diff --git a/static/panels.js b/static/panels.js
index af48a6c1..59626b86 100644
--- a/static/panels.js
+++ b/static/panels.js
@@ -7377,7 +7377,7 @@ async function _autosavePreferencesSettings(payload){
     const pwDirty=!!(pwField&&pwField.value);
     const modelSel=$('settingsModel');
     const modelState=(typeof _captureModelDropdownSelection==='function'&&modelSel)
-      ? _captureModelDropdownSelection(modelSel)
+      ? (_captureModelDropdownSelection(modelSel)||{model:String((modelSel&&modelSel.value)||''),model_provider:null})
       : {model:String((modelSel&&modelSel.value)||''),model_provider:null};
     const modelDirty=!!(
       modelSel&&(
@@ -9720,7 +9720,7 @@ async function _applyAuxModels(){
 async function saveSettings(andClose){
   const model=($('settingsModel')||{}).value;
   const modelState=(typeof _captureModelDropdownSelection==='function'&&$('settingsModel'))
-    ? _captureModelDropdownSelection($('settingsModel'))
+    ? (_captureModelDropdownSelection($('settingsModel'))||{model:String(model||''),model_provider:null})
     : {model:String(model||''),model_provider:null};
   const modelChanged=(model||'')!==(_settingsHermesDefaultModelOnOpen||'')||((modelState.model_provider||null)!==(_settingsHermesDefaultModelProviderOnOpen||null));
   const sendKey=($('settingsSendKey')||{}).value;
diff --git a/tests/test_new_chat_default_model_frontend.py b/tests/test_new_chat_default_model_frontend.py
index e49ffddf..714e1f0d 100644
--- a/tests/test_new_chat_default_model_frontend.py
+++ b/tests/test_new_chat_default_model_frontend.py
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ def test_save_settings_syncs_default_model_provider_with_saved_model():
     assert "_settingsHermesDefaultModelProviderOnOpen=(models&&models.active_provider)||null;" in panels_js
     assert "if(Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(body,'default_model_provider')) _settingsHermesDefaultModelProviderOnOpen=body.default_model_provider||null;" in apply_saved_block
     assert "(modelState.model_provider||null)!==(_settingsHermesDefaultModelProviderOnOpen||null)" in autosave_block
+    assert "_captureModelDropdownSelection(modelSel)||{model:String((modelSel&&modelSel.value)||''),model_provider:null}" in panels_js
+    assert "_captureModelDropdownSelection($('settingsModel'))||{model:String(model||''),model_provider:null}" in save_block
 
 
 def test_changelog_mentions_new_chat_default_model_provider_sync():