feat(settings): restore agent and model defaults

apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/automations/actions/taskCreate.test.ts

@@ -326,6 +326,83 @@ describe('executeTaskCreate', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('uses automation default agent and model when the automation has no provider or model', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(appSettingsService.get).mockImplementation(async (key) => {
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationAgent') return 'codex' as never;
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationModel') return 'gpt-5-codex' as never;
+      return null as never;
+    });
+
+    await executeTaskCreate(
+      {
+        ...automation,
+        conversationConfig: { prompt: 'Check things', provider: '', autoApprove: false },
+      },
+      run,
+      noopStep
+    );
+
+    expect(createConversation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        provider: 'codex',
+        model: 'gpt-5-codex',
+      })
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('keeps an automation-specific model ahead of the automation default model', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(appSettingsService.get).mockImplementation(async (key) => {
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationAgent') return 'claude' as never;
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationModel') return 'claude-default' as never;
+      return null as never;
+    });
+
+    await executeTaskCreate(
+      {
+        ...automation,
+        conversationConfig: {
+          prompt: 'Check things',
+          provider: 'claude',
+          autoApprove: false,
+          model: 'claude-specific',
+        },
+      },
+      run,
+      noopStep
+    );
+
+    expect(createConversation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        provider: 'claude',
+        model: 'claude-specific',
+      })
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('does not apply a later automation default model to an automation with an explicit provider', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(appSettingsService.get).mockImplementation(async (key) => {
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationAgent') return 'claude' as never;
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationModel') return 'claude-default' as never;
+      return null as never;
+    });
+
+    await executeTaskCreate(
+      {
+        ...automation,
+        conversationConfig: { prompt: 'Check things', provider: 'claude', autoApprove: false },
+      },
+      run,
+      noopStep
+    );
+
+    expect(createConversation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        provider: 'claude',
+        model: undefined,
+      })
+    );
+  });
+
   it('creates ACP conversations with an initial queue and eagerly starts the session', async () => {
     await executeTaskCreate(
       {
@@ -345,6 +422,53 @@ describe('executeTaskCreate', () => {
     expect(createConversation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         provider: 'claude',
+        model: 'sonnet',
+        initialQueue: [{ text: 'Check things' }],
+        isInitialConversation: true,
+        type: 'acp',
+      })
+    );
+    expect(vi.mocked(createConversation).mock.calls[0]?.[0].initialPrompt).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(acpRuntimeProcedures.startSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      input: expect.objectContaining({
+        conversationId: expect.any(String),
+        projectId: 'project-1',
+        taskId: expect.any(String),
+        providerId: 'claude',
+        workspaceId: 'workspace-1',
+        cwd: '/tmp/task',
+        sessionId: null,
+        model: 'sonnet',
+        initialQueue: [{ text: 'Check things' }],
+      }),
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('passes automation default model to ACP startup when no provider is configured', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(appSettingsService.get).mockImplementation(async (key) => {
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationAgent') return 'claude' as never;
+      if (key === 'defaultAutomationModel') return 'sonnet' as never;
+      return null as never;
+    });
+
+    await executeTaskCreate(
+      {
+        ...automation,
+        conversationConfig: {
+          prompt: 'Check things',
+          provider: '',
+          autoApprove: false,
+          type: 'acp',
+        },
+      },
+      run,
+      noopStep
+    );
+
+    expect(createConversation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        provider: 'claude',
+        model: 'sonnet',
         initialQueue: [{ text: 'Check things' }],
         isInitialConversation: true,
         type: 'acp',

apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/automations/actions/taskCreate.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { createConversation } from '@main/core/conversations/createConversation'
 import { issueController } from '@main/core/issues/controller';
 import { openProject } from '@main/core/projects/operations/openProject';
 import { projectManager } from '@main/core/projects/project-manager';
-import { DEFAULT_AGENT_ID } from '@main/core/settings/settings-registry';
 import { appSettingsService } from '@main/core/settings/settings-service';
 import { generateRandom } from '@main/core/tasks/name-generation/generateTaskName';
 import {
@@ -130,9 +129,18 @@ export async function executeTaskCreate(
     }
     const workspaceConfig = scopeWorkspaceConfigToRun(taskConfig.workspaceConfig, taskName);
 
