diff --git a/static/panels.js b/static/panels.js
index d6b5067c..871c18a1 100644
--- a/static/panels.js
+++ b/static/panels.js
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ function _renderCronDetail(job){
     job.provider && job.model ? `${esc(job.provider)}/${esc(job.model)}` :
     job.model ? esc(job.model) :
     job.provider ? esc(job.provider) :
-    isNoAgent ? '' : 'default';
+    isNoAgent ? '' : esc(t('cron_model_use_default') || 'Use profile default');
   const profileLabel = _cronProfileLabel(job.profile);
   const profileTitle = _cronProfileTitle(job.profile);
   const lastError = job.last_error ? `<div class="detail-row"><div class="detail-row-label">${esc(t('error_prefix').replace(/:\s*$/,''))}</div><div class="detail-row-value" style="color:var(--accent-text)">${esc(job.last_error)}</div></div>` : '';
@@ -1091,11 +1091,11 @@ function _renderCronForm({ name, schedule, prompt, deliver, profile, toast_notif
           <div class="detail-form-hint">${esc(t('cron_profile_server_default_hint') || 'Uses the WebUI server default profile at run time')}</div>
         </div>
         <div class="detail-form-row">
-          <label for="cronFormModel">${esc(t('cron_model_label') || 'Model Override')}</label>
+          <label for="cronFormModel">${esc(t('cron_model_label') || 'Model')}</label>
           <select id="cronFormModel"${isNoAgent ? ' disabled' : ''}>
             <option value="">loading...</option>
           </select>
-          <div class="detail-form-hint">${esc(t('cron_model_hint') || 'Override the default model for this job.')}</div>
+          <div class="detail-form-hint">${esc(isNoAgent ? (t('cron_model_no_agent_hint') || 'No-agent jobs run the configured script directly; model is unused.') : (t('cron_model_hint') || 'Use the profile default model at run time, or pin this job to a specific provider/model.'))}</div>
         </div>
         <div class="detail-form-row">
           <label for="cronFormToastNotifications">${esc(t('cron_toast_notifications_label') || 'Completion toasts')}</label>
diff --git a/tests/test_cron_model_provider_picker.py b/tests/test_cron_model_provider_picker.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91f6ae75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cron_model_provider_picker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+"""Coverage for model-aware cron job creation/editing in the WebUI."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+import json
+import sys
+import types
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+PANELS_JS = (REPO / "static" / "panels.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+I18N_JS = (REPO / "static" / "i18n.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+class _JSONHandler:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.status = None
+        self.headers = {}
+        self.response_headers = []
+        self.wfile = io.BytesIO()
+
+    def send_response(self, status):
+        self.status = status
+
+    def send_header(self, key, value):
+        self.response_headers.append((key, value))
+
+    def end_headers(self):
+        pass
+
+
+def _payload(handler):
+    return json.loads(handler.wfile.getvalue().decode("utf-8"))
+
+
+def _function_body(name: str) -> str:
+    marker = f"function {name}("
+    start = PANELS_JS.find(marker)
+    assert start != -1, f"{name} not found"
+    paren = PANELS_JS.find("(", start)
+    assert paren != -1, f"{name} params not found"
+    depth = 0
+    for idx in range(paren, len(PANELS_JS)):
+        ch = PANELS_JS[idx]
+        if ch == "(":
+            depth += 1
+        elif ch == ")":
+            depth -= 1
+            if depth == 0:
+                brace = PANELS_JS.find("{", idx)
+                break
+    else:
+        raise AssertionError(f"{name} params did not terminate")
+    assert brace != -1, f"{name} body not found"
+    depth = 0
+    for idx in range(brace, len(PANELS_JS)):
+        ch = PANELS_JS[idx]
+        if ch == "{":
+            depth += 1
+        elif ch == "}":
+            depth -= 1
+            if depth == 0:
+                return PANELS_JS[brace + 1 : idx]
+    raise AssertionError(f"{name} body did not terminate")
+
+
+def test_cron_create_persists_model_provider_pair(monkeypatch):
+    import api.routes as routes
+
+    created = {"id": "job-model", "name": "Model aware", "prompt": "ping"}
+    calls = []
