diff --git a/plugins/_model_config/api/model_override.py b/plugins/_model_config/api/model_override.py
index 038969edb..32e26b252 100644
--- a/plugins/_model_config/api/model_override.py
+++ b/plugins/_model_config/api/model_override.py
@@ -4,6 +4,23 @@ from agent import AgentContext
 from plugins._model_config.helpers import model_config
 
 
+def _public_model_config(config: dict) -> dict | None:
+    if not isinstance(config, dict):
+        return None
+    provider = str(config.get("provider", "") or "").strip()
+    name = str(config.get("name", "") or "").strip()
+    if not provider and not name:
+        return None
+    return {"provider": provider, "name": name}
+
+
+def _active_models(ctx: AgentContext) -> dict:
+    return {
+        "main": _public_model_config(model_config.get_chat_model_config(ctx.agent0)),
+        "utility": _public_model_config(model_config.get_utility_model_config(ctx.agent0)),
+    }
+
+
 class ModelOverride(ApiHandler):
     async def process(self, input: dict, request: Request) -> dict | Response:
         context_id = input.get("context_id", "")
@@ -19,7 +36,11 @@ class ModelOverride(ApiHandler):
         if action == "get":
             override = ctx.get_data("chat_model_override")
             allowed = model_config.is_chat_override_allowed(ctx.agent0)
-            return {"override": override, "allowed": allowed}
+            return {
+                "override": override,
+                "allowed": allowed,
+                "active_models": _active_models(ctx),
+            }
 
         elif action == "set":
             if not model_config.is_chat_override_allowed(ctx.agent0):
@@ -29,7 +50,11 @@ class ModelOverride(ApiHandler):
                 return Response(status=400, response="Missing or invalid override config")
             ctx.set_data("chat_model_override", override_config)
             save_tmp_chat(ctx)
-            return {"ok": True, "override": override_config}
+            return {
+                "ok": True,
+                "override": override_config,
+                "active_models": _active_models(ctx),
+            }
 
         elif action == "set_preset":
             if not model_config.is_chat_override_allowed(ctx.agent0):
@@ -45,11 +70,19 @@ class ModelOverride(ApiHandler):
             override_value = {"preset_name": preset_name}
             ctx.set_data("chat_model_override", override_value)
             save_tmp_chat(ctx)
-            return {"ok": True, "preset_name": preset_name}
+            return {
+                "ok": True,
+                "preset_name": preset_name,
+                "active_models": _active_models(ctx),
+            }
 
         elif action == "clear":
             ctx.set_data("chat_model_override", None)
             save_tmp_chat(ctx)
-            return {"ok": True, "override": None}
+            return {
+                "ok": True,
+                "override": None,
+                "active_models": _active_models(ctx),
+            }
 
         return Response(status=400, response=f"Unknown action: {action}")
diff --git a/plugins/_model_config/extensions/webui/chat-input-progress-start/model-switcher.html b/plugins/_model_config/extensions/webui/chat-input-progress-start/model-switcher.html
index 8d740171d..52953ab50 100644
--- a/plugins/_model_config/extensions/webui/chat-input-progress-start/model-switcher.html
+++ b/plugins/_model_config/extensions/webui/chat-input-progress-start/model-switcher.html
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@
          $store.modelConfig.refreshSwitcher($store.chats?.selected || ''),
          $store.modelConfig.loadAgentProfiles(),
        ]);
+       const refreshActiveModels = () => $store.modelConfig.refreshSwitcher($store.chats?.selected || '');
        $watch('$store.chats.selected', v => $store.modelConfig.refreshSwitcher(v || ''));
+       $watch('$store.chats.selectedContext?.project?.name || \'\'' , refreshActiveModels);
+       $watch('$store.chats.selectedContext?.agent_profile || \'\'' , refreshActiveModels);
      ">
   <template x-if="($store.modelConfig.switcherAllowed && !$store.modelConfig.switcherLoading) || $store.chats?.selectedContext?.agent_profile">
     <div class="model-switcher-container">
@@ -27,18 +30,18 @@
                     x-text="showDropdown ? 'expand_less' : 'expand_more'"></span>
             </button>
 
