commit the provider list as soon as its own fetch settles, and say so while it loads

client/src/components/ProviderModelSelector.jsx

@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@
  * @param {function} props.onModelChange - Called with model string
  * @param {string} [props.label] - Label text (default: "Provider")
  * @param {boolean} [props.disabled] - Disable both selectors
+ * @param {boolean} [props.loading] - The caller's provider list hasn't settled
+ *   yet. An empty `providers` is ambiguous — "still fetching" and "none
+ *   configured" both render a picker whose only choice is the
+ *   `emptyProviderOption` ("Default (active provider)", "Inherit (…)"), which
+ *   reads as a broken control rather than a slow one. Pass `true` while the
+ *   fetch is in flight to disable the selects and say so instead. This is the
+ *   same settle-gate the `annotateToolUse` scan below uses on its own fetch,
+ *   applied to the list the caller owns.
  * @param {boolean} [props.modelDisabled] - Disable only the model selector (e.g.
  *   when the selected provider has no models). Composes with `disabled`.
  * @param {boolean} [props.compact] - Hide labels for inline/toolbar use
@@ -95,6 +103,7 @@ export default function ProviderModelSelector({
   onModelChange,
   label = 'Provider',
   disabled = false,
+  loading = false,
   modelDisabled = false,
   compact = false,
   emptyProviderOption,
@@ -200,12 +209,17 @@ export default function ProviderModelSelector({
           id={providerSelectId}
           value={selectedProviderId}
           onChange={(e) => onProviderChange(e.target.value)}
-          disabled={disabled}
+          disabled={disabled || loading}
           title={compact ? label : undefined}
           aria-label={compact ? label : undefined}
           className={SELECT_CLASS}
         >
-          {emptyProviderOption != null && <option value="">{emptyProviderOption}</option>}
+          {/* Rendered even when the caller forces a selection: mid-fetch there
+              is nothing else to offer, and a genuinely empty select reads as the
+              same broken control. */}
+          {loading
+            ? <option value="">Loading providers…</option>
+            : emptyProviderOption != null && <option value="">{emptyProviderOption}</option>}
           {visibleProviders.map((p) => {
             const hardwareUnavailable = !isProviderHardwareCompatible(p);
             const policyDisallowed = Boolean(providerAllowed && !providerAllowed(p));
@@ -227,7 +241,7 @@ export default function ProviderModelSelector({
             id={modelSelectId}
             value={selectedModel}
             onChange={(e) => handleModelChange(e.target.value)}
-            disabled={disabled || modelDisabled}
+            disabled={disabled || modelDisabled || loading}
             title={compact ? 'Model' : undefined}
             aria-label={compact ? 'Model' : undefined}
             className={SELECT_CLASS}
@@ -271,7 +285,7 @@ export default function ProviderModelSelector({
             model={effectiveModel}
             value={effort || ''}
             onChange={onEffortChange}
-            disabled={disabled}
+            disabled={disabled || loading}
             optionFilter={effortAllowed}
             className={SELECT_CLASS}
           />

client/src/components/ProviderModelSelector.test.jsx

@@ -406,3 +406,32 @@ describe('ProviderModelSelector', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('ProviderModelSelector — provider list still loading', () => {
+  it('names the in-flight fetch instead of offering the empty sentinel as the only choice', () => {
+    // Mid-fetch `providers` is [], so "Default (active provider)" would be the
+    // select's only option — a slow control that reads as a broken one.
+    renderSelector({ providers: [], selectedProviderId: '', emptyProviderOption: 'Default (active provider)', loading: true });
+    const provider = screen.getByLabelText('Provider');
+    expect([...provider.options].map((o) => o.textContent)).toEqual(['Loading providers…']);
+    expect(provider.disabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('says so even when the caller forces a selection, since there is nothing else to show', () => {
+    renderSelector({ providers: [], selectedProviderId: '', loading: true });
+    expect(screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'Loading providers…' })).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it('disables the model select too, so a pin cannot be retargeted against a list that has not arrived', () => {
+    renderSelector({ loading: true });
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText('Model').disabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('restores the caller\'s own sentinel once the list settles', () => {
+    renderSelector({ selectedProviderId: '', emptyProviderOption: 'Default (active provider)' });
+    const provider = screen.getByLabelText('Provider');
+    expect(screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'Default (active provider)' })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('option', { name: 'Loading providers…' })).toBeNull();
+    expect(provider.disabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+});

