diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/agent-profiles-picker.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/agent-profiles-picker.spec.ts
index 87fcffcab..d67de4da3 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/browser/agent-profiles-picker.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/agent-profiles-picker.spec.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,14 @@
-import { test } from "../support/fixtures";
+import { expect, test } from "../support/fixtures";
 import {
   applyProfileFromPicker,
   closeModelPicker,
-  drillIntoProvider,
   expectComposerDoesNotName,
   expectAgentProfilesEmptyPrompt,
   expectProfileEditTooltip,
   expectComposerMode,
   expectComposerModel,
   expectModelRowSelected,
-  expectNothingSelectedInPickerRoot,
   expectProfileEditIsPencilOnly,
-  expectProfilePinnedAboveProviders,
   expectProfileVisibleForProvider,
   openModelPicker,
   openAgentProfilesFromEmptyPrompt,
@@ -74,9 +71,12 @@ test.describe("Agent profiles in the model picker", () => {
         await expectComposerMode(page, "Load test");
       });
 
-      await test.step("the profile is pinned above the provider list", async () => {
+      await test.step("the sole provider opens directly", async () => {
         await openModelPicker(page);
-        await expectProfilePinnedAboveProviders(page, {
+        await expect(page.getByTestId("model-search-input").first()).toBeVisible();
+        await expect(page.getByTestId("sheet-header-back")).toHaveCount(0);
+        await expect(page.locator('[data-testid^="model-provider-"]')).toHaveCount(0);
+        await expectProfileVisibleForProvider(page, {
           name: PROFILE.name,
           summary: PROFILE_SUMMARY,
         });
@@ -100,17 +100,9 @@ test.describe("Agent profiles in the model picker", () => {
         await expectComposerDoesNotName(page, PROFILE.name);
       });
 
-      await test.step("reopening the picker shows no profile marked as selected", async () => {
+      await test.step("reopening returns directly to the provider models", async () => {
         await openModelPicker(page);
-        await expectProfilePinnedAboveProviders(page, {
-          name: PROFILE.name,
-          summary: PROFILE_SUMMARY,
-        });
-        await expectNothingSelectedInPickerRoot(page);
-      });
-
-      await test.step("the model it materialized is the one marked selected", async () => {
-        await drillIntoProvider(page, "mock");
+        await expect(page.getByTestId("model-search-input").first()).toBeVisible();
         await expectProfileVisibleForProvider(page, {
           name: PROFILE.name,
           summary: PROFILE_SUMMARY,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.test.ts b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.test.ts
index edb499a4a..f1e1998eb 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.test.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe("model browser initial view", () => {
     ).toEqual({ kind: "all" });
   });
 
-  it("keeps the root even when a single provider would otherwise be skipped", () => {
+  it("opens a sole provider directly regardless of root content", () => {
     expect(
       resolveInitialModelBrowserView({
         providers: [pi],
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe("model browser initial view", () => {
         selectedModel: "pi-pro",
         hasProfiles: true,
       }),
-    ).toEqual({ kind: "all" });
+    ).toEqual({ kind: "provider", providerId: "pi", providerLabel: "Pi" });
   });
 
   it("falls back to the root when the selected provider is gone", () => {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.ts b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.ts
index acdde18b0..75b1c7541 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser-view.ts
@@ -32,11 +32,7 @@ export function resolveModelBrowserAllView({
   return { kind: "searchResults", rows };
 }
 
-/**
- * Where the picker lands when it opens. Agent profiles live on the root view, so
- * a host that has any profile always opens there — including the single-provider
- * case, which would otherwise skip the root entirely and hide them.
- */
+/** Where the picker lands when it opens. A sole provider skips the redundant root view. */
 export function resolveInitialModelBrowserView({
   providers,
   selectedProvider,
@@ -48,10 +44,6 @@ export function resolveInitialModelBrowserView({
   selectedModel: string;
   hasProfiles: boolean;
 }): ModelBrowserView {
-  if (hasProfiles) {
-    return { kind: "all" };
-  }
-
   const singleProvider = providers.length === 1 ? providers[0] : undefined;
   if (singleProvider) {
     return {
@@ -61,6 +53,10 @@ export function resolveInitialModelBrowserView({
     };
   }
 
+  if (hasProfiles) {
+    return { kind: "all" };
+  }
+
   if (selectedProvider.length > 0 && selectedModel.length > 0) {
     const provider = providers.find((entry) => entry.id === selectedProvider);
     if (provider) {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser.tsx
index 5fa2e45f7..49a37bfe0 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/model-browser.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/model-browser.tsx
@@ -292,9 +292,7 @@ export function useModelBrowser({
     setSearchQuery(value);
   }, []);
 
-  // A pinned profiles section makes the root worth returning to, so the back
-  // affordance stays even when the drill-down was the only provider.
-  const singleProviderView = providers.length === 1 && !hasProfiles;
+  const singleProviderView = providers.length === 1;
   const header = useMemo<SheetHeader>(() => {
     if (view.kind === "all") {
       return {