diff --git a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
index c19d4f3f10..3174d29d86 100644
--- a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
+++ b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
@@ -515,15 +515,15 @@ export interface ConfigSetResult {
 }
 /** ``tui_gateway/server.py::_session_info`` — the ``session.info`` event and the ``info`` field of ``session.create`` / ``session.resume`` / ``session.activate`` results. */
 export interface SessionLiveInfo {
-  model: string
+  model?: string
   provider?: string
   reasoning_effort?: string
   service_tier?: string
   fast?: boolean
   yolo?: boolean
   approval_mode?: string
-  tools: Record<string, string[]>
-  skills: Record<string, string[]>
+  tools?: Record<string, string[]>
+  skills?: Record<string, string[]>
   cwd?: string
   branch?: string | null
   project?: ProjectRef | null
@@ -2615,15 +2615,15 @@ export interface SessionCwdSetParams {
 }
 /** The refreshed ``session.info`` view (full agent view, or the lazy shape). */
 export interface SessionCwdSetResult {
-  model: string
+  model?: string
   provider?: string
   reasoning_effort?: string
   service_tier?: string
   fast?: boolean
   yolo?: boolean
   approval_mode?: string
-  tools: Record<string, string[]>
-  skills: Record<string, string[]>
+  tools?: Record<string, string[]>
+  skills?: Record<string, string[]>
   cwd?: string
   branch?: string | null
   project?: ProjectRef | null
diff --git a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
index 7875ed1921..a6af1cf595 100644
--- a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
+++ b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
@@ -24503,6 +24503,7 @@
         "description": "The refreshed ``session.info`` view (full agent view, or the lazy shape).",
         "properties": {
           "model": {
+            "default": "",
             "title": "Model",
             "type": "string"
           },
@@ -24728,11 +24729,6 @@
             "title": "Lazy"
           }
         },
-        "required": [
-          "model",
-          "tools",
-          "skills"
-        ],
         "title": "SessionCwdSetResult",
         "type": "object"
       },
@@ -25357,6 +25353,7 @@
         "description": "``tui_gateway/server.py::_session_info`` \u2014 the ``session.info`` event and the ``info`` field of\n``session.create`` / ``session.resume`` / ``session.activate`` results.",
         "properties": {
           "model": {
+            "default": "",
             "title": "Model",
             "type": "string"
           },
@@ -25582,11 +25579,6 @@
             "title": "Lazy"
           }
         },
-        "required": [
-          "model",
-          "tools",
-          "skills"
-        ],
         "title": "SessionLiveInfo",
         "type": "object"
       },
diff --git a/tui_gateway/contracts/common.py b/tui_gateway/contracts/common.py
index ea9760c051..a445d278ba 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/contracts/common.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/contracts/common.py
@@ -62,15 +62,15 @@ class SessionLiveInfo(OpenModel):
     """``tui_gateway/server.py::_session_info`` — the ``session.info`` event and the ``info`` field of
     ``session.create`` / ``session.resume`` / ``session.activate`` results."""
 
-    model: str
+    model: str = ""
     provider: str = ""
     reasoning_effort: str = ""
     service_tier: str = ""
     fast: bool = False
     yolo: bool = False
     approval_mode: str = "manual"
-    tools: dict[str, list[str]]
-    skills: dict[str, list[str]]
+    tools: dict[str, list[str]] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+    skills: dict[str, list[str]] = Field(default_factory=dict)
     cwd: str = ""
     branch: str | None = None
     project: ProjectRef | None = None
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/branding.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/branding.tsx
index 99c6bb6f37..2d9d93fe1d 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/branding.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/branding.tsx
@@ -250,8 +250,9 @@ export function SessionPanel({ info, maxWidth, sid, t }: SessionPanelProps) {
   }
 
   // ── Collapsible skills section ──
-  const skillEntries = Object.entries(info.skills).sort()
-  const skillsTotal = flat(info.skills).length
+  const skills = info.skills ?? {}
+  const skillEntries = Object.entries(skills).sort()
+  const skillsTotal = flat(skills).length
   const skillsCatCount = skillEntries.length
 
   const skillsBody = () => {
@@ -276,8 +277,9 @@ export function SessionPanel({ info, maxWidth, sid, t }: SessionPanelProps) {
   }
 
   // ── Collapsible tools section ──
-  const toolEntries = Object.entries(info.tools).sort()
-  const toolsTotal = flat(info.tools).length
+  const tools = info.tools ?? {}
+  const toolEntries = Object.entries(tools).sort()
+  const toolsTotal = flat(tools).length
 
   // MCP headline counts *connected* servers, not configured-but-disabled ones,
   // so it matches the classic CLI banner (`sum(s.connected)` in
@@ -354,7 +356,7 @@ export function SessionPanel({ info, maxWidth, sid, t }: SessionPanelProps) {
       <Text />
 
       <Text color={t.color.accent}>
-        {info.model.split('/').pop()}
+        {(info.model ?? '').split('/').pop()}
         <Text color={t.color.muted}> · Nous Research</Text>
       </Text>
 
@@ -386,7 +388,7 @@ export function SessionPanel({ info, maxWidth, sid, t }: SessionPanelProps) {
         // here so they aren't lost.
         <Box flexDirection="column" marginBottom={1}>
           <Text color={t.color.accent} wrap="truncate-end">
-            {info.model.split('/').pop()}
+            {(info.model ?? '').split('/').pop()}
             <Text color={t.color.muted}> · Nous Research</Text>
           </Text>
           <Text color={t.color.muted} wrap="truncate-end">