diff --git a/public/js/app.js b/public/js/app.js
index 7086b11..d4c1574 100644
--- a/public/js/app.js
+++ b/public/js/app.js
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
   var costBadge = document.getElementById('model-cost-badge');
   window._currentModels = [];
   window._currentProvider = 'openrouter';
+  window._defaultModelId = '';
 
   fetch('/api/models')
     .then(function(r) { return r.json(); })
@@ -302,22 +303,27 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
           opt.textContent = m.name;
           selectEl.appendChild(opt);
         });
+        if (window._defaultModelId && !Array.prototype.some.call(selectEl.options, function(opt) { return opt.value === window._defaultModelId; })) {
+          var saved = document.createElement('option');
+          saved.value = window._defaultModelId;
+          saved.textContent = window._defaultModelId + ' (saved default)';
+          selectEl.appendChild(saved);
+        }
+        if (window._defaultModelId) selectEl.value = window._defaultModelId;
       }
 
       // Determine default model (admin override or first model)
       var defaultModelId = data.defaultModel || (window._currentModels.length > 0 ? window._currentModels[0].id : '');
+      window._defaultModelId = defaultModelId;
 
       if (modelSelect && window._currentModels.length > 0) {
         window._buildModelOptions(modelSelect);
-        // Select the admin-configured default
-        if (defaultModelId) modelSelect.value = defaultModelId;
         if (costBadge) costBadge.textContent = '';
       }
 
       // Populate all per-tab model selectors already in DOM
       document.querySelectorAll('.tab-model-select').forEach(function(sel) {
         window._buildModelOptions(sel);
-        if (defaultModelId) sel.value = defaultModelId;
       });
     })
     .catch(function(err) { console.warn('Models load failed:', err); });
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 5b7a9c1..a818d30 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ app.get('/api/models', async (req, res) => {
     var db = require('./src/db/database');
     var models = await getAvailableModelsWithOverrides(db);
     var defaultOverride = await db.getSetting('models.default');
+    if (defaultOverride && !models.find(function(m) { return m.id === defaultOverride; })) {
+      models.push({ id: defaultOverride, name: defaultOverride + ' (saved default)', tag: 'SAVED' });
+    }
     res.json({ models: models, provider: modelsProvider, defaultModel: defaultOverride || DEFAULT_MODEL });
   } catch(e) {
     res.json({ models: getAvailableModels(), provider: modelsProvider });
diff --git a/src/utils/ai.js b/src/utils/ai.js
index d38589e..4071446 100644
--- a/src/utils/ai.js
+++ b/src/utils/ai.js
@@ -417,14 +417,25 @@ async function assertModelAllowed(requestedModel, options) {
   }
 }
 
+async function resolveModel(requestedModel) {
+  var model = requestedModel && String(requestedModel).trim();
+  if (model) return model;
+  try {
+    var db = require('../db/database');
+    var adminDefault = await db.getSetting('models.default');
+    if (adminDefault && String(adminDefault).trim()) return String(adminDefault).trim();
+  } catch (e) {}
+  return DEFAULT_MODEL;
+}
+
 async function callAIStream(messages, options, onToken) {
   options = options || {};
   var requestedModel = options.model;
-  var model = requestedModel || DEFAULT_MODEL;
+  var model = await resolveModel(requestedModel);
   var temperature = options.temperature || 0.3;
   var maxTokens = options.maxTokens || 4000;
   var startTime = Date.now();
-  await assertModelAllowed(requestedModel, options);
+  await assertModelAllowed(model, options);
 
   var client = null;
   var provider = null;
@@ -469,7 +480,7 @@ async function callAIStream(messages, options, onToken) {
 async function callAI(messages, options) {
   options = options || {};
   var requestedModel = options.model;
-  var model = requestedModel || DEFAULT_MODEL;
+  var model = await resolveModel(requestedModel);
   var temperature = options.temperature || 0.3;
   var maxTokens = options.maxTokens || 4000;
   var startTime = Date.now();
@@ -477,9 +488,9 @@ async function callAI(messages, options) {
   // Server-side whitelist: reject any model the operator hasn't enabled.
   // Prevents a client from passing e.g. model:"openai/o1" and draining
   // the budget on a reasoning model outside the configured roster.
-  // Falls back silently to DEFAULT_MODEL when no model was provided.
+  // Falls back to the admin default, then DEFAULT_MODEL, when no model was provided.
   // Admin test endpoints pass skipAllowlistCheck to test before adding.
-  await assertModelAllowed(requestedModel, options);
+  await assertModelAllowed(model, options);
 
   try {
     var result;
diff --git a/test/model-defaults.test.js b/test/model-defaults.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd3ef94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/model-defaults.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const path = require('node:path');
+
+const root = path.join(__dirname, '..');
+
+function read(relativePath) {
+  return fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, relativePath), 'utf8');
+}
+
+test('api models endpoint preserves saved default in model list', () => {
+  const server = read('server.js');
+  assert.match(server, /var defaultOverride = await db\.getSetting\('models\.default'\)/);
+  assert.match(server, /models\.push\(\{ id: defaultOverride, name: defaultOverride \+ ' \(saved default\)'/);
+  assert.match(server, /defaultModel: defaultOverride \|\| DEFAULT_MODEL/);
+});
+
+test('lazy-loaded tab model selectors apply admin default', () => {
+  const app = read('public/js/app.js');
+  assert.match(app, /window\._defaultModelId = ''/);
+  assert.match(app, /window\._defaultModelId = defaultModelId/);
+  assert.match(app, /window\._buildModelOptions\(sel\)/);
+  assert.match(app, /selectEl\.value = window\._defaultModelId/);
+  assert.match(app, /saved\.textContent = window\._defaultModelId \+ ' \(saved default\)'/);
+});
+
+test('backend AI calls use admin default when request omits model', () => {
+  const ai = read('src/utils/ai.js');
+  assert.match(ai, /async function resolveModel\(requestedModel\)/);
+  assert.match(ai, /await db\.getSetting\('models\.default'\)/);
+  assert.match(ai, /var model = await resolveModel\(requestedModel\)/g);
+  assert.match(ai, /await assertModelAllowed\(model, options\)/g);
+});
+
+test('personal notes voice generation sends selected model only when populated', () => {
+  const recorder = read('public/js/notes/recorder.js');
+  assert.match(recorder, /var modelEl = document\.getElementById\('notes-model-select'\)/);
+  assert.match(recorder, /options\.noteFromVoice\(\{ transcript: resp\.text, model: selectedModel \|\| undefined \}\)/);
+});