fix(ui): always load live active-chat models

ui/src/e2e/chat-composer-redesign.e2e.test.ts

@@ -573,19 +573,11 @@ suite.define(() => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("refreshes the configured usable catalog after advertised chat metadata", async () => {
+  it("uses the live usable catalog instead of unavailable metadata models", async () => {
     await suite.withPage({ viewport: { width: 1280, height: 900 } }, async ({ page }) => {
       const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
-        agentModel: "openai/gpt-5.3-codex-spark",
-        models: [
-          { id: "gpt-5.5", name: "GPT-5.5", provider: "openai", available: true },
-          {
-            id: "gpt-5.3-codex-spark",
-            name: "GPT-5.3 Codex Spark",
-            provider: "codex",
-            available: false,
-          },
-        ],
+        agentModel: "openai/gpt-5.6-sol",
+        models: [{ id: "gpt-5.5", name: "GPT-5.5", provider: "openai", available: true }],
         methodResponses: {
           "chat.startup": {
             agentsList: {
@@ -603,9 +595,9 @@ suite.define(() => {
             models: [
               { id: "gpt-5.5", name: "GPT-5.5", provider: "openai", available: true },
               {
-                id: "gpt-5.3-codex-spark",
-                name: "GPT-5.3 Codex Spark",
-                provider: "codex",
+                id: "gpt-5.6-sol",
+                name: "GPT-5.6 Sol",
+                provider: "openai",
                 available: false,
               },
             ],
@@ -614,7 +606,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
             count: 1,
             defaults: {
               contextTokens: 200_000,
-              model: "gpt-5.3-codex-spark",
+              model: "gpt-5.6-sol",
               modelProvider: "openai",
             },
             path: "",
@@ -640,7 +632,10 @@ suite.define(() => {
 
       await page.goto(`${suite.server.baseUrl}chat`);
       await gateway.waitForRequest("chat.metadata");
-      expect(await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).toHaveLength(0);
+      await gateway.waitForRequest("models.list");
+      expect(await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).toEqual([
+        expect.objectContaining({ params: { view: "configured" } }),
+      ]);
 
       const composer = page.locator(".agent-chat__input");
       const providers = composer.locator("[data-chat-model-provider]");
@@ -651,12 +646,21 @@ suite.define(() => {
         .poll(() => composer.locator('[data-chat-model-provider-group="openai"]').textContent())
         .toContain("GPT-5.5");
       await expect
-        .poll(() => composer.locator('[data-chat-model-provider-group="codex"]').count())
+        .poll(() => composer.locator('[data-chat-model-option="openai/gpt-5.6-sol"]').count())
         .toBe(0);
       // The advertised default is unavailable, so no usable catalog row is
       // marked as the default and no synthetic empty row is introduced.
       await expect.poll(() => composer.locator('[data-chat-model-default="true"]').count()).toBe(0);
       await expect.poll(() => composer.locator('[data-chat-model-option=""]').count()).toBe(0);
+      const artifactDir = process.env.OPENCLAW_UI_E2E_ARTIFACT_DIR?.trim();
+      if (artifactDir) {
+        await composer.locator('[data-chat-model-select="true"]').click();
+        await page.screenshot({
+          animations: "disabled",
+          fullPage: true,
+          path: `${artifactDir}/usable-model-picker.png`,
+        });
+      }
     });
   });
 

ui/src/e2e/model-alias-display.e2e.test.ts

@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ suite.define(() => {
       expect(response?.status()).toBe(200);
       await gateway.waitForRequest("agents.list");
       await gateway.waitForRequest("config.get");
-      const modelRequest = await gateway.waitForRequest("chat.metadata");
-      expect(modelRequest.params).toEqual({ agentId: "main" });
-      expect(await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).toHaveLength(0);
+      const modelRequest = await gateway.waitForRequest("models.list");
+      expect(modelRequest.params).toEqual({ agentId: "main", view: "configured" });
+      expect(await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).toHaveLength(0);
 
       const select = page.locator("select.settings-select").first();
       await select.waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 10_000 });

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.catalog-reconnect.e2e.test.ts

