diff --git a/hermes_state_sessions.py b/hermes_state_sessions.py
index 0a7aa822c7..cfd7811fdf 100644
--- a/hermes_state_sessions.py
+++ b/hermes_state_sessions.py
@@ -748,7 +748,9 @@ class SessionSessionsMixin:
         """Most recently used main-loop model route as one coherent per-call tuple
         (``session_model_usage`` keeps model+provider together; ``sessions`` mixes route changes).
         Recency, not lifetime call count: on a long session a route retired weeks ago can hold the
-        highest ``api_call_count`` forever, and /status and /usage would keep calling it current."""
+        highest ``api_call_count`` forever, and /status and /usage would keep calling it current.
+        ``rowid DESC`` breaks same-timestamp ties toward the route that first appeared later; without
+        it SQLite's temp-sort order is unspecified and the retired route can win."""
         self.flush_token_counts()
         row = self._read_one(
             """SELECT model, billing_provider, billing_base_url, billing_mode,
@@ -758,7 +760,7 @@ class SessionSessionsMixin:
                   AND task = ''
                   AND model <> 'unknown'
                   AND billing_provider <> ''
-                ORDER BY last_seen DESC
+                ORDER BY last_seen DESC, rowid DESC
                 LIMIT 1""",
             (session_id,),
         )
diff --git a/tests/hermes_state/test_recent_model_route.py b/tests/hermes_state/test_recent_model_route.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f2cd557dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_state/test_recent_model_route.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"""get_recent_session_model_route picks the newest route deterministically on equal last_seen."""
+from hermes_state import SessionDB
+
+
+def test_recent_route_tie_on_last_seen_prefers_later_row(tmp_path):
+    db = SessionDB(tmp_path / "state.db")
+    db.create_session(session_id="s1", source="tui", model="alpha")
+    with db._lock:
+        for model in ("alpha", "zeta"):
+            db._conn.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO session_model_usage (session_id, model, billing_provider, task,"
+                " api_call_count, last_seen) VALUES ('s1', ?, 'p', '', 1, 100.0)",
+                (model,),
+            )
+        db._conn.commit()
+
+    assert db.get_recent_session_model_route("s1")["model"] == "zeta"
diff --git a/tests/tui_gateway/test_tui_gateway_server.py b/tests/tui_gateway/test_tui_gateway_server.py
index b7c3ee0985..b744e3ca6b 100644
--- a/tests/tui_gateway/test_tui_gateway_server.py
+++ b/tests/tui_gateway/test_tui_gateway_server.py
@@ -11770,6 +11770,21 @@ def test_session_status_reads_live_compute_host_metadata(monkeypatch):
     assert "Model: live-host-model (live-host-provider)" in resp["result"]["output"]
 
 
+def test_session_status_falls_back_to_agent_before_first_host_frame(monkeypatch):
+    agent = types.SimpleNamespace(model="live-model", provider="live-provider")
+    server._sessions["sid"] = _session(agent=agent, _compute_host_active=True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "_get_db", lambda: None)
+
+    try:
+        resp = server.handle_request(
+            {"id": "1", "method": "session.status", "params": {"session_id": "sid"}}
+        )
+    finally:
+        server._sessions.pop("sid", None)
+
+    assert "Model: live-model (live-provider)" in resp["result"]["output"]
+
+
 def test_skills_reload_runs_in_gateway_process(monkeypatch):
     import agent.skill_commands as skill_commands
 
diff --git a/tui_gateway/methods_session.py b/tui_gateway/methods_session.py
index 96f97266c9..efc946d44c 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/methods_session.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/methods_session.py
@@ -1663,11 +1663,14 @@ def _(rid, params: dict, session: dict) -> dict:
     key = session.get("session_key") or params.get("session_id") or ""
     mirror = _metadata_mirror(session)
     # Under turn isolation the compute host owns the live route: a stale in-process agent object
-    # must not outrank the host's mirrored model/provider.
-    agent = None if session.get("_compute_host_active") else session.get("agent")
+    # must not outrank the host's mirrored model/provider. Before the first host frame fills the
+    # mirror, the in-process agent is still the only route we know (same order as _session_info).
+    live_agent = session.get("agent")
+    agent = None if session.get("_compute_host_active") else live_agent
     fields = build_status_fields(
         key, agent, _status_row(session, params, key),
-        model=mirror.get("model"), provider=mirror.get("provider"),
+        model=mirror.get("model") or getattr(live_agent, "model", None),
+        provider=mirror.get("provider") or getattr(live_agent, "provider", None),
         tokens=_session_usage_snapshot(session).get("total"), agent_running=bool(session.get("running")),
     )
     project = _project_info_for_cwd(_display_session_cwd(session))