client/src/components/cos/AppProviderPin.jsx

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { providerPinPatch } from './constants';
  * @param {string}   props.label          Provider-select label (also its aria-label when compact).
  * @param {string}   [props.inheritLabel] What a blank pin resolves to, e.g. `Inherit (claude-code)`.
  * @param {boolean}  [props.disabled]
+ * @param {boolean}  [props.loading]     Provider list not settled yet — see ProviderModelSelector.
  * @param {boolean}  [props.compact]      Hide labels for inline/table use.
  * @param {'row'|'stacked'} [props.layout]
  */
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export default function AppProviderPin({
   label,
   inheritLabel = 'Use default provider',
   disabled = false,
+  loading = false,
   compact = false,
   layout = 'row'
 }) {
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ export default function AppProviderPin({
       emptyModelOption="Default model"
       alwaysShowModel
       disabled={disabled}
+      loading={loading}
       compact={compact}
       layout={layout}
     />

client/src/components/cos/tabs/ScheduleTab.jsx

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function mergeOnDemandRequest(schedule, request) {
 // passed down — same convention as TasksTab/AgentsTab — so this tab's provider/
 // model pickers stay live without standing up a second independent poll of the
 // same data.
-export default function ScheduleTab({ apps, providers, activeProviderId }) {
+export default function ScheduleTab({ apps, providers, providersLoaded, activeProviderId }) {
   const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
   const [schedule, setSchedule] = useState(null);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ export default function ScheduleTab({ apps, providers, activeProviderId }) {
         tasks={tasks}
         apps={apps}
         providers={providers}
+        providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
         activeProviderId={activeProviderId}
         onTrigger={handleTriggerAppImprovement}
         onUpdate={handleUpdateTask}
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ export default function ScheduleTab({ apps, providers, activeProviderId }) {
         onUpdate={handleUpdateTask}
         onTrigger={handleTriggerAppImprovement}
         providers={providers}
+        providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
         activeProviderId={activeProviderId}
         apps={apps}
         onUpdateOverride={handleUpdateOverride}

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/AppOverrideRow.jsx

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import ToggleSwitch from '../../../ToggleSwitch';
 import useFieldDraft from '../../../../hooks/useFieldDraft';
 import { INTERVAL_LABELS, setMetadataOverride } from './scheduleConstants';
 
-const AppOverrideRow = memo(function AppOverrideRow({ app, taskType, globalIntervalType, globalTaskMetadata, managedAgentOptions, fileIssuesCapable, defaultFileIssues, doWorkRequiresWorktree, inheritedProviderText, providers, override, onUpdate }) {
+const AppOverrideRow = memo(function AppOverrideRow({ app, taskType, globalIntervalType, globalTaskMetadata, managedAgentOptions, fileIssuesCapable, defaultFileIssues, doWorkRequiresWorktree, inheritedProviderText, providers, providersLoaded = true, override, onUpdate }) {
   const [updating, setUpdating] = useState(false);
   const [cronEditing, setCronEditing] = useState(false);
   const isEnabled = override?.enabled === true;
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ const AppOverrideRow = memo(function AppOverrideRow({ app, taskType, globalInter
         <div className="w-full sm:w-auto sm:min-w-[240px] sm:max-w-[360px] sm:flex-1">
           <AppProviderPin
             providers={providers}
+            loading={!providersLoaded}
             providerId={override?.providerId}
             model={override?.model}
             onChange={handlePinChange}

