fix(native-chat): keep the Claude model picker rendered

The Claude picker rendered nothing until the per-host `list_models` probe
returned, so it popped in ~1s after mount and never appeared at all when
the probe failed — an old CLI without `list_models`, no `claude` on PATH,
or an older remote runtime whose response omits `catalogOrigin`.

Restore the version-neutral family seed as the starting list; discovery
still replaces it wholesale on success, so a host with a real catalog
never shows an obsolete hardcoded row.

Separately, the tracked model could fall outside the active list: the
terminal header scrape yields family ids (`opus`) while a current CLI
lists `opus[1m]` and no plain `opus`. That blanked the picker trigger and
dropped the model's effort and fast-mode controls. Reconcile the tracked
id into the active list once, so the snapshot, the appliers, and typed
command recording all see a labelled, operable row for it.

src/renderer/src/components/native-chat/NativeChatComposer.test.tsx

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type {
 } from '../../../../shared/native-chat-session-options'
 import type * as nativeChatAgentProfiles from '../../../../shared/native-chat-agent-profiles'
 import { clearNativeChatSessionOptionCacheForTests } from './native-chat-session-option-cache'
+import { clearNativeChatModelEnrichmentForTests } from './native-chat-session-option-enrichment'
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   cancelPendingSends: vi.fn(),
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ describe('NativeChatComposer', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks()
     clearNativeChatSessionOptionCacheForTests()
+    clearNativeChatModelEnrichmentForTests()
     mocks.fieldProps = null
     mocks.modelSwitchOutcome = 'applied'
     mocks.draftScopeKeys.length = 0
@@ -318,6 +320,59 @@ describe('NativeChatComposer', () => {
     expect(mocks.setDraft).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it('renders the Claude model picker while host discovery is still pending', () => {
+    mocks.discoverCommitMessageModels.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}))
+    render(
+      <NativeChatComposer
+        terminalTabId="tab-1"
+        paneKey="tab-1:leaf-1"
+        targetPtyId="pty-1"
+        agent="claude"
+        readTerminalScreen={() => null}
+      />
+    )
+
+    expect(mocks.fieldProps?.sessionOptionsSnapshot?.[0]).toMatchObject({
+      id: 'model',
+      kind: {
+        choices: expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'opus', label: 'Opus' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'sonnet', label: 'Sonnet' })
+        ])
+      }
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the Claude model picker when an older remote runtime omits the catalog origin', async () => {
+    mocks.discoverCommitMessageModels.mockResolvedValue({
+      success: true,
+      defaultModelId: 'sonnet',
+      models: [{ id: 'sonnet', label: 'Sonnet' }]
+    })
+    render(
+      <NativeChatComposer
+        terminalTabId="tab-1"
+        paneKey="tab-1:leaf-1"
+        targetPtyId="pty-1"
+        agent="claude"
+        readTerminalScreen={() => null}
+      />
+    )
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mocks.discoverCommitMessageModels).toHaveBeenCalled())
+    await act(async () => undefined)
+
+    expect(mocks.fieldProps?.sessionOptionsSnapshot?.[0]).toMatchObject({
+      id: 'model',
+      kind: {
+        choices: expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'fable', label: 'Fable' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'haiku', label: 'Haiku' })
+        ])
+      }
+    })
+  })
+
   it('shows the model already selected in the Claude TUI when chat opens', async () => {
     mocks.getMainBufferSnapshot.mockResolvedValue({
       data: 'Claude Code v2.1.211\r\nOpus 4.8 with medium effort · API Usage Billing',

src/renderer/src/components/native-chat/native-chat-pty-session-options.test.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { createNativeChatPtySessionOptions } from './native-chat-pty-session-opt
 describe('native chat PTY session options', () => {
   beforeEach(() => clearNativeChatSessionOptionCacheForTests())
 
-  it('hides the model picker until the host catalog is known', () => {
+  it('renders nothing when no model list exists at all', () => {
     const surface = createNativeChatPtySessionOptions({
       agent: 'claude',
       scopeKey: 'pty-1',
@@ -20,6 +20,28 @@ describe('native chat PTY session options', () => {
     expect(surface.getSnapshot()).toEqual([])
   })
 
