diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/BottomMenu.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/BottomMenu.tsx
index a9e3134b..03336c53 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/BottomMenu.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/BottomMenu.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { ModelRadioList } from './settings/models/ModelRadioList';
 import { Document, ChevronUp, ChevronDown } from './icons';
 import type { View } from '../App';
 import { BottomMenuModeSelection } from './BottomMenuModeSelection';
-import ModelsBottomBar from './settings_v2/models/subcomponents/ModelsBottomBar';
+import ModelsBottomBar from './settings_v2/models/bottom_bar/ModelsBottomBar';
 
 export default function BottomMenu({
   hasMessages,
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/subcomponents/ModelsBottomBar.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/bottom_bar/ModelsBottomBar.tsx
similarity index 97%
rename from ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/subcomponents/ModelsBottomBar.tsx
rename to ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/bottom_bar/ModelsBottomBar.tsx
index 59aa7b3a..3391ff7d 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/subcomponents/ModelsBottomBar.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/bottom_bar/ModelsBottomBar.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Sliders } from 'lucide-react';
 import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { useConfig } from '../../../ConfigContext';
 import { getCurrentModelAndProviderForDisplay } from '../index';
-import { AddModelModal } from './AddModelModal';
+import { AddModelModal } from '../subcomponents/AddModelModal';
 import type { View } from '../../../../App';
 
 interface ModelsBottomBarProps {
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/index.ts b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/index.ts
index 95a7ac39..18630d10 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/index.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { initializeAgent } from '../../../agent/index';
 import { toastError, toastSuccess } from '../../../toasts';
 import { ProviderDetails } from '@/src/api';
+import { getProviderMetadata } from './modelInterface';
+import { ProviderMetadata } from '../../../api';
 
 // titles
 const CHANGE_MODEL_TOAST_TITLE = 'Model selected';
@@ -137,19 +139,20 @@ export async function getCurrentModelAndProviderForDisplay({
   const gooseModel = modelProvider.model;
   const gooseProvider = modelProvider.provider;
 
-  const providers = await getProviders(false);
-
   // lookup display name
-  const providerDetailsList = providers.filter((provider) => provider.name === gooseProvider);
+  let metadata: ProviderMetadata;
 
-  if (providerDetailsList.length != 1) {
+  try {
+    metadata = await getProviderMetadata(gooseProvider, getProviders);
+  } catch (error) {
     toastError({
       title: UNKNOWN_PROVIDER_TITLE,
       msg: UNKNOWN_PROVIDER_MSG,
+      traceback: error,
     });
     return { model: gooseModel, provider: gooseProvider };
   }
-  const providerDisplayName = providerDetailsList[0].metadata.display_name;
+  const providerDisplayName = metadata.display_name;
 
   return { model: gooseModel, provider: providerDisplayName };
 }
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/modelInterface.ts b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/modelInterface.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d82017f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/modelInterface.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { ProviderDetails } from '../../../api';
+
+export default interface Model {
+  id?: number; // Make `id` optional to allow user-defined models
+  name: string;
+  provider: string;
+  lastUsed?: string;
+  alias?: string; // optional model display name
+  subtext?: string; // goes below model name if not the provider
+}
+
+export function createModelStruct(
+  modelName: string,
+  provider: string,
+  id?: number, // Make `id` optional to allow user-defined models
+  lastUsed?: string,
+  alias?: string, // optional model display name
+  subtext?: string
+): Model {
+  // use the metadata to create a Model
+  return {
+    name: modelName,
+    provider: provider,
+    alias: alias,
+    id: id,
+    lastUsed: lastUsed,
+    subtext: subtext,
+  };
+}
+
+export async function getProviderMetadata(
+  providerName: string,
+  getProvidersFunc: (b: boolean) => Promise<ProviderDetails[]>
+) {
+  const providers = await getProvidersFunc(false);
+  const matches = providers.find((providerMatch) => providerMatch.name === providerName);
+  if (!matches) {
+    throw Error(`No match for provider: ${providerName}`);
+  }
+  return matches[0].metadata;
+}
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/BaseModelsList.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/BaseModelsList.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..075df280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/BaseModelsList.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import Model from '../modelInterface';
+import { useRecentModels } from './recentModels';
+import { changeModel, getCurrentModelAndProvider } from '../index';
+import { useConfig } from '../../../ConfigContext';
+
+interface ModelRadioListProps {
+  renderItem: (props: {
+    model: Model;
+    isSelected: boolean;
+    onSelect: () => void;
+  }) => React.ReactNode;
+  className?: string;
+  providedModelList?: Model[];
+}
+
+export function BaseModelsList({
+  renderItem,
+  className = '',
+  providedModelList,
+}: ModelRadioListProps) {
+  const { recentModels } = useRecentModels();
+
+  // allow for a custom model list to be passed if you don't want to use recent models
+  let modelList: Model[];
+  if (!providedModelList) {
+    modelList = recentModels;
+  } else {
+    modelList = providedModelList;
+  }
+  const { read, upsert } = useConfig();
+  const [selectedModel, setSelectedModel] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [selectedProvider, setSelectedProvider] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [isInitialized, setIsInitialized] = useState(false);
+
+  // Load current model/provider once on component mount
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let isMounted = true;
+
+    const initializeCurrentModel = async () => {
+      try {
+        const result = await getCurrentModelAndProvider({ readFromConfig: read });
+        if (isMounted) {
+          setSelectedModel(result.model);
+          setSelectedProvider(result.provider);
+          setIsInitialized(true);
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Failed to load current model:', error);
+        if (isMounted) {
+          setIsInitialized(true); // Still mark as initialized even on error
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    initializeCurrentModel();
+
+    return () => {
+      isMounted = false;
+    };
+  }, [read]);
+
+  const handleModelSelection = async (modelName: string, providerName: string) => {
+    await changeModel({ model: modelName, provider: providerName, writeToConfig: upsert });
+  };
+
+  // Updated to work with CustomRadio
+  const handleRadioChange = async (model: Model) => {
+    if (selectedModel === model.name) {
+      console.log(`Model "${model.name}" is already active.`);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Update local state immediately for UI feedback
+    setSelectedModel(model.name);
+    setSelectedProvider(model.provider);
+
+    try {
+      await handleModelSelection(model.name, model.provider);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Error selecting model:', error);
+    }
+  };
+
+  // Don't render until we've loaded the initial model/provider
+  if (!isInitialized) {
+    return <div>Loading models...</div>;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className={className}>
+      {modelList.map((model) =>
+        renderItem({
+          model,
+          isSelected: selectedModel === model.name,
+          onSelect: () => handleRadioChange(model),
+        })
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/recentModels.ts b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/recentModels.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..07100b78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/settings_v2/models/model_list/recentModels.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import Model from '../modelInterface';
+
+const MAX_RECENT_MODELS = 3;
+
+export function useRecentModels() {
+  const [recentModels, setRecentModels] = useState<Model[]>([]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const storedModels = localStorage.getItem('recentModels');
+    if (storedModels) {
+      setRecentModels(JSON.parse(storedModels));
+    }
+  }, []);
+
+  const addRecentModel = (model: Model) => {
+    const modelWithTimestamp = { ...model, lastUsed: new Date().toISOString() }; // Add lastUsed field
+    setRecentModels((prevModels) => {
+      const updatedModels = [
+        modelWithTimestamp,
+        ...prevModels.filter((m) => m.name !== model.name),
+      ].slice(0, MAX_RECENT_MODELS);
+
+      localStorage.setItem('recentModels', JSON.stringify(updatedModels));
+      return updatedModels;
+    });
+  };
+
+  return { recentModels, addRecentModel };
+}