-            <!-- Inline active model pills (shown when a preset is active) -->
-            <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.switcherOverride">
+            <!-- Inline active model pills -->
+            <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.hasActiveModelNames()">
               <div class="model-switcher-active-pills">
-                <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().main">
+                <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().main?.name">
                   <div class="model-pill">
-                    <span class="model-pill-role">Main</span>
+                    <span class="model-pill-role">Main:</span>
                     <span class="model-pill-name" x-text="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().main.name"></span>
                   </div>
                 </template>
-                <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().utility">
+                <template x-if="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().utility?.name">
                   <div class="model-pill">
-                    <span class="model-pill-role">Util</span>
+                    <span class="model-pill-role">Utility:</span>
                     <span class="model-pill-name" x-text="$store.modelConfig.getActiveModels().utility.name"></span>
                   </div>
                 </template>
@@ -256,6 +259,7 @@
     font-size: 0.68rem;
     white-space: nowrap;
     min-width: 0;
+    max-width: 240px;
     overflow: hidden;
   }
   .model-pill-role {
@@ -396,7 +400,7 @@
   }
 
   /* Responsive: hide pills on narrow screens */
-  @media (max-width: 600px) {
+  @media (max-width: 760px) {
     .model-switcher-active-pills {
       display: none;
     }
diff --git a/plugins/_model_config/webui/model-config-store.js b/plugins/_model_config/webui/model-config-store.js
index 1f68e5d01..d9d3ec3d4 100644
--- a/plugins/_model_config/webui/model-config-store.js
+++ b/plugins/_model_config/webui/model-config-store.js
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ export const store = createStore("modelConfig", {
   /**
    * Install save and reset hooks on the plugin settings context.
    * - Save: persists dirty API keys before the normal config save.
+   * - Save: refreshes active chat model names after the config is persisted.
    * - Reset: reloads global presets when settings are reset to defaults.
    */
   installSettingsHooks(context, config) {
@@ -215,6 +216,9 @@ export const store = createStore("modelConfig", {
         return;
       }
       await originalSave();
+      if (!context.error) {
+        await this.refreshActiveChatModels();
+      }
     };
 
     const originalReset = context.resetToDefault.bind(context);
@@ -229,6 +233,12 @@ export const store = createStore("modelConfig", {
     context.__modelConfigHooksInstalled = true;
   },
 
+  async refreshActiveChatModels() {
+    const contextId = window.Alpine?.store("chats")?.selected || "";
+    if (!contextId) return;
+    await this.refreshSwitcher(contextId);
+  },
+
   // Model search
   getProviders(key) {
     return key === 'embedding_model' ? this.embeddingProviders : this.chatProviders;
diff --git a/plugins/_model_config/webui/switcher-mixin.js b/plugins/_model_config/webui/switcher-mixin.js
index 14b50a0d7..c415a4058 100644
--- a/plugins/_model_config/webui/switcher-mixin.js
+++ b/plugins/_model_config/webui/switcher-mixin.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const switcherState = {
   switcherAllowed: false,
   switcherOverride: null,
   switcherPresets: [],
+  switcherActiveModels: { main: null, utility: null },
   switcherLoading: true,
   agentProfiles: [],
   agentProfilesLoading: true,
@@ -17,6 +18,33 @@ export const switcherState = {
 };
 
 export const switcherMethods = {
+  normalizeActiveModel(model) {
+    if (!model || typeof model !== "object") return null;
+    const provider = String(model.provider || "").trim();
+    const name = String(model.name || "").trim();
+    if (!provider && !name) return null;
+    return { provider, name };
+  },
+
+  normalizeActiveModels(models = {}) {
+    return {
+      main: this.normalizeActiveModel(models.main),
+      utility: this.normalizeActiveModel(models.utility),
+    };
+  },
+
+  hasModelNames(models) {
+    return !!(models?.main?.name || models?.utility?.name);
+  },
+
+  modelsFromPreset(preset) {
+    if (!preset) return { main: null, utility: null };
+    return this.normalizeActiveModels({
+      main: preset.chat,
+      utility: preset.utility,
+    });
+  },
+
   async loadAgentProfiles(force = false) {
     if (!force && this.agentProfiles.length > 0 && this.agentProfileSettings) return this.agentProfiles;
     this.agentProfilesLoading = true;
@@ -44,7 +72,7 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
   },
 
