diff --git a/nori-rs/tui/docs.md b/nori-rs/tui/docs.md
index 7aa91dfe3..8ea2580c6 100644
--- a/nori-rs/tui/docs.md
+++ b/nori-rs/tui/docs.md
@@ -413,6 +413,8 @@ The picker does not run during `/agent` switching, and unsupported ACP config ki
 
 `/model` acts as a convenience shortcut into the same config_options mechanism. `ChatWidget::open_model_popup()` in `chatwidget/pickers.rs` first fetches config_options via `AcpAgentHandle::get_session_config()`, finds a config option with `SessionConfigOptionCategory::Model`, and if present sends `AppEvent::OpenAcpSessionConfigValuePicker` to open the value picker directly (bypassing the top-level config picker). When no Model-category config option exists, it falls back to the unstable `SessionModelState` (behind `#[cfg(feature = "unstable")]`), and finally to a "not supported" empty model picker. This means real ACP agents that provide model selection through config_options (the stable mechanism) work correctly with `/model`, while agents that only provide the unstable `session/set_model` path still function via the fallback. Both paths persist the chosen model as the agent's default: the stable path through the Model-category persistence described above, and the unstable fallback in the `AppEvent::AcpModelSetResult` handler in `app/event_handling.rs`, whose info message reads `Model switched to: <name> (saved as default)` when the write succeeds and omits the suffix when it fails.
 
+**Pending-agent short-circuit:** ACP models are session-scoped -- an agent's models only arrive in the `session/new` response, so they are not knowable until a session starts. Because `/agent` only records a *pending* switch in `ChatWidget.pending_agent` (the live `acp_handle` and subprocess are not swapped until the next prompt submit rebuilds the `ChatWidget`; see "Agent-Provided Commands and Skill Mentions" and `set_pending_agent`), `open_model_popup()` checks `pending_agent` *before* touching the handle. When a switch is pending, it synchronously renders an explanatory picker built by `acp_model_picker_pending_agent_params(display_name)` in `nori/agent_picker.rs` telling the user to send a message to start the new session before `/model` can show that agent's models. This avoids querying the still-live OLD agent's handle, which would otherwise display the wrong agent's models.
+
 **Selection Popup Row Layout (`bottom_pane/selection_popup_common.rs`):**
 