+  it('renders the version-neutral seed picker before any host catalog arrives', () => {
+    const surface = createNativeChatPtySessionOptions({
+      agent: 'claude',
+      scopeKey: 'pty-1',
+      mode: 'live',
+      dispatchCommand: vi.fn()
+    })!
+
+    expect(surface.getSnapshot()[0]).toMatchObject({
+      id: 'model',
+      valueSource: 'unknown',
+      kind: {
+        choices: [
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'fable', label: 'Fable' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'opus', label: 'Opus' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'sonnet', label: 'Sonnet' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ value: 'haiku', label: 'Haiku' })
+        ]
+      }
+    })
+  })
+
   it('uses model and effort reported by the live Claude terminal', () => {
     const surface = createNativeChatPtySessionOptions({
       agent: 'claude',
@@ -583,7 +605,7 @@ describe('native chat PTY session options', () => {
     expect(surface.getSnapshot()[0]).toMatchObject({ valueSource: 'unknown' })
   })
 
-  it('tracks an unavailable Claude model without advertising it as a choice', () => {
+  it('passes an unknown persisted model through as a literal choice', () => {
     seedNativeChatAppliedSessionOptions('pty-1', 'claude', {
       model: 'future-model'
     })
@@ -596,7 +618,59 @@ describe('native chat PTY session options', () => {
     const model = surface.getSnapshot()[0]
     expect(model.kind).toMatchObject({
       currentValue: 'future-model',
-      choices: expect.not.arrayContaining([{ value: 'future-model', label: 'future-model' }])
+      choices: expect.arrayContaining([{ value: 'future-model', label: 'future-model' }])
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a tracked alias selectable when the host catalog omits it', async () => {
+    seedNativeChatAppliedSessionOptions('pty-1', 'claude', {
+      model: 'opus',
+      effort: 'xhigh'
+    })
+    const dispatch = vi.fn()
+    const surface = createNativeChatPtySessionOptions({
+      agent: 'claude',
+      scopeKey: 'pty-1',
+      // Why: current CLIs list `opus[1m]` and no plain `opus`.
+      initialModels: [
+        { id: 'opus[1m]', label: 'Opus (1M context)', options: [] },
+        { id: 'sonnet', label: 'Sonnet', options: [] }
+      ],
+      mode: 'live',
+      dispatchCommand: dispatch
+    })!
+
+    expect(surface.getSnapshot()[0].kind).toMatchObject({
+      currentValue: 'opus',
+      choices: expect.arrayContaining([
+        { value: 'opus', label: 'Opus', description: expect.any(String) }
+      ])
+    })
+    expect(surface.getSnapshot().find(({ id }) => id === 'effort')).toMatchObject({
+      settable: true,
+      kind: { currentValue: 'xhigh' }
+    })
+
+    await surface.setOption('effort', 'high')
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/effort high')
+  })
+
+  it('drops the reconciled row once the tracked model moves onto the host catalog', async () => {
+    seedNativeChatAppliedSessionOptions('pty-1', 'claude', { model: 'opus' })
+    const surface = createNativeChatPtySessionOptions({
+      agent: 'claude',
+      scopeKey: 'pty-1',
+      initialModels: [{ id: 'opus[1m]', label: 'Opus (1M context)', options: [] }],
+      mode: 'live',
+      dispatchCommand: vi.fn()
+    })!
+
+    await surface.setOption('model', 'opus[1m]')
+
+    expect(surface.getSnapshot()[0].kind).toMatchObject({
+      currentValue: 'opus[1m]',
+      choices: [{ value: 'opus[1m]', label: 'Opus (1M context)' }]
     })
   })
 

src/renderer/src/components/native-chat/native-chat-pty-session-options.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
   getAgentSessionOptionCatalog,
+  type AgentSessionOptionCatalog,
   type CatalogModel
 } from '../../../../shared/agent-session-option-catalog'
 import type { AgentType } from '../../../../shared/agent-status-types'
@@ -11,7 +12,8 @@ import type {
 import {
   createNativeChatSessionOptionRecord,
   readNativeChatSessionOptionCache,
-  writeNativeChatSessionOptionCache
+  writeNativeChatSessionOptionCache,
+  type NativeChatSessionOptionRecord
 } from './native-chat-session-option-cache'
 import { createSessionOptionAppliers } from './native-chat-session-option-apply'
 import {
@@ -47,6 +49,24 @@ export type CreateNativeChatPtySessionOptionsArgs = {
   onDraftValuesChanged?: (values: Record<string, SessionOptionValue>) => void
 }
 