-    const provider = (automation.conversationConfig?.provider ||
-      (await appSettingsService.get('defaultAgent')) ||
-      DEFAULT_AGENT_ID) as AgentProviderId;
+    // appSettingsService.get() resolves unset keys to registry defaults, so the automation
+    // agent default is never empty and needs no further fallback here.
+    const configuredProvider = automation.conversationConfig?.provider || null;
+    const provider = (configuredProvider ||
+      (await appSettingsService.get('defaultAutomationAgent'))) as AgentProviderId;
+    // Automation model defaults are intentionally independent from task/conversation defaults.
+    // They only apply when the automation has no explicit provider, so later default changes do
+    // not alter automations that were already configured with a specific agent.
+    const defaultAutomationModel = configuredProvider
+      ? null
+      : await appSettingsService.get('defaultAutomationModel');
+    const model = automation.conversationConfig?.model || defaultAutomationModel || undefined;
     const conversationType = automation.conversationConfig?.type ?? 'pty';
     const initialQueue =
       conversationType === 'acp'
@@ -239,7 +247,7 @@ export async function executeTaskCreate(
           provider,
           automation.conversationConfig?.autoApprove
         ),
-        model: automation.conversationConfig?.model || undefined,
+        model,
         ...(conversationType === 'acp' ? { initialQueue } : { initialPrompt: prompt }),
         isInitialConversation: true,
         type: conversationType,
@@ -254,7 +262,7 @@ export async function executeTaskCreate(
             workspaceId: provision.data.workspaceId,
             cwd: provision.data.path,
             sessionId: null,
-            model: automation.conversationConfig?.model || null,
+            model: model ?? null,
             initialQueue,
           },
         });

apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/settings/schema.ts

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export const themeSchema = z
   .default(null);
 
 export const defaultAgentSchema = z.optional(z.enum(AGENT_PROVIDER_IDS)).default(DEFAULT_AGENT_ID);
+export const defaultModelSchema = z.string().nullable().optional().default(null);
 
 export const keyboardSettingsSchema = z
   .optional(
@@ -137,6 +138,9 @@ export const APP_SETTINGS_SCHEMA_MAP = {
   project: projectSettingsSchema,
   tasks: taskSettingsSchema,
   defaultAgent: defaultAgentSchema,
+  defaultModel: defaultModelSchema,
+  defaultAutomationAgent: defaultAgentSchema,
+  defaultAutomationModel: defaultModelSchema,
   keyboard: keyboardSettingsSchema,
   notifications: notificationSettingsSchema,
   theme: themeSchema,
@@ -154,6 +158,9 @@ export const appSettingsSchema = z.object({
   project: projectSettingsSchema,
   tasks: taskSettingsSchema,
   defaultAgent: defaultAgentSchema,
+  defaultModel: defaultModelSchema,
+  defaultAutomationAgent: defaultAgentSchema,
+  defaultAutomationModel: defaultModelSchema,
   keyboard: keyboardSettingsSchema,
   notifications: notificationSettingsSchema,
   theme: themeSchema,

apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/settings/settings-registry.ts

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ export const SETTINGS_DEFAULTS = {
   },
   theme: null,
   defaultAgent: DEFAULT_AGENT_ID,
+  defaultModel: null,
+  defaultAutomationAgent: DEFAULT_AGENT_ID,
+  defaultAutomationModel: null,
   keyboard: {},
   openIn: {
     default: 'terminal' as const,

apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/features/automations/useAutomationFormState.ts

@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ export function useAutomationFormState(
 
   const initialConversation = useInitialConversationState(effectiveProjectId, seedProvider, false, {
     resetPromptOnProjectChange: false,
+    defaultAgentSettingKey: 'defaultAutomationAgent',
+    defaultModelSettingKey: 'defaultAutomationModel',
+    applyDefaultModel: !seed,
   });
 
   const [promptSeeded, setPromptSeeded] = useState(false);

apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/features/automations/useAutomationSettingsAutoSave.ts

@@ -16,20 +16,22 @@ export function useAutomationSettingsAutoSave(automation: Automation) {
     effectiveProjectId,
     prompt,
     provider,
+    model,
     triggerConfig,
     cronTz,
     canSave,
     buildTaskConfig,
     name,
     workspaceConfig,
   } = formState;
+  const useChatUi = formState.initialConversation.useChatUi;
 
   function buildConversationConfig(): ConversationConfig {
-    const useChatUi = formState.initialConversation.useChatUi;
     return {
       prompt: prompt.trim(),
       provider,
       autoApprove: false,
+      model: model ?? undefined,
       type: useChatUi ? 'acp' : 'pty',
     };
   }
@@ -70,9 +72,9 @@ export function useAutomationSettingsAutoSave(automation: Automation) {
       return;
     }
     if (canSave) savePatch();
-    // We intentionally only track provider here; other fields use action-at-change-site.
+    // We intentionally only track provider/model/type here; other fields use action-at-change-site.
     // oxlint-disable-next-line react/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [provider]);
+  }, [provider, model, useChatUi]);
 
   // Workspace config changes (preset, branch name, sandbox toggle, etc.) are not
   // interceptable at the setter level because they go through useWorkspaceConfig

apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/features/conversations/create-conversation-modal.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { observer } from 'mobx-react-lite';
-import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { conversationRegistry } from '@renderer/features/conversations/stores/conversation-registry';
 import { getProjectSshConnectionId } from '@renderer/features/projects/stores/project-selectors';
+import { useAppSettingsKey } from '@renderer/features/settings/use-app-settings-key';
 // TODO(conversations-extraction): Pass task settings into the modal instead of importing task hooks.
 import { useTaskSettings } from '@renderer/features/tasks/hooks/useTaskSettings';
 import { AgentSelector } from '@renderer/lib/components/agent-selector/agent-selector';
@@ -40,21 +41,30 @@ export const CreateConversationModal = observer(function CreateConversationModal
   taskId: string;
 }) {
   const connectionId = getProjectSshConnectionId(projectId);
-  const { providerId, setProviderOverride, createDisabled } = useEffectiveProvider(connectionId);
+  const { providerId, defaultProviderId, setProviderOverride, createDisabled } =
+    useEffectiveProvider(connectionId);
   const conversationMgr = conversationRegistry.get(taskId);
   const taskSettings = useTaskSettings();
   const [isSubmitting, setIsSubmitting] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [autoApproveOverride, setAutoApproveOverride] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
   const [selectedModel, setSelectedModel] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [useAcpOverride, setUseAcpOverride] = useState(false);
+  const [modelTouched, setModelTouched] = useState(false);
   const chatUiEnabled = useFeatureFlag('chat-ui');
   useCloseGuard(isSubmitting);
 
   const { data: agents } = useAgents();
+  const { value: defaultModelValue } = useAppSettingsKey('defaultModel');
   const modelsCapability = agents?.find((a) => a.id === providerId)?.capabilities.models;
   const modelOptions =
     modelsCapability?.kind === 'selectable' ? modelsCapability.modelOptions : null;
+  const defaultModel =
+    providerId === defaultProviderId &&
+    typeof defaultModelValue === 'string' &&
+    modelOptions?.[defaultModelValue]
+      ? defaultModelValue
+      : null;
 
   const showAutoApproveToggle = providerId ? providerSupportsAutoApprove(providerId) : false;
   const showAcpToggle = chatUiEnabled && providerId ? providerSupportsAcp(providerId) : false;
@@ -73,10 +83,15 @@ export const CreateConversationModal = observer(function CreateConversationModal
       setProviderOverride(next);
       setSelectedModel(null);
       setUseAcpOverride(false);
+      setModelTouched(false);
     },
     [setProviderOverride]
   );
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!modelTouched) setSelectedModel(defaultModel);
+  }, [defaultModel, modelTouched]);
+
   const handleCreateConversation = useCallback(async () => {
     if (createDisabled || isSubmitting || !conversationMgr || !providerId) return;
     const id = crypto.randomUUID();
@@ -135,7 +150,10 @@ export const CreateConversationModal = observer(function CreateConversationModal
               <FieldLabel>Model</FieldLabel>
               <Select
                 value={selectedModel ?? ''}
-                onValueChange={(val) => setSelectedModel(val || null)}
+                onValueChange={(val) => {
+                  setModelTouched(true);
+                  setSelectedModel(val || null);
+                }}
               >
                 <SelectTrigger>
                   <SelectValue placeholder="Default model">

apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/features/conversations/use-effective-provider.ts

@@ -9,19 +9,21 @@ import { resolveConversationProviderSelection } from './provider-selection';
 
 export type EffectiveProvider = {
   providerId: AgentProviderId | null;
+  defaultProviderId: AgentProviderId;
   setProviderOverride: (id: AgentProviderId | null) => void;
   createDisabled: boolean;
 };
 
 export function useEffectiveProvider(
   connectionId?: string,
-  initialOverride?: AgentProviderId
+  initialOverride?: AgentProviderId,
+  defaultAgentSettingKey: 'defaultAgent' | 'defaultAutomationAgent' = 'defaultAgent'
 ): EffectiveProvider {
   const [providerOverride, setProviderOverride] = useState<AgentProviderId | null>(
     initialOverride ?? null
   );
 
-  const { value: defaultAgentValue } = useAppSettingsKey('defaultAgent');
+  const { value: defaultAgentValue } = useAppSettingsKey(defaultAgentSettingKey);
   const defaultProviderId: AgentProviderId = isValidProviderId(defaultAgentValue)
     ? defaultAgentValue
     : 'claude';
@@ -42,5 +44,5 @@ export function useEffectiveProvider(
     availabilityKnown,
   });
 
-  return { providerId, setProviderOverride, createDisabled };
+  return { providerId, defaultProviderId, setProviderOverride, createDisabled };
 }

apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/features/settings/agents-page/AgentsSettingsPage.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Button } from '@renderer/lib/ui/button';
 import { SearchInput } from '@renderer/lib/ui/search-input';
 import { ToggleGroup, ToggleGroupItem } from '@renderer/lib/ui/toggle-group';
 import { CliAgentsList, type AgentFilter } from './CliAgentsList';
+import { DefaultAgentSelector } from './DefaultAgentSelector';
 
 export function AgentsSettingsPage() {
   const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = useState('');
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ export function AgentsSettingsPage() {
   return (
     <>
       <PageHeader sticky title="Agents" description="Manage agents and model configurations.">
-        {/* <DefaultAgentSelector /> */}
         <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-2">
           <ToggleGroup
             multiple={false}
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export function AgentsSettingsPage() {
         </div>
       </PageHeader>
       <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
+        <DefaultAgentSelector />
         <CliAgentsList searchQuery={searchQuery} filter={filter} onFilterChange={setFilter} />
       </div>
     </>