diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ModelControls.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ModelControls.tsx
index d4b3a486..d09b0004 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ModelControls.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ModelControls.tsx
@@ -833,19 +833,10 @@ export const ModelControls: React.FC<ModelControlsProps> = ({
             candidate: latestLoadedUserChoice,
         })) {
             if (savedSessionModel) {
-                // Same rule as the history restore below: an effort equal to
-                // the inherited default is not evidence of a choice, so it is
-                // not recommitted as an explicit override.
-                const preservedVariant = resolveModelVariantSelection(savedSessionModel.providerId, savedSessionModel.modelId);
-                const inheritedForPreserved = resolveInheritedVariantForModel(
-                    savedSessionModel.providerId,
-                    savedSessionModel.modelId,
-                    currentAgentName || undefined,
-                );
                 applyModelSelectionWithVariant(
                     savedSessionModel.providerId,
                     savedSessionModel.modelId,
-                    preservedVariant === inheritedForPreserved ? undefined : preservedVariant,
+                    resolveModelVariantSelection(savedSessionModel.providerId, savedSessionModel.modelId),
                     currentAgentName || undefined,
                 );
             }
@@ -857,23 +848,10 @@ export const ModelControls: React.FC<ModelControlsProps> = ({
             setAgent(latestLoadedUserChoice.agent);
         }
 
-        // Message metadata records the *effective* effort, inherited defaults
-        // included; only a deviation from what this model would inherit proves
-        // the user chose it. Restoring an inherited-equal effort as an explicit
-        // override would pin the default and move the picker off "Default"
-        // right after every send.
-        const validHistoricalVariant = latestLoadedUserChoice.variant
+        const historicalVariant = latestLoadedUserChoice.variant
             && getModelVariantOptions(latestLoadedUserChoice.providerID, latestLoadedUserChoice.modelID).includes(latestLoadedUserChoice.variant)
             ? latestLoadedUserChoice.variant
             : undefined;
-        const inheritedForRestoredModel = resolveInheritedVariantForModel(
-            latestLoadedUserChoice.providerID,
-            latestLoadedUserChoice.modelID,
-            latestLoadedUserChoice.agent || currentAgentName || undefined,
-        );
-        const historicalVariant = validHistoricalVariant === inheritedForRestoredModel
-            ? undefined
-            : validHistoricalVariant;
         const applyResult = applyModelSelectionWithVariant(
             latestLoadedUserChoice.providerID,
             latestLoadedUserChoice.modelID,
@@ -908,7 +886,6 @@ export const ModelControls: React.FC<ModelControlsProps> = ({
         applyModelSelectionWithVariant,
         getModelVariantOptions,
         getSessionModelSelection,
-        resolveInheritedVariantForModel,
         resolveModelVariantSelection,
         saveSessionAgentSelection,
         saveAgentModelVariantForSession,