   async loadSwitcherState(contextId) {
-    const result = { allowed: false, presets: [], override: null };
+    const result = { allowed: false, presets: [], override: null, activeModels: { main: null, utility: null } };
     try {
       await this.loadGlobalPresets();
       result.presets = this.globalPresets.filter(p => p.name);
@@ -57,6 +85,7 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
         const overData = await overRes.json();
         result.allowed = !!overData.allowed;
         result.override = overData.override || null;
+        result.activeModels = this.normalizeActiveModels(overData.active_models || {});
       }
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("Model switcher load failed:", e);
@@ -71,10 +100,10 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
         headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
         body: JSON.stringify({ action: "set_preset", context_id: contextId, preset_name: presetName }),
       });
-      return !!(await res.json()).ok;
+      return await res.json();
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("Failed to set preset override:", e);
-      return false;
+      return { ok: false };
     }
   },
 
@@ -85,10 +114,10 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
         headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
         body: JSON.stringify({ action: "clear", context_id: contextId }),
       });
-      return !!(await res.json()).ok;
+      return await res.json();
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("Failed to clear override:", e);
-      return false;
+      return { ok: false };
     }
   },
 
@@ -194,6 +223,7 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
       this.switcherAllowed = state.allowed;
       this.switcherPresets = state.presets;
       this.switcherOverride = state.override;
+      this.switcherActiveModels = state.activeModels;
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Model switcher refresh failed:', e);
     } finally {
@@ -202,15 +232,24 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
   },
 
   async selectPresetSwitch(contextId, presetName) {
-    const ok = await this.setPresetOverride(contextId, presetName);
-    if (ok) this.switcherOverride = { preset_name: presetName };
-    return ok;
+    const data = await this.setPresetOverride(contextId, presetName);
+    if (data?.ok) {
+      this.switcherOverride = { preset_name: data.preset_name || presetName };
+      const activeModels = this.normalizeActiveModels(data.active_models || {});
+      this.switcherActiveModels = this.hasModelNames(activeModels)
+        ? activeModels
+        : this.modelsFromPreset(this.switcherPresets.find(p => p.name === presetName));
+    }
+    return !!data?.ok;
   },
 
   async clearOverrideSwitch(contextId) {
-    const ok = await this.clearOverride(contextId);
-    if (ok) this.switcherOverride = null;
-    return ok;
+    const data = await this.clearOverride(contextId);
+    if (data?.ok) {
+      this.switcherOverride = null;
+      this.switcherActiveModels = this.normalizeActiveModels(data.active_models || {});
+    }
+    return !!data?.ok;
   },
 
   getSwitcherLabel() {
@@ -226,11 +265,11 @@ export const switcherMethods = {
   },
 
   getActiveModels() {
-    const preset = this.getActivePreset();
-    if (!preset) return { main: null, utility: null };
-    return {
-      main: preset.chat?.name ? { provider: preset.chat.provider, name: preset.chat.name } : null,
-      utility: preset.utility?.name ? { provider: preset.utility.provider, name: preset.utility.name } : null,
-    };
+    if (this.hasModelNames(this.switcherActiveModels)) return this.switcherActiveModels;
+    return this.modelsFromPreset(this.getActivePreset());
+  },
+
+  hasActiveModelNames() {
+    return this.hasModelNames(this.getActiveModels());
   },
 };
diff --git a/tests/test_model_config_switcher.py b/tests/test_model_config_switcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf14b7daf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_model_config_switcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+def test_model_switcher_surfaces_default_active_models():
+    switcher = (
+        PROJECT_ROOT / "plugins" / "_model_config" / "webui" / "switcher-mixin.js"
+    ).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    store = (
+        PROJECT_ROOT / "plugins" / "_model_config" / "webui" / "model-config-store.js"
+    ).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    template = (
+        PROJECT_ROOT
+        / "plugins"
+        / "_model_config"
+        / "extensions"
+        / "webui"
+        / "chat-input-progress-start"
+        / "model-switcher.html"
+    ).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    api = (
+        PROJECT_ROOT / "plugins" / "_model_config" / "api" / "model_override.py"
+    ).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+    assert '"active_models": _active_models(ctx)' in api
+    assert "switcherActiveModels" in switcher
+    assert "hasActiveModelNames()" in template
+    assert "Main:" in template
+    assert "Utility:" in template
+    assert "@media (max-width: 760px)" in template
+    assert "await this.refreshActiveChatModels();" in store
+    assert 'window.Alpine?.store("chats")?.selected' in store