diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration.svelte
index dd05135b7d..083a38e681 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration/ModelsManagerModelConfiguration.svelte
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 	import { Trash2 } from '@lucide/svelte';
 	import { DialogConfirmDownload } from '$lib/components/app/dialogs';
 	import { Button } from '$lib/components/ui/button';
-	import { MODEL_ID, SETTINGS_KEYS } from '$lib/constants';
+	import { MODEL_ID } from '$lib/constants';
 	import { ModelDownloadConfirmAction, ServerModelStatus } from '$lib/enums';
 	import { HuggingFaceService } from '$lib/services';
-	import { modelsStore, settingsStore } from '$lib/stores';
+	import { modelsStore } from '$lib/stores';
 	import type { HfModelDetailInfo } from '$lib/types/huggingface';
 	import type { ModelOption } from '$lib/types/models';
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 
 		hubDetails = null;
 
-		if (!settingsStore.config[SETTINGS_KEYS.USE_HUGGING_FACE_HUB] || !repo.includes('/')) {
+		if (!HuggingFaceService.isEnabled() || !repo.includes('/')) {
 			return;
 		}
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/settings.constants.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/settings.constants.ts
index f223a1202b..a143a58437 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/settings.constants.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/settings.constants.ts
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ export const SETTINGS_REGISTRY: SettingsSectionEntry[] = [
 				type: SettingsFieldType.CHECKBOX
 			},
 			{
-				defaultValue: true,
+				// TODO: the Hub is off until onboarding suggests turning it on
+				defaultValue: false,
 				help: 'Fetch model metadata (avatars, context length, chat template, file sizes) from the Hugging Face Hub. When off, the UI only shows what the server reports for /v1/models and hides the org avatars.',
 				key: SETTINGS_KEYS.USE_HUGGING_FACE_HUB,
 				label: 'Use Hugging Face Hub API for models metadata',
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/services/huggingface.service.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/services/huggingface.service.ts
index e7d78031ee..c35e4809ed 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/services/huggingface.service.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/services/huggingface.service.ts
@@ -611,12 +611,12 @@ export class HuggingFaceService {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * True when the UI may read model metadata from the Hugging Face Hub. On by
+	 * True when the UI may read model metadata from the Hugging Face Hub. Off by
 	 * default: with it off, callers only see what the server's /v1/models reports
 	 * and the org avatars stay hidden.
 	 */
 	static isEnabled(): boolean {
-		return settingsStore.config[SETTINGS_KEYS.USE_HUGGING_FACE_HUB] ?? true;
+		return settingsStore.config[SETTINGS_KEYS.USE_HUGGING_FACE_HUB] ?? false;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
index c799e485ea..731afa4c31 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ import {
 	MODEL_ROW_WINDOW,
 	RECENT_MODEL_LIMIT,
 	RECENT_MODEL_USAGE_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
-	RECENT_MODELS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
-	SETTINGS_KEYS
+	RECENT_MODELS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY
 } from '$lib/constants';
 import { ServerModelStatus } from '$lib/enums';
 import { HuggingFaceService } from '$lib/services/huggingface.service';
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ import { conversationsStore } from '$lib/stores/conversations/index.svelte';
 import { type ModelPropsHost, ModelPropsManager } from '$lib/stores/models/props.svelte';
 import { type ModelStatusHost, ModelStatusManager } from '$lib/stores/models/status.svelte';
 import { serverStore } from '$lib/stores/server.svelte';
-import { settingsStore } from '$lib/stores/settings/index.svelte';
 import type { ModelSidecarBadge, ParsedModelId } from '$lib/types/models';
 import { getConversationModel } from '$lib/utils/conversation-utils';
 import { isAuxSidecar } from '$lib/utils/sidecars';
@@ -547,7 +545,7 @@ class ModelsStore implements ModelPropsHost, ModelStatusHost {
 	 * the server reports only once a model is loaded.
 	 */
 	warmHubDetails(): void {
-		if (!settingsStore.config[SETTINGS_KEYS.USE_HUGGING_FACE_HUB]) return;
+		if (!HuggingFaceService.isEnabled()) return;
 
 		const repos: string[] = [];