diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
index c0487fad053..ca1af4cd9ab 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
@@ -183,6 +183,15 @@ describe('createSlashHandler', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('opens the model picker with refresh for /model --refresh', () => {
+    patchUiState({ sid: 'sid-abc' })
+    const ctx = buildCtx()
+
+    expect(createSlashHandler(ctx)('/model --refresh')).toBe(true)
+    expect(getOverlayState().modelPicker).toEqual({ refresh: true })
+    expect(ctx.gateway.rpc).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('honors TUI picker session scope without adding --global', async () => {
     patchUiState({ sid: 'sid-abc' })
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
index 65285467d9a..85586f66aaa 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ export interface OverlayState {
   clarify: ClarifyReq | null
   confirm: ConfirmReq | null
   journey: boolean
-  modelPicker: boolean
+  modelPicker: boolean | { refresh?: boolean }
   pager: null | PagerState
   petPicker: boolean
   pluginsHub: boolean
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
index 94e1b38c5de..6b1fe55481b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ export const sessionCommands: SlashCommand[] = [
         return patchOverlayState({ modelPicker: true })
       }
 
+      if (arg.trim() === '--refresh') {
+        return patchOverlayState({ modelPicker: { refresh: true } })
+      }
+
       const switchModel = (confirmExpensiveModel = false) =>
         ctx.gateway
           .rpc<ConfigSetResponse>('config.set', {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/appOverlays.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/appOverlays.tsx
index 9ab568f32ea..24b45d33e24 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/appOverlays.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/appOverlays.tsx
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ export function FloatingOverlays({
         <FloatBox color={theme.color.border}>
           <ModelPicker
             gw={gw}
+            initialRefresh={typeof overlay.modelPicker === 'object' && overlay.modelPicker.refresh === true}
             onCancel={() => patchOverlayState({ modelPicker: false })}
             onSelect={onModelSelect}
             sessionId={sid}
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/modelPicker.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/modelPicker.tsx
index c36a1505908..8752dd371a2 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/modelPicker.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/modelPicker.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,15 @@ export function providerIndexAfterClearingFilter(providerRows: ProviderRow[], pr
   return providerRows.findIndex(row => row.provider.slug === provider.slug)
 }
 
-export function ModelPicker({ allowPersistGlobal = true, gw, onCancel, onSelect, sessionId, t }: ModelPickerProps) {
+export function ModelPicker({
+  allowPersistGlobal = true,
+  gw,
+  initialRefresh = false,
+  onCancel,
+  onSelect,
+  sessionId,
+  t
+}: ModelPickerProps) {
   const [providers, setProviders] = useState<ModelOptionProvider[]>([])
   const [currentModel, setCurrentModel] = useState('')
   const [err, setErr] = useState('')
@@ -50,7 +58,10 @@ export function ModelPicker({ allowPersistGlobal = true, gw, onCancel, onSelect,
   const width = Math.max(MIN_WIDTH, Math.min(MAX_WIDTH, (stdout?.columns ?? 80) - 6))
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    gw.request<ModelOptionsResponse>('model.options', sessionId ? { session_id: sessionId } : {})
+    gw.request<ModelOptionsResponse>('model.options', {
+      ...(sessionId ? { session_id: sessionId } : {}),
+      ...(initialRefresh ? { refresh: true } : {})
+    })
       .then(raw => {
         const r = asRpcResult<ModelOptionsResponse>(raw)
 
@@ -79,7 +90,7 @@ export function ModelPicker({ allowPersistGlobal = true, gw, onCancel, onSelect,
         setErr(rpcErrorMessage(e))
         setLoading(false)
       })
-  }, [gw, sessionId])
+  }, [gw, initialRefresh, sessionId])
 
   const names = useMemo(() => providerDisplayNames(providers), [providers])
 
@@ -677,6 +688,7 @@ export function ModelPicker({ allowPersistGlobal = true, gw, onCancel, onSelect,
 interface ModelPickerProps {
   allowPersistGlobal?: boolean
   gw: GatewayClient
+  initialRefresh?: boolean
   onCancel: () => void
   onSelect: (value: string) => void
   sessionId: string | null