+    cron_pkg = types.ModuleType("cron")
+    cron_pkg.__path__ = []
+    cron_jobs = types.ModuleType("cron.jobs")
+    cron_jobs.create_job = lambda **kwargs: calls.append(("create", kwargs)) or {**created, **kwargs}
+    cron_jobs.update_job = lambda job_id, updates: calls.append(("update", job_id, updates)) or {**created, **updates}
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron", cron_pkg)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron.jobs", cron_jobs)
+
+    handler = _JSONHandler()
+    routes._handle_cron_create(
+        handler,
+        {
+            "prompt": "ping",
+            "schedule": "every 1h",
+            "model": "gpt-5.4",
+            "provider": "openai-codex",
+        },
+    )
+
+    assert handler.status == 200
+    assert calls[0] == (
+        "create",
+        {
+            "prompt": "ping",
+            "schedule": "every 1h",
+            "name": None,
+            "deliver": "local",
+            "skills": [],
+            "model": "gpt-5.4",
+            "provider": "openai-codex",
+        },
+    )
+    assert _payload(handler)["job"]["provider"] == "openai-codex"
+    assert _payload(handler)["job"]["model"] == "gpt-5.4"
+
+
+def test_cron_create_omits_blank_model_provider_to_use_profile_default(monkeypatch):
+    import api.routes as routes
+
+    calls = []
+    cron_pkg = types.ModuleType("cron")
+    cron_pkg.__path__ = []
+    cron_jobs = types.ModuleType("cron.jobs")
+    cron_jobs.create_job = lambda **kwargs: calls.append(("create", kwargs)) or {"id": "job-default", **kwargs}
+    cron_jobs.update_job = lambda job_id, updates: calls.append(("update", job_id, updates)) or {"id": job_id, **updates}
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron", cron_pkg)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron.jobs", cron_jobs)
+
+    handler = _JSONHandler()
+    routes._handle_cron_create(
+        handler,
+        {
+            "prompt": "ping",
+            "schedule": "every 1h",
+            "model": "",
+            "provider": "",
+        },
+    )
+
+    assert handler.status == 200
+    assert calls[0][1]["model"] is None
+    assert calls[0][1]["provider"] is None
+
+
+def test_cron_update_can_set_and_clear_model_provider_pair(monkeypatch):
+    import api.routes as routes
+
+    calls = []
+    cron_pkg = types.ModuleType("cron")
+    cron_pkg.__path__ = []
+    cron_jobs = types.ModuleType("cron.jobs")
+
+    def update_job(job_id, updates):
+        calls.append((job_id, updates))
+        return {"id": job_id, "name": "Updated", **updates}
+
+    cron_jobs.update_job = update_job
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron", cron_pkg)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cron.jobs", cron_jobs)
+
+    set_handler = _JSONHandler()
+    routes._handle_cron_update(
+        set_handler,
+        {"job_id": "job-model", "model": "gpt-5.4", "provider": "openai-codex"},
+    )
+    assert set_handler.status == 200
+
+    clear_handler = _JSONHandler()
+    routes._handle_cron_update(clear_handler, {"job_id": "job-model", "model": "", "provider": ""})
+    assert clear_handler.status == 200
+
+    assert calls == [
+        ("job-model", {"model": "gpt-5.4", "provider": "openai-codex"}),
+        ("job-model", {"model": None, "provider": None}),
+    ]
+
+
+def test_cron_form_has_model_picker_and_saves_model_provider_state():
+    render_body = _function_body("_renderCronForm")
+    save_body = _function_body("saveCronForm")
+    edit_body = _function_body("openCronEdit")
+    detail_body = _function_body("_renderCronDetail")
+
+    picker_body = _function_body("_populateCronFormModelSelect")
+
+    assert "cronFormModel" in render_body
+    assert "cron_model_label" in render_body
+    assert "cron_model_use_default" in picker_body
+    assert "_populateCronFormModelSelect" in render_body
+    assert "_modelStateForSelect" in save_body
+    assert "updates.model" in save_body
+    assert "updates.provider" in save_body
+    assert "body.model" in save_body
+    assert "body.provider" in save_body
+    assert "model: job.model" in edit_body
+    assert "provider: job.provider" in edit_body
+    assert "cron_model_use_default" in detail_body
+
+
+def test_cron_model_picker_i18n_keys_exist():
+    assert "cron_model_label" in I18N_JS
+    assert "cron_model_use_default" in I18N_JS
+    assert "cron_model_hint" in I18N_JS