diff --git a/packages/app/src/context/local.tsx b/packages/app/src/context/local.tsx
index f51bb693092..20ca458cfdc 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/context/local.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/context/local.tsx
@@ -175,6 +175,17 @@ export const { use: useLocal, provider: LocalProvider } = createSimpleContext({
             if (currentAgent) setEphemeral("model", currentAgent.name, next)
             if (model) models.setVisibility(model, true)
             if (options?.recent && model) models.recent.push(model)
+            // Persist the model selection to config so child processes inherit it
+            if (model && !options?.recent) {
+              sdk.config.set({
+                directory: sdk.directory,
+                config: {
+                  model: `${model.providerID}/${model.modelID}`,
+                },
+              }).catch((error) => {
+                console.error("Failed to persist model selection to config", error)
+              })
+            }
           })
         },
         visible(model: ModelKey) {
diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/acp/agent.ts b/packages/opencode/src/acp/agent.ts
index cc9a029a045..198ef5b5b89 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/acp/agent.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/acp/agent.ts
@@ -1373,6 +1373,9 @@ export namespace ACP {
         return undefined
       })
 
+    // If a model is specified in the config file, use it instead of falling back to defaults
+    if (specified) return specified
+
     const providers = await sdk.config
       .providers({ directory }, { throwOnError: true })
       .then((x) => x.data?.providers ?? [])
@@ -1411,8 +1414,6 @@ export namespace ACP {
       }
     }
 
-    if (specified) return specified
-
     return { providerID: "opencode", modelID: "big-pickle" }
   }