diff --git a/src/app-server/model-options.ts b/src/app-server/model-options.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 69ea9978..00000000
--- a/src/app-server/model-options.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-import { AppServerClient } from "./client";
-import { panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels } from "./catalog-model";
-import type { PanelModelOption } from "../domain/catalog/metadata";
-
-export async function loadPanelModelOptions(codexPath: string, cwd: string, includeHidden = false): Promise<PanelModelOption[]> {
-  let client!: AppServerClient;
-  client = new AppServerClient(codexPath, cwd, {
-    onNotification: () => undefined,
-    onServerRequest: (request) => {
-      client.rejectServerRequest(request.id, -32601, "Model option loading does not handle server requests.");
-    },
-    onLog: () => undefined,
-    onExit: () => undefined,
-  });
-
-  try {
-    await client.connect();
-    const response = await client.listModels(includeHidden);
-    return panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels(response.data);
-  } finally {
-    client.disconnect();
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.ts b/src/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.ts
index 9ff9365f..69d8ad54 100644
--- a/src/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.ts
+++ b/src/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type { RequestId } from "../generated/app-server/RequestId";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../generated/app-server/ReasoningEffort";
 import type { ServerNotification } from "../generated/app-server/ServerNotification";
 import type { JsonValue } from "../generated/app-server/serde_json/JsonValue";
+import type { ModelListResponse } from "../generated/app-server/v2/ModelListResponse";
 import type { ThreadItem } from "../generated/app-server/v2/ThreadItem";
 import type { ThreadStartResponse } from "../generated/app-server/v2/ThreadStartResponse";
 import type { Turn } from "../generated/app-server/v2/Turn";
@@ -38,11 +39,17 @@ export interface StructuredEphemeralTurnClient {
   ): Promise<TurnStartResponse>;
 }
 
+export interface StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient {
+  listModels(includeHidden?: boolean): Promise<ModelListResponse>;
+}
+
+type StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeCapableClient = StructuredEphemeralTurnClient & StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient;
+
 export type StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory = (
   codexPath: string,
   cwd: string,
   handlers: AppServerClientHandlers,
-) => StructuredEphemeralTurnClient;
+) => StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeCapableClient;
 
 export interface RunStructuredEphemeralTurnOptions {
   codexPath: string;
@@ -57,6 +64,7 @@ export interface RunStructuredEphemeralTurnOptions {
   timedOutMessage: string;
   abortMessage?: string;
   runtime?: StructuredTurnRuntimeOverride | undefined;
+  resolveRuntime?: ((client: StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient) => Promise<StructuredTurnRuntimeOverride>) | undefined;
   signal?: AbortSignal | undefined;
   onProgress?: (event: StructuredTurnProgressEvent) => void;
   clientFactory?: StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory | undefined;
@@ -85,7 +93,7 @@ export async function runStructuredEphemeralTurn(options: RunStructuredEphemeral
     };
   });
 
-  let client!: StructuredEphemeralTurnClient;
+  let client!: StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeCapableClient;
   const clientFactory = options.clientFactory ?? ((codexPath, cwd, handlers) => new AppServerClient(codexPath, cwd, handlers));
   client = clientFactory(options.codexPath, options.cwd, {
     onNotification: (notification) => {
@@ -104,7 +112,9 @@ export async function runStructuredEphemeralTurn(options: RunStructuredEphemeral
 