@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ function requestHasParam(request: { params?: unknown }, key: string, value: unkn
 }
 
 const TERMINAL_START_FEATURE_METHODS = [
-  "chat.metadata",
   "chat.startup",
+  "models.list",
   "sessions.catalog.list",
   "sessions.catalog.startTerminal",
   "sessions.create",
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ suite.define(() => {
     const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
       cliAgentsEnabled: true,
       featureMethods: [
-        "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "sessions.create",
         "sessions.dispatch",
         "sessions.catalog.list",
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
     const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
       agentModel: "openai/gpt-5.6-luna",
       methodResponses: {
-        "chat.metadata": {
+        "models.list": {
           sequence: [
             {
               __mockError: {
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
                 message: "metadata request timed out",
               },
             },
-            { commands: [], models },
+            { models },
           ],
         },
       },
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
 
     try {
       await page.goto(`${suite.server.baseUrl}new`);
-      await gateway.waitForRequest("chat.metadata");
+      await gateway.waitForRequest("models.list");
 
       const modelSelect = page.locator('[data-chat-model-select="true"]');
       await expect.poll(() => modelSelect.textContent()).toContain("Models unavailable");
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
 
       await page.locator('[data-chat-model-catalog-retry="true"]').click();
 
-      await expect.poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).length).toBe(2);
+      await expect.poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).length).toBe(2);
       await expect.poll(() => page.locator("[data-chat-model-option]").count()).toBe(3);
       expect(await page.locator('[data-chat-model-catalog-state="error"]').count()).toBe(0);
     } finally {
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
     };
     const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
       methodResponses: {
-        "chat.metadata": {
+        "models.list": {
           sequence: [
             {
               __mockError: {
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
                 retryAfterMs: 100,
               },
             },
-            { commands: [], models: [recoveredModel] },
+            { models: [recoveredModel] },
           ],
         },
       },
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
 
     try {
       await page.goto(`${suite.server.baseUrl}new`);
-      await expect.poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).length).toBe(2);
+      await expect.poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).length).toBe(2);
 
       const modelSelect = page.locator(
         '.new-session-page__composer [data-chat-model-select="true"]',
@@ -532,9 +532,9 @@ suite.define(() => {
         .poll(() => page.locator('[data-chat-model-option="openai/gpt-5.6-luna"]').textContent())
         .toContain(recoveredModel.name);
 
-      expect(await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).toEqual([
-        expect.objectContaining({ params: { agentId: "main" } }),
-        expect.objectContaining({ params: { agentId: "main" } }),
+      expect(await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).toEqual([
+        expect.objectContaining({ params: { agentId: "main", view: "configured" } }),
+        expect.objectContaining({ params: { agentId: "main", view: "configured" } }),
       ]);
     } finally {
       await context.close();

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.cloud-startup.e2e.test.ts

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "sessions.create",
         "sessions.dispatch",
         "sessions.reclaim",

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.operator-scopes.e2e.test.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ async function openDraft(
   featureMethods = [
     "chat.metadata",
     "chat.startup",
+    "models.list",
     "projects.list",
     "sessions.create",
     "sessions.dispatch",
@@ -41,7 +42,14 @@ suite.define(() => {
   it("keeps read-scoped operators out of new-session entry and submission paths", async () => {
     const { context, gateway, page } = await openDraft(
       ["operator.read"],
-      ["chat.metadata", "chat.startup", "projects.list", "sessions.create", "sessions.dispatch"],
+      [
+        "chat.metadata",
+        "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
+        "projects.list",
+        "sessions.create",
+        "sessions.dispatch",
+      ],
     );
     try {
       const sidebarCreate = page.locator(".sidebar-brand__new-thread");
@@ -136,6 +144,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "fs.listDir",
         "sessions.create",
         "worktrees.branches",
@@ -197,6 +206,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "fs.listDir",
         "sessions.create",
         "worktrees.branches",
@@ -264,6 +274,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "fs.listDir",
         "sessions.create",
         "worktrees.branches",
@@ -328,7 +339,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
   it("blocks creation when the connected Gateway explicitly omits sessions.create", async () => {
     const { context, gateway, page } = await openDraft(
       ["operator.admin", "operator.read", "operator.write"],
-      ["chat.metadata", "chat.startup"],
+      ["chat.metadata", "chat.startup", "models.list"],
     );
     try {
       await expect.poll(() => page.locator(".sidebar-brand__new-thread").isDisabled()).toBe(true);

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.places.e2e.test.ts

@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "sessions.create",
         "sessions.dispatch",
         "projects.list",
@@ -480,6 +481,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       featureMethods: [
         "chat.metadata",
         "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
         "fs.listDir",
         "projects.list",
         "projects.register",
@@ -543,7 +545,13 @@ suite.define(() => {
       workspace: WORKSPACE,
       workspaceGit: true,
       operatorScopes: ["operator.read", "operator.write"],
-      featureMethods: ["chat.metadata", "chat.startup", "projects.list", "sessions.create"],
+      featureMethods: [
+        "chat.metadata",
+        "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
+        "projects.list",
+        "sessions.create",
+      ],
       methodResponses: { "projects.list": { projects: [] } },
     });
 