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/AppTaskCard.jsx

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import TaskModelQuickControls from './TaskModelQuickControls';
 // One scheduled task rendered as a status-rich card. Browsing plus the common
 // "retarget the model and run it" loop happen here; the rest of the
 // configuration lives in the slide-over drawer (opened via Configure).
-export default function AppTaskCard({ taskType, config, apps, onTrigger, onConfigure, onUpdate, providers, activeProviderId, improvementDisabled }) {
+export default function AppTaskCard({ taskType, config, apps, onTrigger, onConfigure, onUpdate, providers, providersLoaded = true, activeProviderId, improvementDisabled }) {
   // Owned here, not in the controls, so Run can gate on the same `saving` flag —
   // it reads the server-side config, so a run fired mid-write uses the old pins.
   const pins = useTaskModelPins({ taskType, config, providers, activeProviderId, onUpdate });
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export default function AppTaskCard({ taskType, config, apps, onTrigger, onConfi
           Provider/model is set per stage ({stageCount}) — configure
         </button>
       ) : (
-        <TaskModelQuickControls pins={pins} providers={providers} />
+        <TaskModelQuickControls pins={pins} providers={providers} loading={!providersLoaded} />
       ))}
 
       {/* Footer actions */}

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/AppTaskCard.test.jsx

@@ -219,6 +219,15 @@ describe('AppTaskCard', () => {
       expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Thinking effort')).toBeNull();
     });
 
+    it('says the provider list is still loading instead of offering a lone bare Default', () => {
+      // Proves the card actually threads the flag; the label/disable rule itself
+      // is ProviderModelSelector's (see its own suite).
+      renderCardWithPins({}, { providers: [], providersLoaded: false });
+      const provider = screen.getByLabelText('Provider');
+      expect(within(provider).getByRole('option', { name: 'Loading providers…' })).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(provider.disabled).toBe(true);
+    });
+
     it('hides a disabled provider from the picker unless the task is pinned to it', () => {
       const withDisabled = [...providers, { id: 'retired', name: 'Retired CLI', enabled: false }];
       renderCardWithPins({}, { providers: withDisabled });

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/AppTaskTypeSection.jsx

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Search, X } from 'lucide-react';
 import AppTaskCard from './AppTaskCard';
 import { TASK_FILTERS, DEFAULT_FILTER_ID, taskSortKey } from './scheduleConstants';
 
-export default function AppTaskTypeSection({ tasks, apps, providers, activeProviderId, onTrigger, onUpdate, onSelectTask, improvementDisabled, filter, onFilterChange }) {
+export default function AppTaskTypeSection({ tasks, apps, providers, providersLoaded, activeProviderId, onTrigger, onUpdate, onSelectTask, improvementDisabled, filter, onFilterChange }) {
   const [search, setSearch] = useState('');
   const taskEntries = Object.entries(tasks || {});
 
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export default function AppTaskTypeSection({ tasks, apps, providers, activeProvi
               config={config}
               apps={apps}
               providers={providers}
+              providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
               activeProviderId={activeProviderId}
               onTrigger={onTrigger}
               onUpdate={onUpdate}

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/GlobalConfigControls.jsx

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ const REVIEW_CONFIG_KEYS = [
   'reviewerApplies',
 ];
 
-export default function GlobalConfigControls({ taskType, config, onUpdate, onTrigger, category: _category, providers, activeProviderId, apps, updating, setUpdating, allTaskTypes, improvementDisabled, dataInputCatalog }) {
+export default function GlobalConfigControls({ taskType, config, onUpdate, onTrigger, category: _category, providers, providersLoaded = true, activeProviderId, apps, updating, setUpdating, allTaskTypes, improvementDisabled, dataInputCatalog }) {
   const reviewDefaults = useCodeReviewDefaults();
   // Resolved model lists for the reviewer table's Model column (the picker itself
   // never fetches — see its `modelOptions` prop).
@@ -389,10 +389,12 @@ export default function GlobalConfigControls({ taskType, config, onUpdate, onTri
             <select
               value={selectedProviderId}
               onChange={(e) => handleProviderChange(e.target.value)}
-              disabled={updating}
+              disabled={updating || !providersLoaded}
               className="w-full bg-port-card border border-port-border rounded px-3 py-2 text-white text-sm"
             >
-              <option value="">{defaultProviderLabel}</option>
+              {/* Mid-fetch the list is empty, so "Default (active provider)" would
+                  be this select's only option — a slow control that reads broken. */}
+              <option value="">{providersLoaded ? defaultProviderLabel : 'Loading providers…'}</option>
               {providers?.map(provider => (
                 <option key={provider.id} value={provider.id}>{provider.name}</option>
               ))}
@@ -404,7 +406,7 @@ export default function GlobalConfigControls({ taskType, config, onUpdate, onTri
             <select
               value={selectedModel}
               onChange={(e) => handleModelChange(e.target.value)}
-              disabled={updating}
+              disabled={updating || !providersLoaded}
               className="w-full bg-port-card border border-port-border rounded px-3 py-2 text-white text-sm"
             >
               {/* `availableModels` already carries a pin the provider no longer

