diff --git a/crates/openfang-api/src/routes.rs b/crates/openfang-api/src/routes.rs
index 456d867f0..9ba169620 100644
--- a/crates/openfang-api/src/routes.rs
+++ b/crates/openfang-api/src/routes.rs
@@ -8813,20 +8813,16 @@ pub async fn patch_agent_config(
         if !new_model.is_empty() {
             if let Some(ref new_provider) = req.provider {
                 if !new_provider.is_empty() {
-                    // Explicit provider given — use it directly
-                    if state
-                        .kernel
-                        .registry
-                        .update_model_and_provider(
-                            agent_id,
-                            new_model.clone(),
-                            new_provider.clone(),
-                        )
-                        .is_err()
+                    // Explicit provider given — still route through set_agent_model
+                    // so provider-specific auth/env hints stay in sync.
+                    if let Err(e) =
+                        state
+                            .kernel
+                            .set_agent_model(agent_id, new_model, Some(new_provider))
                     {
                         return (
-                            StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
-                            Json(serde_json::json!({"error": "Agent not found"})),
+                            StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                            Json(serde_json::json!({"error": format!("{e}")})),
                         );
                     }
                 } else {
diff --git a/crates/openfang-kernel/src/kernel.rs b/crates/openfang-kernel/src/kernel.rs
index 816132fba..b6318c769 100644
--- a/crates/openfang-kernel/src/kernel.rs
+++ b/crates/openfang-kernel/src/kernel.rs
@@ -1311,6 +1311,30 @@ impl OpenFangKernel {
             }
         }
 
+        // Normalize catalog-backed model labels/aliases into canonical IDs and
+        // fill provider/auth hints when the manifest did not fully specify them.
+        if let Ok(catalog) = self.model_catalog.read() {
+            if let Some(entry) = catalog.find_model(&manifest.model.model) {
+                let provider_is_default =
+                    manifest.model.provider.is_empty() || manifest.model.provider == "default";
+                if provider_is_default || manifest.model.provider == entry.provider {
+                    manifest.model.provider = entry.provider.clone();
+                    manifest.model.model = strip_provider_prefix(&entry.id, &entry.provider);
+                    if manifest.model.api_key_env.is_none() {
+                        manifest.model.api_key_env =
+                            Some(self.config.resolve_api_key_env(&entry.provider));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if manifest.model.api_key_env.is_none()
+            && !manifest.model.provider.is_empty()
+            && manifest.model.provider != "default"
+        {
+            manifest.model.api_key_env =
+                Some(self.config.resolve_api_key_env(&manifest.model.provider));
+        }
+
         // Normalize: strip provider prefix from model name if present
         let normalized = strip_provider_prefix(&manifest.model.model, &manifest.model.provider);
         if normalized != manifest.model.model {
@@ -2831,6 +2855,11 @@ impl OpenFangKernel {
         model: &str,
         explicit_provider: Option<&str>,
     ) -> KernelResult<()> {
+        let catalog_entry = self
+            .model_catalog
+            .read()
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|catalog| catalog.find_model(model).cloned());
         let provider = if let Some(ep) = explicit_provider {
             // User explicitly set the provider — use it as-is
             Some(ep.to_string())
@@ -2849,25 +2878,35 @@ impl OpenFangKernel {
                 None
             } else {
                 // No custom base_url: safe to auto-detect from catalog / model name
-                let resolved_provider = self.model_catalog.read().ok().and_then(|catalog| {
-                    catalog
-                        .find_model(model)
-                        .map(|entry| entry.provider.clone())
-                });
+                let resolved_provider = catalog_entry.as_ref().map(|entry| entry.provider.clone());
                 resolved_provider.or_else(|| infer_provider_from_model(model))
             }
         };
 
         // Strip the provider prefix from the model name (e.g. "openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-chat" → "deepseek/deepseek-chat")
-        let normalized_model = if let Some(ref prov) = provider {
-            strip_provider_prefix(model, prov)
-        } else {
-            model.to_string()
-        };
+        let normalized_model =
+            if let (Some(entry), Some(prov)) = (catalog_entry.as_ref(), provider.as_ref()) {
+                if entry.provider == *prov {
+                    strip_provider_prefix(&entry.id, prov)
+                } else {
+                    strip_provider_prefix(model, prov)
+                }
+            } else if let Some(ref prov) = provider {
+                strip_provider_prefix(model, prov)
+            } else {
+                model.to_string()
+            };
 
         if let Some(provider) = provider {
+            let api_key_env = Some(self.config.resolve_api_key_env(&provider));
             self.registry
-                .update_model_and_provider(agent_id, normalized_model.clone(), provider.clone())
+                .update_model_provider_config(
+                    agent_id,
+                    normalized_model.clone(),
+                    provider.clone(),
+                    api_key_env,
+                    None,
+                )
                 .map_err(KernelError::OpenFang)?;
             info!(agent_id = %agent_id, model = %normalized_model, provider = %provider, "Agent model+provider updated");
         } else {
diff --git a/crates/openfang-kernel/src/registry.rs b/crates/openfang-kernel/src/registry.rs
index b3c3a4962..aaf07d21f 100644
--- a/crates/openfang-kernel/src/registry.rs
+++ b/crates/openfang-kernel/src/registry.rs
@@ -177,6 +177,27 @@ impl AgentRegistry {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Update an agent's model, provider, and connection hints together.
+    pub fn update_model_provider_config(
+        &self,
+        id: AgentId,
+        new_model: String,
+        new_provider: String,
+        api_key_env: Option<String>,
+        base_url: Option<String>,
+    ) -> OpenFangResult<()> {
+        let mut entry = self
+            .agents
+            .get_mut(&id)
+            .ok_or_else(|| OpenFangError::AgentNotFound(id.to_string()))?;
+        entry.manifest.model.model = new_model;
+        entry.manifest.model.provider = new_provider;
+        entry.manifest.model.api_key_env = api_key_env;
+        entry.manifest.model.base_url = base_url;
+        entry.last_active = chrono::Utc::now();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Update an agent's fallback model chain.
     pub fn update_fallback_models(
         &self,
diff --git a/crates/openfang-runtime/src/model_catalog.rs b/crates/openfang-runtime/src/model_catalog.rs
index 7ffe402a4..6bfa99141 100644
--- a/crates/openfang-runtime/src/model_catalog.rs
+++ b/crates/openfang-runtime/src/model_catalog.rs
@@ -107,13 +107,21 @@ impl ModelCatalog {
         &self.models
     }
 
-    /// Find a model by its canonical ID or by alias.
+    /// Find a model by its canonical ID, display name, or alias.
     pub fn find_model(&self, id_or_alias: &str) -> Option<&ModelCatalogEntry> {
         let lower = id_or_alias.to_lowercase();
         // Direct ID match first
         if let Some(entry) = self.models.iter().find(|m| m.id.to_lowercase() == lower) {
             return Some(entry);
         }
+        // Display-name match for dashboard/UI payloads that send labels.
+        if let Some(entry) = self
+            .models
+            .iter()
+            .find(|m| m.display_name.to_lowercase() == lower)
+        {
+            return Some(entry);
+        }
         // Alias resolution
         if let Some(canonical) = self.aliases.get(&lower) {
             return self.models.iter().find(|m| m.id == *canonical);
@@ -3938,6 +3946,14 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(entry.provider, "xai");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_model_by_display_name() {
+        let catalog = ModelCatalog::new();
+        let entry = catalog.find_model("Grok 4").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(entry.id, "grok-4-0709");
+        assert_eq!(entry.provider, "xai");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_new_providers_in_catalog() {
         let catalog = ModelCatalog::new();