PR #78241: fix(models/auth): preserve default model unless --set-default (fixes #78162)

• Repository: openclaw/openclaw
• Author: neeravmakwana
• State: open | merged: False
• Link: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/78241

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

Summary

When running openclaw models auth login without --set-default, merged provider configPatch / applyConfig output could still overwrite agents.defaults.model (for example OpenAI and Gemini helpers call applyAgentDefaultModelPrimary). That silently switched the live primary to the provider’s recommended tier.

Root cause

persistProviderAuthResult merged the auth configPatch before applying defaultModel, but only gated the explicit applyDefaultModel(...) step on --set-default. Patches that embedded agents.defaults.model escaped that gate.

Fix

Snapshot agents.defaults.model from the on-disk config at the start of the update mutator and, when --set-default is not passed and a prior model section existed, restore it after the patch + auth profile bindings. New configs with no prior agents.defaults.model still accept the patch’s primary. --set-default unchanged: applyDefaultModel still runs after restore.

Why this is safe

• Policy is enforced in config persistence, not prompt wording.
• No OAuth/API credential handling changes; auth profiles and patch merges for allowlists and provider tables behave as before.
• Opt-in --set-default path is unchanged.

Security / runtime controls

Unchanged: gateway auth, SecretRef resolution, auth profile storage, and provider credential flows. This only affects how merged onboarding config applies to agents.defaults.model for the models-auth CLI persist path.

Tests run

• pnpm vitest run src/commands/models/auth.test.ts
• pnpm check:changed

Real behavior proof

To be filled from your machine: after upgrading to this branch, run openclaw models auth login for a provider whose applyConfig sets a recommended primary while your config already has a different agents.defaults.model.primary; confirm openclaw models status still reports the previous primary until you pass --set-default or openclaw models set._

Out of scope / follow-ups

• Tier labeling (cheap/balanced/premium) from the issue discussion.
• Refactoring individual provider applyConfig functions to stop emitting primary in patches (could be redundant after this guard).

Fixes #78162.

Made with Cursor

Changed files

• CHANGELOG.md (modified, +1/-0)
• docs/concepts/model-providers.md (modified, +1/-1)
• src/commands/models/auth.test.ts (modified, +58/-1)
• src/commands/models/auth.ts (modified, +7/-0)
• src/plugins/provider-auth-choice-helpers.ts (modified, +25/-0)