5.5"
+    assert got["selectedProvider"] == "expensive"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(NODE is None, reason="node not on PATH")
+def test_boot_model_refresh_prefers_profile_default_over_stale_selection(populate_driver_path):
+    got = _run_populate_driver(
+        populate_driver_path,
+        initial_value="@expensive:gpt-5.5",
+        opts={"preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot": True},
+        session=None,
+    )
+
+    assert got["selectValue"] == "@safe:gpt-4o-mini"
+    assert got["selectedProvider"] == "safe"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(NODE is None, reason="node not on PATH")
+def test_session_model_wins_over_boot_default_and_previous_selection(populate_driver_path):
+    got = _run_populate_driver(
+        populate_driver_path,
+        initial_value="@expensive:gpt-5.5",
+        opts={"preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot": True},
+        session={"model": "@work:glm-5.1", "model_provider": "work"},
+    )
+
+    assert got["selectValue"] == "@work:glm-5.1"
+    assert got["selectedProvider"] == "work"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(NODE is None, reason="node not on PATH")
+def test_non_boot_refresh_does_not_reapply_default_when_previous_model_disappears(populate_driver_path):
+    got = _run_populate_driver(
+        populate_driver_path,
+        initial_value="@removed:gpt-old",
+        opts={},
+        session=None,
+        api_groups=[
+            {"provider": "Safe", "provider_id": "safe", "models": [{"id": "@safe:gpt-4o-mini", "label": "GPT-4o mini"}]},
+        ],
+        initial_options=[
+            {"provider": "removed", "value": "@removed:gpt-old", "label": "Old"},
+        ],
+    )
+
+    # The old value is gone, so the browser/select fallback can land on the
+    # refreshed first option. The important invariant is that the profile default
+    # is not reapplied as a special policy outside fresh boot.
+    assert got["selectValue"] == "@safe:gpt-4o-mini"
+    assert got["selectedProvider"] == "safe"
+
+
+def _run_populate_driver(
+    driver_path: str,
+    *,
+    initial_value: str,
+    opts: dict,
+    session: dict | None,
+    api_groups: list[dict] | None = None,
+    initial_options: list[dict] | None = None,
+):
+    groups = api_groups or [
+        {"provider": "Safe", "provider_id": "safe", "models": [{"id": "@safe:gpt-4o-mini", "label": "GPT-4o mini"}]},
+        {"provider": "Expensive", "provider_id": "expensive", "models": [{"id": "@expensive:gpt-5.5", "label": "GPT-5.5"}]},
+        {"provider": "Work", "provider_id": "work", "models": [{"id": "@work:glm-5.1", "label": "GLM-5.1"}]},
+    ]
+    payload = {
+        "initialValue": initial_value,
+        "initialOptions": initial_options
+        or [
+            {"provider": "expensive", "value": "@expensive:gpt-5.5", "label": "GPT-5.5"},
+            {"provider": "safe", "value": "@safe:gpt-4o-mini", "label": "GPT-4o mini"},
+            {"provider": "work", "value": "@work:glm-5.1", "label": "GLM-5.1"},
+        ],
+        "apiModels": {
+            "active_provider": "safe",
+            "default_model": "@safe:gpt-4o-mini",
+            "configured_model_badges": {},
+            "groups": groups,
+        },
+        "opts": opts,
+        "session": session,
+    }
+    assert NODE is not None
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [NODE, driver_path, str(REPO / "static" / "ui.js"), json.dumps(payload)],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=10,
+    )
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"node driver failed:\nSTDOUT={result.stdout}\nSTDERR={result.stderr}")
+    return json.loads(result.stdout)
+
+
+def _boot_default_apply_snippet() -> str:
+    marker = "// Fresh page boot must prefer the profile/server default"
+    start = BOOT_JS.index(marker)
+    return BOOT_JS[start - 120 : start + 700]
+
+
+def _reconcile_selection_snippet() -> str:
+    marker = "function _reconcileModelDropdownSelection"
     start = UI_JS.index(marker)
-    return UI_JS[start : start + 500]
+    end = UI_JS.index("function _providerQualifiedModelValueForSelect", start)
+    return UI_JS[start:end]
diff --git a/tests/test_session_metadata_fast_path.py b/tests/test_session_metadata_fast_path.py
index 477b42de..685203d1 100644
--- a/tests/test_session_metadata_fast_path.py
+++ b/tests/test_session_metadata_fast_path.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def test_boot_does_not_block_session_restore_on_model_catalog():
 
     assert "if(s.default_model){" in src
     assert "window._defaultModel=s.default_model;" in src
-    assert "const _hydrateBootModelDropdown=()=>populateModelDropdown().then" in src
+    assert "const _hydrateBootModelDropdown=()=>populateModelDropdown({preferProfileDefaultOnFreshBoot:true}).then" in src
     assert "window._modelDropdownReady=null;" in src
     assert "window._ensureModelDropdownReady=_startBootModelDropdown;" in src
     assert "await populateModelDropdown()" not in src