diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 9f00950..f77b52d 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ const drop=document.getElementById('drop'), fileInput=document.getElementById('f
       logBox=document.getElementById('logBox'),
       logHint=document.getElementById('logHint');
 let chosen=null, polling=null, currentJobId=null, sheetPage={}, viewerZoom=1, reviewDirty=false;
+let defaultVisionModel='', defaultTextModel='';
 
 function modelLabel(m){
   // Include per-1M-token pricing when the catalog provides it.
@@ -212,6 +213,12 @@ function saveModelsCache(data){
   try{ localStorage.setItem(MODELS_CACHE_KEY, JSON.stringify({ts:Date.now(), data})); }
   catch(e){}
 }
+function fetchWithTimeout(url, ms){
+  return Promise.race([
+    fetch(url, {cache:'no-store'}),
+    new Promise((_,reject)=>setTimeout(()=>reject(new Error('timeout')), ms))
+  ]);
+}
 
 async function loadModels(){
   const note=document.getElementById('modelNote');
@@ -225,7 +232,8 @@ async function loadModels(){
     return;
   }
   try{
-    const res=await fetch('/models');
+    note.textContent='fetching models...';
+    const res=await fetchWithTimeout('/models', 5000);
     if(!res.ok) throw new Error('models HTTP '+res.status);
     const data=await res.json();
     saveModelsCache(data);
@@ -235,10 +243,12 @@ async function loadModels(){
     modelsLoaded=true;
     note.textContent='('+(data.text||[]).length+' text / '+(data.vision||[]).length+' vision available)';
   }catch(err){
-    visionSel.innerHTML='<option value="">(default)</option>';
-    textSel.innerHTML='<option value="">(default)</option>';
+    const fallback=[{id:defaultVisionModel||'', name:defaultVisionModel||'(default)', prompt_usd_per_mtok:null, completion_usd_per_mtok:null}];
+    fillSelect(visionSel, fallback.filter(m=>m.id), defaultVisionModel);
+    const fallbackText=[{id:defaultTextModel||'', name:defaultTextModel||'(default)', prompt_usd_per_mtok:null, completion_usd_per_mtok:null}];
+    fillSelect(textSel, fallbackText.filter(m=>m.id), defaultTextModel);
     visionSel.disabled=false; textSel.disabled=false;
-    note.textContent='using configured defaults (list unavailable)';
+    note.textContent='using configured defaults ('+(err.message==='timeout'?'fetch timed out':'list unavailable')+')';
     console.warn('Could not load models:', err);
   }
 }
@@ -674,11 +684,17 @@ async function finalizeReview(){
 
 // If opened from an email link (/?job=<id>), load that job's results directly.
 (function init(){
-  // Show the deployed build in the header so it's obvious which version is up.
-  fetch('/health').then(r=>r.ok?r.json():null).then(h=>{
-    if(h&&h.build) document.getElementById('buildTag').textContent=' · build '+h.build;
-  }).catch(()=>{});
-  loadModels();
+  // Fetch /health first: build tag for the header and default models as a
+  // fallback if the larger /models catalog fails or times out.
+  fetch('/health', {cache:'no-store'}).then(r=>r.ok?r.json():null).then(h=>{
+    if(h){
+      if(h.build) document.getElementById('buildTag').textContent=' · build '+h.build;
+      if(h.model) defaultVisionModel=h.model;
+      if(h.text_model) defaultTextModel=h.text_model;
+    }
+  }).catch(()=>{}).finally(()=>{
+    loadModels();
+  });
   const jobId=new URLSearchParams(location.search).get('job');
   if(jobId){ statusEl.innerHTML='<span class="spinner"></span>Loading job '+esc(jobId)+'...'; poll(jobId); }
 })();