diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.test.ts
index 5bb461f3..1861568c 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.test.ts
@@ -133,6 +133,31 @@ describe('provider credential state helpers', () => {
     })).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  test('editable custom provider keeps models visible even with no credentials signal', () => {
+    // Config-defined custom providers (e.g. local LM Studio/Ollama style)
+    // are user-editable in place; a stale 'Credentials missing' must not
+    // hide their models section. Without the exemption, a keyless local
+    // custom provider regresses to 'Credentials missing' with models hidden.
+    const hasCredentials = providerHasCredentials({
+      key: undefined,
+      authSourceExists: false,
+      optionsApiKey: null,
+    });
+    expect(hasCredentials).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldShowModelsSection({
+      modelCount: 1,
+      sourcesLoaded: true,
+      hasCredentials: false,
+      isEditableCustomProvider: true,
+    })).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldShowModelsSection({
+      modelCount: 1,
+      sourcesLoaded: true,
+      hasCredentials: false,
+      isEditableCustomProvider: false,
+    })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   test('auth save followed by providers refresh recognizes credentials without stale missing state', () => {
     // Pre-save: sources say no auth, provider has no key yet.
     const before = providerHasCredentials({
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.tsx
index 18269918..d50b4875 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/ProvidersPage.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import type { ModelMetadata } from '@/types';
 import { getCurrentIntlLocale, useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
 import { runtimeFetch } from '@/lib/runtime-fetch';
 import { opencodeClient } from '@/lib/opencode/client';
-import { shouldLoadAvailableProviders } from './providerAvailability';
+import { requiresProviderAuth, shouldLoadAvailableProviders } from './providerAvailability';
 import {
   getOAuthAuthMethods,
   parseAuthPayload,
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ export const ProvidersPage: React.FC = () => {
     const hasCreds = providerHasCredentials({
       key: provider?.key,
       authSourceExists: sources.auth.exists,
+      optionsApiKey: (provider as { options?: { apiKey?: string | null } } | undefined)?.options?.apiKey ?? null,
     });
     const isEditableCustomProvider = Boolean(
       provider && isConfigDefinedCustomProvider(provider, sources)
@@ -862,11 +863,12 @@ export const ProvidersPage: React.FC = () => {
     authSourceExists: selectedSources?.auth.exists,
     optionsApiKey: (selectedProvider as { options?: { apiKey?: string | null } }).options?.apiKey ?? null,
   });
-  const authStatusIncomplete = sourcesLoaded && !hasCredentials;
+  const authStatusIncomplete = requiresProviderAuth(sourcesLoaded, hasCredentials, isEditableCustomProvider);
   const showModelsSection = shouldShowModelsSection({
     modelCount: providerModels.length,
     sourcesLoaded,
     hasCredentials,
+    isEditableCustomProvider,
   });
   const incompleteAuthHint = !showApiKeyAuth && oauthAuthMethods.length > 0
     ? t('settings.providers.page.auth.useReconnectHint')
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/providerAuth.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/providerAuth.ts
index 7cc7b5ac..cff0ca5b 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/providerAuth.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/providers/providerAuth.ts
@@ -94,7 +94,17 @@ export const shouldShowModelsSection = (input: {
   modelCount: number;
   sourcesLoaded: boolean;
   hasCredentials: boolean;
-}): boolean => input.modelCount > 0 && (!input.sourcesLoaded || input.hasCredentials);
+  /**
+   * Config-defined custom providers (providerSources.custom present and parsed
+   * via `isConfigDefinedCustomProvider`) are user-editable in place, so a
+   * stale `Credentials missing` signal must not hide their models section.
+   * Optional for back-compat; defaults to `false`, restoring the pre-rewrite
+   * exemption that `requiresProviderAuth` carried via `providerAvailability.ts`.
+   */
+  isEditableCustomProvider?: boolean;
+}): boolean =>
+  input.modelCount > 0 &&
+  (!input.sourcesLoaded || input.hasCredentials || Boolean(input.isEditableCustomProvider));
 
 export const shouldAutoOpenAuthPanel = (input: {
   sourcesLoaded: boolean;