   try {
     await abortable(client.connect(), options.signal, options.abortMessage);
-    const runtime = options.runtime ?? {};
+    const runtime = options.resolveRuntime
+      ? await abortable(options.resolveRuntime(client), options.signal, options.abortMessage)
+      : (options.runtime ?? {});
     const threadResponse = await abortable(
       client.startEphemeralThread(options.cwd, options.serviceName, options.developerInstructions),
       options.signal,
diff --git a/src/features/selection-rewrite/runner.ts b/src/features/selection-rewrite/runner.ts
index 09c3dcdb..3adc6b7c 100644
--- a/src/features/selection-rewrite/runner.ts
+++ b/src/features/selection-rewrite/runner.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ import {
   runStructuredEphemeralTurn,
   type StructuredEphemeralTurnClient,
   type StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory,
+  type StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient,
   type StructuredTurnOutputSchema,
 } from "../../app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../../domain/catalog/metadata";
-import { loadPanelModelOptions } from "../../app-server/model-options";
+import { panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels } from "../../app-server/catalog-model";
 import type { PanelModelOption } from "../../domain/catalog/metadata";
 import { runtimeOverride, validatedRuntimeOverrideForModelOptions } from "../../domain/catalog/runtime-overrides";
 import type { SelectionRewriteRuntimeSettings } from "./model";
@@ -44,9 +45,6 @@ export type SelectionRewriteClientFactory = StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory
 export async function runSelectionRewrite(options: RunSelectionRewriteOptions): Promise<SelectionRewriteOutput> {
   let preview = "";
   const runtimeSettings = options.runtimeSettings;
-  const runtime = runtimeSettings
-    ? await selectionRewriteRuntimeOverrideForCodex(options.codexPath, options.cwd, runtimeSettings)
-    : undefined;
   const turn = await runStructuredEphemeralTurn({
     codexPath: options.codexPath,
     cwd: options.cwd,
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ export async function runSelectionRewrite(options: RunSelectionRewriteOptions):
     timedOutMessage: "Timed out while rewriting the selection.",
     abortMessage: "Selection rewrite cancelled.",
     signal: options.signal,
-    runtime,
+    resolveRuntime: runtimeSettings ? (client) => selectionRewriteRuntimeOverrideForClient(client, runtimeSettings) : undefined,
     clientFactory: options.clientFactory,
     onProgress: (event) => {
       if (event.type === "reasoning-activity") {
@@ -96,15 +94,15 @@ export function validatedSelectionRewriteRuntimeOverride(
   );
 }
 
-async function selectionRewriteRuntimeOverrideForCodex(
-  codexPath: string,
-  cwd: string,
+async function selectionRewriteRuntimeOverrideForClient(
+  client: StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient,
   settings: SelectionRewriteRuntimeSettings,
 ): Promise<SelectionRewriteRuntimeOverride> {
   const runtime = selectionRewriteRuntimeOverride(settings);
   if (!runtime.model || !runtime.effort) return runtime;
   try {
-    return validatedSelectionRewriteRuntimeOverride(settings, await loadPanelModelOptions(codexPath, cwd, false));
+    const response = await client.listModels(false);
+    return validatedSelectionRewriteRuntimeOverride(settings, panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels(response.data));
   } catch {
     return runtime;
   }
diff --git a/src/features/thread-picker/modal.ts b/src/features/thread-picker/modal.ts
index ef9d638d..a6df6a50 100644
--- a/src/features/thread-picker/modal.ts
+++ b/src/features/thread-picker/modal.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { Notice, Platform, SuggestModal, type App } from "obsidian";
 
+import { withShortLivedAppServerClient } from "../../app-server/short-lived-client";
 import { panelThreadsFromAppServerThreads } from "../../app-server/thread-model";
 import { getThreadTitle } from "../../domain/threads/model";
 import type { PanelThread } from "../../domain/threads/model";
 import type { CodexPanelSettings } from "../../settings/model";
-import { withShortLivedFallbackAppServerClient } from "../../workspace/short-lived-app-server-client";
 import { shortThreadId } from "../../utils";
 
 export interface ThreadPickerHost {
@@ -82,17 +82,17 @@ async function loadThreadPickerThreads(host: ThreadPickerHost): Promise<readonly
   const cached = host.cachedThreadList();
   if (cached) return cached;
 
