diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/config-settings.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/config-settings.tsx
index e7953310adc6..cac0d197f2ce 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/config-settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/config-settings.tsx
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ import { setHermesConfigCache, useHermesConfigRecord } from '../hooks/use-config
 import { useOnProfileSwitch } from '../hooks/use-on-profile-switch'
 import { PanelEmpty } from '../overlays/panel'
 
-import { CONTROL_TEXT, EMPTY_SELECT_VALUE, FIELD_DESCRIPTIONS, FIELD_LABELS, SECTIONS } from './constants'
+import { CONTROL_TEXT, EMPTY_SELECT_VALUE, FIELD_DESCRIPTIONS, FIELD_LABELS } from './constants'
 import { fieldCopyForSchemaKey } from './field-copy'
-import { enumOptionsFor, getNested, prettyName, setNested } from './helpers'
+import { enumOptionsFor, getNested, prettyName, sectionFieldEntries, setNested } from './helpers'
 import { MemoryConnect } from './memory/connect'
 import { ModelSettings, ModelSettingsSkeleton } from './model-settings'
 import { EmptyState, ListRow, LoadingState, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
@@ -328,14 +328,12 @@ export function ConfigSettings({
   }
 
   const sectionFields = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!schema) {
+    if (!schema || !config) {
       return new Map<string, [string, ConfigFieldSchema][]>()
     }
 
-    return new Map(
-      SECTIONS.map(s => [s.id, s.keys.flatMap(k => (schema[k] ? [[k, schema[k]] as [string, ConfigFieldSchema]] : []))])
-    )
-  }, [schema])
+    return sectionFieldEntries(schema, config)
+  }, [schema, config])
 
   const fields = sectionFields.get(activeSectionId) ?? []
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.test.ts
index c04dcb42498c..1c8ac1303d6e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import type { HermesConfigRecord } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import { defineFieldCopy, fieldCopyForSchemaKey, schemaKeyToFieldCopyKey } from './field-copy'
-import { enumOptionsFor, getNested, providerGroup, setNested, stripToolsetLabel, toolsetDisplayLabel } from './helpers'
+import {
+  enumOptionsFor,
+  getNested,
+  providerGroup,
+  sectionFieldEntries,
+  setNested,
+  stripToolsetLabel,
+  toolsetDisplayLabel
+} from './helpers'
 
 describe('settings helpers', () => {
   it('lists the desktop memory provider options in their declared order', () => {
@@ -175,4 +183,39 @@ describe('settings helpers', () => {
       expect(opts).toContain('xai')
     })
   })
+
+  describe('sectionFieldEntries', () => {
+    it('renders memory.provider from config even when the backend schema omits it', () => {
+      const schema = { 'memory.memory_enabled': { type: 'boolean' as const } }
+      const config: HermesConfigRecord = { memory: { memory_enabled: true, provider: '' } }
+
+      const memoryKeys = (sectionFieldEntries(schema, config).get('memory') ?? []).map(([key]) => key)
+
+      expect(memoryKeys).toContain('memory.provider')
+    })
+
+    it('infers the field type from the config value when the schema omits the key', () => {
+      const config: HermesConfigRecord = { memory: { provider: '', memory_enabled: true, memory_char_limit: 2200 } }
+
+      const fields = new Map(sectionFieldEntries({}, config).get('memory') ?? [])
+
+      expect(fields.get('memory.provider')?.type).toBe('string')
+      expect(fields.get('memory.memory_enabled')?.type).toBe('boolean')
+      expect(fields.get('memory.memory_char_limit')?.type).toBe('number')
+    })
+
+    it('prefers the backend schema entry over inference when both exist', () => {
+      const schema = { 'memory.provider': { type: 'select' as const, options: ['honcho'] } }
+      const config: HermesConfigRecord = { memory: { provider: 'honcho' } }
+
+      const field = new Map(sectionFieldEntries(schema, config).get('memory') ?? []).get('memory.provider')
+
+      expect(field?.type).toBe('select')
+      expect(field?.options).toEqual(['honcho'])
+    })
+
+    it('hides declared keys absent from both schema and config', () => {
+      expect(sectionFieldEntries({}, {}).get('memory') ?? []).toHaveLength(0)
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.ts
index ff5818129053..16bee76b4ea5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/helpers.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { asText } from '@/lib/text'
-import type { HermesConfigRecord, ToolsetInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
+import type { ConfigFieldSchema, HermesConfigRecord, ToolsetInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
-import { BUILTIN_PERSONALITIES, ENUM_OPTIONS, PROVIDER_GROUPS } from './constants'
+import { BUILTIN_PERSONALITIES, ENUM_OPTIONS, PROVIDER_GROUPS, SECTIONS } from './constants'
 
 // Canonical implementations live in @/lib/text; re-exported here so the many
 // settings/capabilities call sites keep their import path.
@@ -97,6 +97,40 @@ export function getNested(obj: HermesConfigRecord, path: string): unknown {
   return cur
 }
 
+export function inferFieldSchema(value: unknown): ConfigFieldSchema {
+  if (typeof value === 'boolean') {
+    return { type: 'boolean' }
+  }
+
+  if (typeof value === 'number') {
+    return { type: 'number' }
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+    return { type: 'list' }
+  }
+
+  return { type: 'string' }
+}
+
+// Backend schema omits some declared keys (e.g. memory.provider); config presence is the availability signal.
+export function sectionFieldEntries(
+  schema: Record<string, ConfigFieldSchema>,
+  config: HermesConfigRecord
+): Map<string, [string, ConfigFieldSchema][]> {
+  return new Map(
+    SECTIONS.map(s => [
+      s.id,
+      s.keys.flatMap(k => {
+        const value = getNested(config, k)
+        const field = schema[k] ?? (value === undefined ? undefined : inferFieldSchema(value))
+
+        return field ? [[k, field] as [string, ConfigFieldSchema]] : []
+      })
+    ])
+  )
+}
+
 export function setNested(obj: HermesConfigRecord, path: string, value: unknown): HermesConfigRecord {
   const clone = structuredClone(obj)
   const parts = configPathParts(path)