+/**
+ * Why: the tracked model can sit outside the active list — a persisted default,
+ * or an alias this host's CLI no longer lists. Keeping a row for it preserves
+ * the labelled selection and the model's own options instead of blanking both.
+ */
+function withTrackedModel(
+  catalog: AgentSessionOptionCatalog,
+  models: readonly CatalogModel[],
+  record: NativeChatSessionOptionRecord
+): CatalogModel[] {
+  const trackedId = typeof record.model?.value === 'string' ? record.model.value : null
+  if (!trackedId || models.some((model) => model.id === trackedId)) {
+    return [...models]
+  }
+  const seeded = catalog.models.find((model) => model.id === trackedId)
+  return [...models, seeded ?? { id: trackedId, label: trackedId, options: [] }]
+}
+
 export function createNativeChatPtySessionOptions(
   args: CreateNativeChatPtySessionOptionsArgs
 ): NativeChatPtySessionOptionsSurface | null {
@@ -65,12 +85,12 @@ export function createNativeChatPtySessionOptions(
   if (args.reportedValues && applyNativeChatReportedSessionOptions(record, args.reportedValues)) {
     writeNativeChatSessionOptionCache(args.scopeKey, record)
   }
+  const activeModels = (): CatalogModel[] => withTrackedModel(catalog, models, record)
   let snapshot = buildNativeChatSessionOptionSnapshot({
     catalog,
-    models,
+    models: activeModels(),
     record,
-    mode: args.mode,
-    includeTrackedModelChoice: args.agent !== 'claude'
+    mode: args.mode
   })
   const listeners = new Set<(value: SessionOptionDescriptor[]) => void>()
 
@@ -78,10 +98,9 @@ export function createNativeChatPtySessionOptions(
     writeNativeChatSessionOptionCache(args.scopeKey, record)
     snapshot = buildNativeChatSessionOptionSnapshot({
       catalog,
-      models,
+      models: activeModels(),
       record,
-      mode: args.mode,
-      includeTrackedModelChoice: args.agent !== 'claude'
+      mode: args.mode
     })
     for (const listener of listeners) {
       listener(snapshot)
@@ -126,7 +145,7 @@ export function createNativeChatPtySessionOptions(
   const appliers = createSessionOptionAppliers({
     mode: args.mode,
     catalog,
-    getModels: () => models,
+    getModels: activeModels,
     getRecord: () => record,
     dispatchCommand: args.dispatchCommand,
     onAgentPicker: args.onAgentPicker,
@@ -148,7 +167,7 @@ export function createNativeChatPtySessionOptions(
     recordOutgoingCommand: (command) => {
       const result = recordNativeChatSessionOptionCommand({
         catalog,
-        models,
+        models: activeModels(),
         record,
         command,
         persist

src/renderer/src/components/native-chat/native-chat-session-option-snapshot.ts

@@ -118,21 +118,19 @@ export function buildNativeChatSessionOptionSnapshot(args: {
   models: readonly CatalogModel[]
   record: NativeChatSessionOptionRecord
   mode: NativeChatSessionOptionMode
-  includeTrackedModelChoice: boolean
 }): SessionOptionDescriptor[] {
   const { catalog, models, record, mode } = args
   if (models.length === 0) {
     return []
   }
   const modelTracked = record.model
-  const listedModelChoices = models.map(({ id, label, description }) => ({
+  // Why: callers reconcile the tracked model into `models`, so every listed row
+  // is a real choice and the trigger never shows a value without one.
+  const modelChoices = models.map(({ id, label, description }) => ({
     value: id,
     label,
     ...(description ? { description } : {})
   }))
-  const modelChoices = args.includeTrackedModelChoice
-    ? choiceWithCurrent(listedModelChoices, modelTracked)
-    : listedModelChoices
   const modelSettable = settableState({ mode, apply: catalog.modelApply })
   const modelAction = actionForApply(catalog.modelApply, modelTracked, mode)
   const snapshot: SessionOptionDescriptor[] = [

src/renderer/src/components/native-chat/use-native-chat-session-options.ts

@@ -54,12 +54,15 @@ export function useNativeChatSessionOptions(args: {
       agent,
       scopeKey,
       ...(targetPtyId ? { fallbackScopeKey: terminalTabId } : {}),
-      initialModels: discoveryContext
-        ? (readNativeChatEnrichedModels(agent, discoveryContext.hostKey) ??
-          (agent === 'claude' ? [] : undefined))
-        : agent === 'claude'
-          ? []
-          : undefined,
+      // Why: the catalog seed carries version-neutral family labels, so it is
+      // safe on every host while the once-per-host probe runs or after it fails
+      // — without it the whole picker would pop in late or never appear.
+      ...(discoveryContext
+        ? {
+            initialModels:
+              readNativeChatEnrichedModels(agent, discoveryContext.hostKey) ?? undefined
+          }
+        : {}),
       mode: targetPtyId ? 'live' : 'draft',
       reportedValues,
       dispatchCommand,