@@ -567,7 +575,13 @@ suite.define(() => {
     const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
       workspace: WORKSPACE,
       workspaceGit: true,
-      featureMethods: ["chat.metadata", "chat.startup", "sessions.create", "system.info"],
+      featureMethods: [
+        "chat.metadata",
+        "chat.startup",
+        "models.list",
+        "sessions.create",
+        "system.info",
+      ],
       methodResponses: {
         "system.info": {
           machineName: "Peters-Mac-Studio",

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.test-support.ts

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ import { createControlUiE2eSuite } from "./control-ui-e2e-suite.test-support.ts"
 export { controlUiSessionPath, controlUiSessionUrl, waitForConfirmModal };
 
 const NEW_SESSION_FEATURE_METHODS = [
-  "chat.metadata",
   "chat.startup",
+  "models.list",
   "sessions.create",
   "sessions.dispatch",
 ] as const;

ui/src/e2e/new-session-page.workspace-memory.e2e.test.ts

@@ -728,15 +728,15 @@ suite.define(() => {
 
       await navigateInApp(page, "chat");
       await waitForCommittedChatRoute(page);
-      const metadataRequests = (await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).length;
+      const modelRequests = (await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).length;
       const branchRequests = (await gateway.getRequests("worktrees.branches")).length;
-      await gateway.deferNext("chat.metadata");
+      await gateway.deferNext("models.list");
       await gateway.deferNext("worktrees.branches");
       await navigateInApp(page, "new-session");
       await expect.poll(() => new URL(page.url()).pathname).toBe("/new");
       await expect
-        .poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("chat.metadata")).length)
-        .toBe(metadataRequests + 1);
+        .poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("models.list")).length)
+        .toBe(modelRequests + 1);
       await expect
         .poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("worktrees.branches")).length)
         .toBe(branchRequests + 1);
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
       const start = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Start session" });
       await expect.poll(() => start.isDisabled()).toBe(true);
 
-      await gateway.resolveDeferred("chat.metadata", { models });
+      await gateway.resolveDeferred("models.list", { models });
       await expect.poll(() => start.isDisabled()).toBe(true);
       await gateway.rejectDeferred("worktrees.branches", {
         code: "UNAVAILABLE",
@@ -828,6 +828,7 @@ suite.define(() => {
         featureMethods: [
           "chat.metadata",
           "chat.startup",
+          "models.list",
           "fs.listDir",
           "sessions.create",
           "worktrees.branches",

ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state-refresh.ts

@@ -267,7 +267,12 @@ export async function refreshChatMetadata(
     if (!ownsChatMetadataRequest(request)) {
       return EMPTY_CHAT_METADATA_APPLY_RESULT;
     }
-    const metadataApplied = applyChatMetadataResult(host, client, agentId, result);
+    // chat.metadata remains the compatibility source for commands only. Picker inventory must
+    // always come from the live, agent-scoped models.list result so stale static models cannot
+    // reappear when chat.startup omits metadata or an older Gateway serves this fallback path.
+    const metadataApplied = applyChatMetadataResult(host, client, agentId, result, {
+      models: false,
+    });
     if (!metadataApplied.models || !metadataApplied.commands) {
       await refreshMissingChatMetadata(request, metadataApplied, opts);
     }

ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state.test.ts

@@ -1434,7 +1434,17 @@ describe("refreshChatMetadata", () => {
     }>((resolve) => {
       resolveMetadata = resolve;
     });
+    const liveModel = {
+      id: "work-model",
+      name: "Work Model",
+      provider: "openai",
+      available: true,
+    };
     const request = vi.fn(async (method: string, params?: unknown) => {
+      if (method === "models.list") {
+        expect(params).toEqual({ agentId: "work", view: "configured" });
+        return { models: [liveModel] };
+      }
       expect(method).toBe("chat.metadata");
       expect(params).toEqual({ agentId: "work" });
       return await metadata;
@@ -1445,38 +1455,37 @@ describe("refreshChatMetadata", () => {
     state.sessionKey = "agent:work:another";
     resolveMetadata?.({
       commands: [],
-      models: [{ id: "work-model", name: "Work Model", provider: "openai", available: true }],
+      models: [{ id: "stale-model", name: "Stale Model", provider: "openai", available: false }],
     });
     await refresh;
 
