diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManager.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManager.svelte
index e343a8d504..08ef662264 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManager.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManager.svelte
@@ -51,11 +51,14 @@
 		// only llama-compat servers report a load state
 		const isLlamaCompat = (option: ModelOption) =>
 			getBackendCapabilities(getBackend(option.backendId)).loadUnload;
-		const loaded = visible.filter(
+		// hidden models drop out of the sections and get their own block at the end
+		const shown = visible.filter((option) => !modelsStore.isHidden(option.id));
+		const hidden = visible.filter((option) => modelsStore.isHidden(option.id));
+		const loaded = shown.filter(
 			(option) => isLlamaCompat(option) && modelsStore.isModelLoaded(option.model)
 		);
 		const claimed = new SvelteSet(loaded.map((option) => option.id));
-		const favorites = visible.filter(
+		const favorites = shown.filter(
 			(option) => !claimed.has(option.id) && modelsStore.favoriteModelIds.has(option.model)
 		);
 
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@
 
 		const byBackend = new SvelteMap<string, ModelOption[]>();
 
-		for (const option of visible) {
+		for (const option of shown) {
 			if (claimed.has(option.id)) continue;
 
 			const backendId = option.backendId ?? LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
@@ -127,6 +130,17 @@
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (hidden.length) {
+			ordered.push({
+				backendId: null,
+				isLocal: false,
+				items: hidden,
+				key: 'hidden',
+				kind: 'hidden',
+				label: 'Hidden models'
+			});
+		}
+
 		return ordered;
 	});
 	let matches = $derived(groups.flatMap((group) => group.items));
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
index 91fa142f30..38777e5d8b 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 				: []),
 			{
 				icon: isHidden ? Eye : EyeOff,
-				label: isHidden ? 'Show in selector' : 'Hide from selector',
+				label: isHidden ? 'Unhide model' : 'Hide model',
 				onclick: () => modelsStore.toggleHidden(option.id),
 				separator: true
 			}
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@
 			<span class="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-3">
 				<ModelAvatar {option} showBaseModelAvatar size="size-9" />
 
-				{#if isHidden}
-					<EyeOff class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
-				{/if}
-
 				<ModelId
 					aliases={option.aliases}
 					class="min-w-0 flex-1"
@@ -214,6 +210,8 @@
 						<Heart class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
 					{:else if group.kind === 'loaded'}
 						<Power class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
+					{:else if group.kind === 'hidden'}
+						<EyeOff class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
 					{:else if group.kind === 'local'}
 						<Logo class="shrink-0" style="--size: 0.875rem" />
 					{/if}
@@ -224,6 +222,7 @@
 					count={group.items.length}
 					icon={group.kind === 'provider' ? undefined : groupIcon}
 					label={group.label}
+					open={group.kind !== 'hidden'}
 					sticky
 				>
 					{#each group.items as option (option.id)}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/utils.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/utils.ts
index e4131f0e60..f4d75a3b3e 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/utils.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/utils.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export interface ModelsTableGroup {
 	items: ModelOption[];
 	key: string;
 	/** Picks the header icon; providers use their backend logo instead. */
-	kind: 'favorites' | 'loaded' | 'local' | 'provider';
+	kind: 'favorites' | 'hidden' | 'loaded' | 'local' | 'provider';
 	label: string;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
index 61e9d5f963..6abc585c00 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 		loading?: boolean;
 		/** Renders the back control, for a drilled-in provider. */
 		onBack?: () => void;
+		/** Start expanded; the manager collapses its hidden block. */
+		open?: boolean;
 		revealChevronOnHover?: boolean;
 		sectionHeaderClass?: string;
 		/** Sticks the header to the top of the scrollport. */
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@
 		label,
 		loading = false,
 		onBack,
+		open = true,
 		revealChevronOnHover = false,
 		sectionHeaderClass = 'm-0 px-2 py-2 text-[13px] font-semibold text-muted-foreground/70 select-none',
 		sticky = false
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@
 	let triggerStyle = $derived(sticky ? 'top: var(--dropdown-sticky-height, 0px)' : '');
 </script>
 
-<CollapsibleSection {revealChevronOnHover} {triggerClass} {triggerStyle}>
+<CollapsibleSection {open} {revealChevronOnHover} {triggerClass} {triggerStyle}>
 	{#snippet trigger()}
 		{#if onBack}
 			<button