-  return withShortLivedFallbackAppServerClient(
-    {
-      codexPath: host.settings.codexPath,
-      cwd: host.vaultPath,
-      unhandledServerRequestMessage: "Codex thread picker does not handle server requests.",
-    },
+  return withShortLivedAppServerClient(
+    host.settings.codexPath,
+    host.vaultPath,
     async (client) =>
       host.refreshThreadList(async () => {
         const response = await client.listThreads(host.vaultPath);
         return panelThreadsFromAppServerThreads(response.data);
       }),
+    {
+      unhandledServerRequestMessage: "Codex thread picker does not handle server requests.",
+    },
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/settings/tab.ts b/src/settings/tab.ts
index af3c7055..43f3c0be 100644
--- a/src/settings/tab.ts
+++ b/src/settings/tab.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { type App, Notice, type Plugin, PluginSettingTab, Setting, setIcon } from "obsidian";
 
 import type { AppServerClient } from "../app-server/client";
+import { withShortLivedAppServerClient } from "../app-server/short-lived-client";
 import { DEFAULT_CODEX_PATH } from "../constants";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../domain/catalog/metadata";
 import type { PanelHookItem, PanelModelOption } from "../domain/catalog/metadata";
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@ import {
   transitionSettingsDataRefreshLifecycle,
   type SettingsDataRefreshLifecycleState,
 } from "./data";
-import { withShortLivedFallbackAppServerClient } from "../workspace/short-lived-app-server-client";
 import { loadHookData, loadSettingsData, restoreArchivedPanelThread, setPanelHookEnabled, trustPanelHook } from "./app-server-data";
 import { renderArchivedThreadSection, renderHookSection } from "./dynamic-sections";
 import type { CodexPanelSettings } from "./model";
@@ -498,14 +498,9 @@ export class CodexPanelSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
   }
 
   private async withSettingsConnection<T>(operation: (client: AppServerClient) => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
-    return withShortLivedFallbackAppServerClient(
-      {
-        codexPath: this.plugin.settings.codexPath,
-        cwd: this.plugin.vaultPath,
-        unhandledServerRequestMessage: "Codex Panel settings does not handle server requests.",
-      },
-      operation,
-    );
+    return withShortLivedAppServerClient(this.plugin.settings.codexPath, this.plugin.vaultPath, operation, {
+      unhandledServerRequestMessage: "Codex Panel settings does not handle server requests.",
+    });
   }
 
   private nextSettingsDynamicOperationId(): number {
diff --git a/src/workspace/short-lived-app-server-client.ts b/src/workspace/short-lived-app-server-client.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 8998e13a..00000000
--- a/src/workspace/short-lived-app-server-client.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-import type { AppServerClient } from "../app-server/client";
-import { withShortLivedAppServerClient } from "../app-server/short-lived-client";
-
-export interface ShortLivedFallbackAppServerClientOptions {
-  codexPath: string;
-  cwd: string;
-  unhandledServerRequestMessage: string;
-}
-
-export async function withShortLivedFallbackAppServerClient<T>(
-  options: ShortLivedFallbackAppServerClientOptions,
-  operation: (client: AppServerClient) => Promise<T>,
-): Promise<T> {
-  return withShortLivedAppServerClient(options.codexPath, options.cwd, operation, {
-    unhandledServerRequestMessage: options.unhandledServerRequestMessage,
-  });
-}
diff --git a/src/workspace/thread-title-generator.ts b/src/workspace/thread-title-generator.ts
index d54935db..ae1abef8 100644
--- a/src/workspace/thread-title-generator.ts
+++ b/src/workspace/thread-title-generator.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ import {
   runStructuredEphemeralTurn,
   type StructuredEphemeralTurnClient,
   type StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory,
+  type StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient,
   type StructuredTurnOutputSchema,
 } from "../app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn";
-import { loadPanelModelOptions } from "../app-server/model-options";
+import { panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels } from "../app-server/catalog-model";
 import type { PanelModelOption, ReasoningEffort } from "../domain/catalog/metadata";
 import { runtimeOverride, validatedRuntimeOverrideForModelOptions } from "../domain/catalog/runtime-overrides";
 import { namingPrompt, titleFromNamingTurn, type ThreadNamingContext } from "../domain/threads/naming";
@@ -48,7 +49,6 @@ export async function generateThreadTitleWithCodex(
   runtimeSettings: ThreadNamingRuntimeSettings,
   clientFactory?: ThreadNamingClientFactory,
 ): Promise<string | null> {
-  const runtime = await threadNamingRuntimeOverrideForCodex(codexPath, cwd, runtimeSettings);
   const turn = await runStructuredEphemeralTurn({
     codexPath,
     cwd,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export async function generateThreadTitleWithCodex(
     unhandledServerRequestMessage: "Thread title generation does not handle server requests.",
     exitedMessage: "Codex title generation app-server exited.",
     timedOutMessage: "Timed out while generating a Codex thread title.",
-    runtime,
+    resolveRuntime: (client) => threadNamingRuntimeOverrideForClient(client, runtimeSettings),
     clientFactory,
   });
   return titleFromNamingTurn(turn);
@@ -82,15 +82,15 @@ export function validatedThreadNamingRuntimeOverride(
   return validatedRuntimeOverrideForModelOptions({ model: settings.threadNamingModel, effort: settings.threadNamingEffort }, models);
 }
 