-    expect(state.chatModelCatalog).toEqual([
-      { id: "work-model", name: "Work Model", provider: "openai", available: true },
-    ]);
-    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(state.chatModelCatalog).toEqual([liveModel]);
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
   it("reuses same-agent metadata and fetches a cross-agent catalog", async () => {
-    const request = vi.fn(async (_method: string, params?: { agentId?: string }) => ({
-      commands: [],
-      models: [
-        {
-          id: `${params?.agentId}-model`,
-          name: `${params?.agentId} Model`,
-          provider: "openai",
-        },
-      ],
-    }));
+    const request = vi.fn(async (method: string, params?: { agentId?: string }) => {
+      const model = {
+        id: `${params?.agentId}-model`,
+        name: `${params?.agentId} Model`,
+        provider: "openai",
+      };
+      return method === "models.list" ? { models: [model] } : { commands: [], models: [model] };
+    });
     const state = createMetadataState(request);
 
     await refreshChatMetadata(state);
     state.sessionKey = "agent:work:second";
     await refreshChatMetadata(state);
-    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
 
     state.sessionKey = "agent:other:main";
     await refreshChatMetadata(state);
-    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
-    expect(request).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("chat.metadata", { agentId: "other" });
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4);
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("models.list", {
+      agentId: "other",
+      view: "configured",
+    });
   });
 
   it("ignores metadata after switching to a different agent", async () => {
@@ -1531,10 +1540,21 @@ describe("refreshChatMetadata", () => {
     }>((resolve) => {
       resolveOther = resolve;
     });
-    const request = vi.fn(
-      async (_method: string, params?: { agentId?: string }) =>
-        await (params?.agentId === "work" ? workMetadata : otherMetadata),
-    );
+    const request = vi.fn(async (method: string, params?: { agentId?: string }) => {
+      if (method === "models.list") {
+        const isWork = params?.agentId === "work";
+        return {
+          models: [
+            {
+              id: isWork ? "work-model" : "other-model",
+              name: isWork ? "Work Model" : "Other Model",
+              provider: "openai",
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+      }
+      return await (params?.agentId === "work" ? workMetadata : otherMetadata);
+    });
     const state = createMetadataState(request);
 
     const workRefresh = refreshChatMetadata(state);
@@ -1580,10 +1600,13 @@ describe("refreshChatMetadata", () => {
     }>((resolve) => {
       resolveSecond = resolve;
     });
-    let requestCount = 0;
-    const request = vi.fn(async () => {
-      requestCount += 1;
-      return await (requestCount === 1 ? firstMetadata : secondMetadata);
+    let metadataRequestCount = 0;
+    const request = vi.fn(async (method: string) => {
+      if (method === "models.list") {
+        return { models: [{ id: "new-model", name: "New Model", provider: "openai" }] };
+      }
+      metadataRequestCount += 1;
+      return await (metadataRequestCount === 1 ? firstMetadata : secondMetadata);
     });
     const state = createMetadataState(request);
 
@@ -1728,6 +1751,9 @@ describe("refreshChatMetadata", () => {
       resolveCommands = resolve;
     });
     const request = vi.fn(async (method: string) => {
+      if (method === "models.list") {
+        return { models: [] };
+      }
       expect(method).toBe("commands.list");
       return await commands;
     });

ui/src/pages/new-session/model-control.test.ts

@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ describe("new-session model runtime", () => {
 
   it.each([
     ["generic transport error", new Error("metadata unavailable")],
-    ["request timeout", new Error("gateway request timeout for chat.metadata")],
+    ["request timeout", new Error("gateway request timeout for models.list")],
   ])("renders %s as unavailable instead of a default-only catalog", async (_label, error) => {
     const { context, request } = contextWith([]);
     request.mockRejectedValueOnce(error);

ui/src/pages/new-session/model-control.ts

@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ export class NewSessionModelControl {
       loading: false,
       modelCatalog: this.catalog,
       modelCatalogState: {
-        // chat.metadata and agents.list hydrate independently. Do not expose a
+        // models.list and agents.list hydrate independently. Do not expose a
         // ready catalog until the selected agent can supply its concrete defaults.
         hasSnapshot: agentDefaultsAvailable && this.metadataState.hasSnapshot,
         ...(this.metadataState.status === "error" ? { onRetry: this.retryMetadata } : {}),