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 cd539da5a8a..8a3ceb589ab 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
@@ -241,6 +241,81 @@ describe('useModelControls', () => {
     expect(requestGateway).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('slash.exec', expect.anything())
   })
 
+  it('keeps a mid-turn pick painted and skips the refetch that would repaint the old model', async () => {
+    // The gateway queues a switch made during a turn and applies it at the next
+    // turn start. Invalidating now would answer with the still-running model
+    // and overwrite the user's choice in the pill.
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => ({ deferred: true, key: 'model', value: 'grok-4.5' }) as never)
+    const invalidate = vi.spyOn(QueryClient.prototype, 'invalidateQueries')
+    let controls!: Controls
+
+    render(<Harness onReady={value => (controls = value)} requestGateway={requestGateway} />)
+
+    await expect(controls.selectModel({ model: 'grok-4.5', provider: 'xai' })).resolves.toBe(true)
+
+    expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('grok-4.5')
+    expect($currentProvider.get()).toBe('xai')
+    expect(invalidate).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(notifyError).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('still refetches after a switch that applied immediately', async () => {
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => ({ key: 'model', scope: 'session', value: 'grok-4.5' }) as never)
+    const invalidate = vi.spyOn(QueryClient.prototype, 'invalidateQueries')
+    let controls!: Controls
+
+    render(<Harness onReady={value => (controls = value)} requestGateway={requestGateway} />)
+
+    await controls.selectModel({ model: 'grok-4.5', provider: 'xai' })
+
+    expect(invalidate).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the pick when an OLDER gateway refuses a mid-turn switch', async () => {
+    // Pre-deferral backends answer 4009 instead of parking the pick. Rolling
+    // back would bounce the pill to the old model and toast an error at a user
+    // who did nothing wrong; the pick still applies to the next turn.
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    setCurrentModel('fable-5')
+    setCurrentProvider('nous')
+
+    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error('session busy — /interrupt the current turn before switching models')
+    })
+
+    let controls!: Controls
+
+    render(<Harness onReady={value => (controls = value)} requestGateway={requestGateway} />)
+
+    await expect(controls.selectModel({ model: 'grok-4.5', provider: 'xai' })).resolves.toBe(true)
+
+    expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('grok-4.5')
+    expect($currentProvider.get()).toBe('xai')
+    expect(notifyError).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('still rolls back and reports a real switch failure', async () => {
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    setCurrentModel('fable-5')
+    setCurrentProvider('nous')
+
+    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error('no such model')
+    })
+
+    let controls!: Controls
+
+    render(<Harness onReady={value => (controls = value)} requestGateway={requestGateway} />)
+
+    await expect(controls.selectModel({ model: 'bogus', provider: 'xai' })).resolves.toBe(false)
+
+    expect($currentModel.get()).toBe('fable-5')
+    expect($currentProvider.get()).toBe('nous')
+    expect(notifyError).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('session-scopes MoA preset selections so they cannot persist as the global gateway default', async () => {
     $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
     const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => ({ key: 'model', value: 'BeastMode' }) as never)
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 1ccba715ce2..d3b9ee20a3d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useCallback, useRef } from 'react'
 import type { ModelSelection } from '@/app/shell/model-menu-panel'
 import { getGlobalModelInfo } from '@/hermes'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
+import { isBusySessionModelSwitch } from '@/lib/gateway-rpc'
 import { manualPickRemoved, modelOptionsQueryKey } from '@/lib/model-options'
 import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile } from '@/store/profile'
@@ -206,16 +207,32 @@ export function useModelControls({ queryClient, requestGateway }: ModelControlsO
       }
 
       try {
-        await requestGateway('config.set', {
+        const result = await requestGateway<{ deferred?: boolean }>('config.set', {
           session_id: liveSessionId,
           key: 'model',
           value: `${selection.model} --provider ${selection.provider} --session`
         })
 
-        void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: modelOptionsQueryKey(liveGatewayProfile, liveSessionId) })
+        // A pick made DURING a turn is queued by the gateway and applied at the
+        // next turn start (`deferred`). Re-fetching now would answer with the
+        // model still running and repaint the old name over the user's choice —
+        // the switch publishes session.info when it lands, and that is what
+        // re-syncs every surface.
+        if (!result?.deferred) {
+          void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: modelOptionsQueryKey(liveGatewayProfile, liveSessionId) })
+        }
 
         return true
       } catch (err) {
+        // An OLDER gateway refuses a mid-turn switch outright (4009) instead of
+        // deferring it. Don't punish the user for a backend they haven't
+        // updated: keep the pick painted as the composer's selection, which is
+        // what the NEXT turn runs anyway. Current gateways never take this
+        // path — they answer `deferred`.
+        if (isBusySessionModelSwitch(err)) {
+          return true
+        }
+
         if (touchesPrimary) {
           setCurrentModel(prevModel)
           setCurrentProvider(prevProvider)
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gateway-rpc.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gateway-rpc.ts
index 6cf298402f3..372cf0bc496 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gateway-rpc.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gateway-rpc.ts
@@ -11,3 +11,11 @@ export function isMissingPendingPromptRequest(error: unknown, key: string): bool
 
   return message.toLowerCase().includes(`no pending ${key.toLowerCase()} request`)
 }
+
+/** True when a pre-deferral backend refused a mid-turn model switch (4009).
+ *  Current gateways park the pick and answer `scope: "pending"` instead. */
+export function isBusySessionModelSwitch(error: unknown): boolean {
+  const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+
+  return /session busy/i.test(message) && /switching models/i.test(message)
+}