 `render_rows()` and `measure_rows_height()` are the shared rendering functions used by selection popups that render command-like rows (`ListSelectionView`, `CommandPopup`, `SkillPopup`, `FileSearchPopup`). Each popup item has an optional description that appears alongside the item name. The layout engine chooses between two modes per-row via `wrap_row()`:
diff --git a/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/pickers.rs b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/pickers.rs
index 656b93556..c182c8cea 100644
--- a/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/pickers.rs
+++ b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/pickers.rs
@@ -613,6 +613,16 @@ impl ChatWidget {
     /// unstable model state when no Model-category config option exists,
     /// and to a static "not supported" message when neither is available.
     pub(crate) fn open_model_popup(&mut self) {
+        // An agent switch is pending: the new session hasn't started, so the new
+        // agent's (session-scoped) models aren't available yet. Querying the live
+        // handle would show the OLD agent's models, so explain instead.
+        if let Some(pending) = self.pending_agent.as_ref() {
+            let params = crate::nori::agent_picker::acp_model_picker_pending_agent_params(
+                &pending.display_name,
+            );
+            self.bottom_pane.show_selection_view(params);
+            return;
+        }
         if let Some(handle) = self.acp_handle.clone() {
             let app_event_tx = self.app_event_tx.clone();
             tokio::spawn(async move {
diff --git a/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/part9.rs b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/part9.rs
index 12c3a1094..620198f02 100644
--- a/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/part9.rs
+++ b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/part9.rs
@@ -127,3 +127,67 @@ fn model_popup_via_config_option_snapshot() {
     let popup = render_bottom_popup(&chat, 80);
     assert_snapshot!("model_popup_via_config_option", popup);
 }
+
+/// When an agent switch is pending (the user picked a new agent but hasn't
+/// submitted a prompt yet, so no new session exists), /model must NOT query the
+/// still-live OLD agent's handle — that would show stale models. Instead it
+/// shows an explanatory message naming the pending agent.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn model_popup_shows_pending_message_instead_of_stale_models() {
+    let (mut chat, mut rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual();
+
+    // The OLD agent's handle would happily respond with a Model config option.
+    let (command_tx, mut command_rx) =
+        tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel::<crate::chatwidget::agent::AcpAgentCommand>();
+    tokio::spawn(async move {
+        while let Some(command) = command_rx.recv().await {
+            if let crate::chatwidget::agent::AcpAgentCommand::GetSessionConfig { response_tx } =
+                command
+            {
+                let _ = response_tx.send(vec![model_config_option()]);
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    chat.acp_handle = Some(crate::chatwidget::agent::AcpAgentHandle::from_command_tx(
+        command_tx,
+    ));
+
+    // But an agent switch is pending: no new session has started.
+    chat.set_pending_agent("newagent".to_string(), "New Agent".to_string());
+
+    chat.open_model_popup();
+
+    // Give any (incorrectly) spawned task time to query the OLD handle and
+    // route to its picker. The OLD agent's model picker must never open while a
+    // switch is pending — that is exactly the stale-models bug.
+    tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+    while let Ok(event) = rx.try_recv() {
+        assert!(
+            !matches!(event, AppEvent::OpenAcpSessionConfigValuePicker { .. }),
+            "must not route to the OLD agent's model picker while a switch is pending"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // The popup explains that a session must start first, naming the agent.
+    let popup = render_bottom_popup(&chat, 80);
+    assert!(
+        popup.contains("New Agent"),
+        "popup should name the pending agent:\n{popup}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        popup.contains("session"),
+        "popup should mention starting a session:\n{popup}"
+    );
+}
+
+/// Snapshot: the model picker shown while an agent switch is pending.
+#[test]
+fn model_popup_pending_agent_snapshot() {
+    let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual();
+
+    chat.set_pending_agent("newagent".to_string(), "New Agent".to_string());
+    chat.open_model_popup();
+
+    let popup = render_bottom_popup(&chat, 80);
+    assert_snapshot!("model_popup_pending_agent", popup);
+}
diff --git a/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/snapshots/nori_tui__chatwidget__tests__part9__model_popup_pending_agent.snap b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/snapshots/nori_tui__chatwidget__tests__part9__model_popup_pending_agent.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a4e80b9a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nori-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/snapshots/nori_tui__chatwidget__tests__part9__model_popup_pending_agent.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+source: tui/src/chatwidget/tests/part9.rs
+expression: popup
+---
+  Select Model
+  New Agent's models load once you start a session
+
+› 1. Switching to New Agent  Send a message to start a session, then /model
+                             will show its models.
+
+  Press esc to dismiss.
diff --git a/nori-rs/tui/src/nori/agent_picker.rs b/nori-rs/tui/src/nori/agent_picker.rs
index 531237afa..24a02ba47 100644
--- a/nori-rs/tui/src/nori/agent_picker.rs
+++ b/nori-rs/tui/src/nori/agent_picker.rs
@@ -125,6 +125,36 @@ pub fn acp_model_picker_params() -> SelectionViewParams {
     }
 }
 
+/// Create selection view parameters for the model picker when an agent switch
+/// is pending but no new session has started yet.
+///
+/// ACP models are session-scoped: a newly-switched agent's models only become
+/// available after the next prompt creates a session. Until then the live agent
+/// handle still belongs to the OLD agent, so querying it would show the OLD
+/// agent's models. Show an explanatory message naming the pending agent instead.
+pub fn acp_model_picker_pending_agent_params(display_name: &str) -> SelectionViewParams {
+    let items: Vec<SelectionItem> = vec![SelectionItem {
+        name: format!("Switching to {display_name}"),
+        description: Some(
+            "Send a message to start a session, then /model will show its models.".to_string(),
+        ),
+        is_current: false,
+        actions: vec![],
+        dismiss_on_select: true,
+        ..Default::default()
+    }];
+
+    SelectionViewParams {
+        title: Some("Select Model".to_string()),
+        subtitle: Some(format!(
+            "{display_name}'s models load once you start a session"
+        )),
+        footer_hint: Some(Line::from("Press esc to dismiss.")),
+        items,
+        ..Default::default()
+    }
+}
+
 /// Create selection view parameters for the ACP model picker with actual models.
 ///
 /// This function creates a picker showing models available from the ACP agent.