diff --git a/acp_adapter/server.py b/acp_adapter/server.py
index f864d42a2c..717f7562b9 100644
--- a/acp_adapter/server.py
+++ b/acp_adapter/server.py
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ class HermesACPAgent(acp.Agent):
                 if normalized == "custom":
                     return any(
                         candidate == raw
-                        or candidate == f"custom:{raw}"
+                        or f"custom:{candidate}" == raw
                         or (raw == "custom" and candidate == "custom")
                         for candidate in named_empty_authoritative
                     )
diff --git a/hermes_cli/model_setup_flows.py b/hermes_cli/model_setup_flows.py
index fb0fbc3a38..aec87f3440 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/model_setup_flows.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/model_setup_flows.py
@@ -1553,7 +1553,11 @@ def _model_flow_named_custom(config, provider_info):
         configured_models = [
             str(m)
             for m in cfg_models
-            if m != "__explicit_model_allowlist__" and str(m).strip()
+            if m not in {
+                "__explicit_model_allowlist__",
+                "__discovered_model_catalog__",
+            }
+            and str(m).strip()
         ]
     elif isinstance(cfg_models, list):
         configured_models = []
diff --git a/hermes_cli/model_switch.py b/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
index e8835a8c10..6e8d11ad4e 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
@@ -3381,7 +3381,7 @@ def list_authenticated_providers(
                         has_explicit_models,
                         headers=_extra_headers_from_config(ep_cfg) or None,
                         timeout=(1.5 if for_picker else 5.0),
-                        api_mode=grp.get("api_mode"),
+                        api_mode=ep_cfg.get("api_mode"),
                     )
                     if isinstance(live_models, _NativePickerModelList):
                         native_catalog_empty = not live_models
@@ -3403,7 +3403,7 @@ def list_authenticated_providers(
                         cache_only=True,
                         timeout=(1.5 if for_picker else 5.0),
                         headers=_extra_headers_from_config(ep_cfg) or None,
-                        api_mode=grp.get("api_mode"),
+                        api_mode=ep_cfg.get("api_mode"),
                     )
                     if cached_models:
                         models_list = cached_models