diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorDropdown.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorDropdown.svelte
index ef11bb5ccf..9142c12a4d 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorDropdown.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorDropdown.svelte
@@ -323,11 +323,7 @@
 								<p class="px-4 py-3 text-sm text-muted-foreground">{ms.emptyMessage}</p>
 							{/if}
 
-							{#snippet modelOption(
-								item: ModelItem,
-								hideOrgName: boolean,
-								showFavIndicator: boolean
-							)}
+							{#snippet modelOption(item: ModelItem, hideOrgName: boolean)}
 								{@const { option } = item}
 								{@const isSelected = currentModel === option.model || ms.activeId === option.id}
 								{@const isHighlighted = option.id === highlightedId}
@@ -349,7 +345,6 @@
 									onSelect={ms.handleSelect}
 									{option}
 									showBaseModelAvatar
-									{showFavIndicator}
 								/>
 							{/snippet}
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
index 5f3da80536..c523b48a00 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 		sectionHeaderClass?: string;
 		onSelect: (modelId: string) => void;
 		onInfoClick: (modelName: string) => void;
-		renderOption?: import('svelte').Snippet<[ModelItem, boolean, boolean]>;
+		renderOption?: import('svelte').Snippet<[ModelItem, boolean]>;
 		/** Favorite models of every backend, listed in their own section. */
 		favorites?: ModelItem[];
 		/** Show the organization name in every model id of the list. */
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 	}
 </script>
 
-{#snippet defaultOption(item: ModelItem, hideOrgName: boolean, showFavIndicator: boolean)}
+{#snippet defaultOption(item: ModelItem, hideOrgName: boolean)}
 	{@const { option } = item}
 	{@const isSelected = currentModel === option.model || activeId === option.id}
 	{@const isFav = modelsStore.favoriteModelIds.has(option.model)}
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@
 		{onSelect}
 		{option}
 		showBaseModelAvatar
-		{showFavIndicator}
 	/>
 {/snippet}
 
 {#if favorites.length > 0}
+	<!-- Favorites come first; the sections below skip them -->
 	<CollapsibleSection
 		revealChevronOnHover
 		triggerClass="{headerClass} flex w-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-1.5 text-left"
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
 		{/snippet}
 
 		{#each favorites as item (`fav-${item.option.id}`)}
-			{@render render(item, !showOrgName, false)}
+			{@render render(item, !showOrgName)}
 		{/each}
 	</CollapsibleSection>
 {/if}
@@ -123,12 +123,12 @@
 		{/snippet}
 
 		{#each groups.loaded as item (`loaded-${item.option.id}`)}
-			{@render render(item, !showOrgName, true)}
+			{@render render(item, !showOrgName)}
 		{/each}
 
 		{#each groups.available as group (group.orgName)}
 			{#each group.items as item (item.option.id)}
-				{@render render(item, !showOrgName, true)}
+				{@render render(item, !showOrgName)}
 			{/each}
 		{/each}
 	</CollapsibleSection>
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
 
 		{#if provider.items.length > 0}
 			{#each provider.items as item (`${provider.backendId}-${item.option.id}`)}
-				{@render render(item, !showOrgName, true)}
+				{@render render(item, !showOrgName)}
 			{/each}
 
 			{#if onProviderOpen && provider.matched > provider.items.length}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorOption.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorOption.svelte
index a9aab3d057..244ea38c92 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorOption.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorOption.svelte
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 		isSelected: boolean;
 		isHighlighted: boolean;
 		isFav: boolean;
-		/** Show the filled heart at rest. Off inside the favorites section, where
-		 * every row is a favorite. */
-		showFavIndicator?: boolean;
 		hideOrgName?: boolean;
 		onSelect: (modelId: string) => void;
 		onMouseEnter: () => void;
@@ -48,8 +45,7 @@
 		onMouseEnter,
 		onSelect,
 		option,
-		showBaseModelAvatar = false,
-		showFavIndicator = true
+		showBaseModelAvatar = false
 	}: Props = $props();
 
 	// row actions follow the backend that serves the row, not the selected one
@@ -167,8 +163,7 @@
 		<!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
 		<!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events -->
 		<div
-			class="pointer-events-none flex items-center justify-center gap-1 pl-2 group-hover:pointer-events-auto [@media(pointer:coarse)]:pointer-events-auto [@media(pointer:coarse)]:opacity-100 {isFav &&
-			showFavIndicator
+			class="pointer-events-none flex items-center justify-center gap-1 pl-2 group-hover:pointer-events-auto [@media(pointer:coarse)]:pointer-events-auto [@media(pointer:coarse)]:opacity-100 {isFav
 				? ''
 				: 'opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100'}"
 			onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-models-selector.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-models-selector.svelte.ts
index ea45a158ab..886211c82a 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-models-selector.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-models-selector.svelte.ts
@@ -145,9 +145,13 @@ export function useModelsSelector(opts: UseModelsSelectorOptions): UseModelsSele
 				};
 			})
 	);
+	// favorites are listed once, at the top: the sections below skip them
+	const sectionOptions = $derived(
+		filteredOptions.filter((option) => !modelsStore.favoriteModelIds.has(option.model))
+	);
 	const providerSections = $derived(
 		groupProviderOptions(
-			filteredOptions,
+			sectionOptions,
 			remoteProviders,
 			// a drill-in or a search reaches every model, the sections stay short
 			providerViewId || searchTerm ? Infinity : REMOTE_PROVIDER_MODEL_LIMIT
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ export function useModelsSelector(opts: UseModelsSelectorOptions): UseModelsSele
 			return { ...EMPTY_GROUPS, providers: sections };
 		}
 
-		const local = groupModelOptions(filteredOptions.filter(isLocalOption), (m) =>
+		const local = groupModelOptions(sectionOptions.filter(isLocalOption), (m) =>
 			modelsStore.isModelLoaded(m)
 		);