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/PerAppOverrideList.jsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useState } from 'react';
 import { providerModelLabel } from '../../../../utils/providers';
 import AppOverrideRow from './AppOverrideRow';
 
-export default function PerAppOverrideList({ taskType, config, apps, providers, onUpdateOverride, onBulkToggleOverride }) {
+export default function PerAppOverrideList({ taskType, config, apps, providers, providersLoaded = true, onUpdateOverride, onBulkToggleOverride }) {
   const [bulkUpdating, setBulkUpdating] = useState(false);
   const activeApps = apps?.filter(app => !app.archived) || [];
   const appOverrides = config.appOverrides || {};
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ export default function PerAppOverrideList({ taskType, config, apps, providers,
             doWorkRequiresWorktree={config.doWorkRequiresWorktree}
             inheritedProviderText={inheritedProviderText}
             providers={providers}
+            providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
             override={appOverrides[app.id]}
             onUpdate={onUpdateOverride}
           />

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/PipelineStageConfig.jsx

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ const actionsStageNote = (eligibleProviders) => {
   ].join(' ');
 };
 
-export default function PipelineStageConfig({ taskType, config, providers, onUpdate, updating, setUpdating }) {
+export default function PipelineStageConfig({ taskType, config, providers, providersLoaded = true, onUpdate, updating, setUpdating }) {
   const stages = pipelineStages(config);
   const needsSecurityModelPolicy = taskType === 'pr-reviewer';
   const { ollama, lmstudio, capabilitiesByBackend, loading: localModelsLoading } = useLocalModels({
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ export default function PipelineStageConfig({ taskType, config, providers, onUpd
               )}
               {!isSecurityStage && (
                 <ProviderModelSelector
+                  loading={!providersLoaded}
                   providers={providers || []}
                   selectedProviderId={stageProviderId}
                   selectedModel={stageModel}

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/TaskConfigDrawer.jsx

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export default function TaskConfigDrawer({
   onUpdate,
   onTrigger,
   providers,
+  providersLoaded,
   activeProviderId,
   apps,
   onUpdateOverride,
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ export default function TaskConfigDrawer({
               taskType={taskType}
               config={config}
               providers={providers}
+              providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
               onUpdate={onUpdate}
               updating={updating}
               setUpdating={setUpdating}
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ export default function TaskConfigDrawer({
               onTrigger={onTrigger}
               category="appImprovement"
               providers={providers}
+              providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
               activeProviderId={activeProviderId}
               apps={apps}
               updating={updating}
@@ -105,6 +108,7 @@ export default function TaskConfigDrawer({
               config={config}
               apps={apps}
               providers={providers}
+              providersLoaded={providersLoaded}
               onUpdateOverride={onUpdateOverride}
               onBulkToggleOverride={onBulkToggleOverride}
             />

client/src/components/cos/tabs/schedule/TaskModelQuickControls.jsx

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import ProviderModelSelector from '../../../ProviderModelSelector';
 //
 // `highlightToolUse` is on because a scheduled task IS an agent run: a task
 // pinned to a local model that can't call tools narrates instead of working.
-export default function TaskModelQuickControls({ pins, providers, disabled = false }) {
+export default function TaskModelQuickControls({ pins, providers, loading = false, disabled = false }) {
   const {
     providerId, model, effort, effectiveProviderId, defaultProviderLabel,
     availableModels, saving, changeProvider, changeModel, changeEffort,
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export default function TaskModelQuickControls({ pins, providers, disabled = fal
         alwaysShowModel
         compact
         highlightToolUse
+        loading={loading}
         disabled={disabled || saving}
       />
     </div>