-async function threadNamingRuntimeOverrideForCodex(
-  codexPath: string,
-  cwd: string,
+async function threadNamingRuntimeOverrideForClient(
+  client: StructuredEphemeralTurnRuntimeClient,
   settings: ThreadNamingRuntimeSettings,
 ): Promise<ThreadNamingRuntimeOverride> {
   const runtime = threadNamingRuntimeOverride(settings);
   if (!runtime.model || !runtime.effort) return runtime;
   try {
-    return validatedThreadNamingRuntimeOverride(settings, await loadPanelModelOptions(codexPath, cwd, false));
+    const response = await client.listModels(false);
+    return validatedThreadNamingRuntimeOverride(settings, panelModelOptionsFromAppServerModels(response.data));
   } catch {
     return runtime;
   }
diff --git a/tests/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.test.ts b/tests/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.test.ts
index d9d8bd37..a3278183 100644
--- a/tests/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.test.ts
+++ b/tests/app-server/structured-ephemeral-turn.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import type { RequestId } from "../../src/generated/app-server/RequestId";
 import type { ServerNotification } from "../../src/generated/app-server/ServerNotification";
 import type { ServerRequest } from "../../src/generated/app-server/ServerRequest";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../../src/generated/app-server/ReasoningEffort";
+import type { ModelListResponse } from "../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ModelListResponse";
 import type { Thread } from "../../src/generated/app-server/v2/Thread";
 import type { ThreadItem } from "../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ThreadItem";
 import type { ThreadStartResponse } from "../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ThreadStartResponse";
@@ -92,6 +93,30 @@ describe("runStructuredEphemeralTurn", () => {
       "Structured test does not handle server requests.",
     );
   });
+
+  it("resolves runtime on the same client before starting the ephemeral thread", async () => {
+    const callOrder: string[] = [];
+    const { clientFactory, client } = fakeStructuredTurnClientFactory((fake) => {
+      fake.startEphemeralThreadImpl = async () => {
+        callOrder.push("start-thread");
+        return threadStartResponse("thread");
+      };
+      fake.startStructuredTurnImpl = async () => ({ turn: turn([agentMessage("answer", '{"ok":true}')]) });
+    });
+
+    await runStructuredEphemeralTurn({
+      ...runOptions(clientFactory),
+      resolveRuntime: async (runtimeClient) => {
+        callOrder.push("resolve-runtime");
+        expect(runtimeClient).toBe(expectPresent(client.current));
+        await runtimeClient.listModels(false);
+        return { model: "gpt-5.1", effort: "low" };
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(callOrder).toEqual(["resolve-runtime", "start-thread"]);
+    expect(expectPresent(client.current).listModels).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
+  });
 });
 
 function runOptions(clientFactory: StructuredEphemeralTurnClientFactory): Parameters<typeof runStructuredEphemeralTurn>[0] {
@@ -127,7 +152,9 @@ function fakeStructuredTurnClientFactory(configure?: (client: FakeStructuredTurn
 
 class FakeStructuredTurnClient implements StructuredEphemeralTurnClient {
   connectImpl: (() => Promise<InitializeResponse>) | null = null;
+  startEphemeralThreadImpl: (() => Promise<ThreadStartResponse>) | null = null;
   startStructuredTurnImpl: (() => Promise<TurnStartResponse>) | null = null;
+  readonly listModels = vi.fn(async (): Promise<ModelListResponse> => ({ data: [], nextCursor: null }));
   readonly rejectServerRequest = vi.fn();
   readonly structuredTurnStarted: Promise<void>;
   private resolveStructuredTurnStarted!: () => void;
@@ -147,7 +174,7 @@ class FakeStructuredTurnClient implements StructuredEphemeralTurnClient {
   }
 
   async startEphemeralThread(): Promise<ThreadStartResponse> {
-    return threadStartResponse("thread");
+    return this.startEphemeralThreadImpl ? this.startEphemeralThreadImpl() : threadStartResponse("thread");
   }
 
   async startStructuredTurn(
diff --git a/tests/features/chat/threads/thread-naming.test.ts b/tests/features/chat/threads/thread-naming.test.ts
index 737d374f..bb8e55b7 100644
--- a/tests/features/chat/threads/thread-naming.test.ts
+++ b/tests/features/chat/threads/thread-naming.test.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import type { JsonValue } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/serde_json/
 import type { RequestId } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/RequestId";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/ReasoningEffort";
 import type { Model } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/v2/Model";
+import type { ModelListResponse } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ModelListResponse";
 import type { ServerNotification } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/ServerNotification";
 import type { Thread } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/v2/Thread";
 import type { ThreadItem } from "../../../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ThreadItem";
@@ -329,6 +330,10 @@ class FakeThreadNamingClient implements ThreadNamingClient {
     return undefined;
   }
 
+  async listModels(): Promise<ModelListResponse> {
+    return { data: [], nextCursor: null };
+  }
+
   rejectServerRequest(_requestId: RequestId, _code: number, _message: string): void {
     return undefined;
   }
diff --git a/tests/features/selection-rewrite/selection-rewrite.test.ts b/tests/features/selection-rewrite/selection-rewrite.test.ts
index 65d2a1d7..5919b725 100644
--- a/tests/features/selection-rewrite/selection-rewrite.test.ts
+++ b/tests/features/selection-rewrite/selection-rewrite.test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {
 import type { AppServerClientHandlers } from "../../../src/app-server/client";
 import type { PanelModelOption } from "../../../src/domain/catalog/metadata";
 import type { InitializeResponse } from "../../../src/generated/app-server/InitializeResponse";
+import type { ModelListResponse } from "../../../src/generated/app-server/v2/ModelListResponse";
 import type { ServerNotification } from "../../../src/generated/app-server/ServerNotification";
 import type { JsonValue } from "../../../src/generated/app-server/serde_json/JsonValue";
 import type { RequestId } from "../../../src/generated/app-server/RequestId";
@@ -664,6 +665,10 @@ class FakeSelectionRewriteClient implements SelectionRewriteClient {
     this.disconnected = true;
   }
 
+  async listModels(): Promise<ModelListResponse> {
+    return { data: [], nextCursor: null };
+  }
+
   rejectServerRequest(_requestId: RequestId, _code: number, _message: string): void {
     return undefined;
   }