diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..228f7750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import type { ModelCatalog, Tiers } from "@corbits-builder/schemas/models";
+import { keys } from "../queries/keys.ts";
+import { NewProjectProfile } from "./profile-select.tsx";
+
+function tiers(provider: string): Tiers {
+  const binding = { provider, model: "m", effort: "medium" as const };
+  return { low: binding, medium: binding, high: binding, max: binding };
+}
+
+function catalog(): ModelCatalog {
+  return {
+    providers: [],
+    roles: [],
+    tiers: [],
+    efforts: [],
+    customApis: [],
+    profiles: [
+      {
+        id: "xai_default",
+        label: "Grok",
+        hint: "Not connected",
+        tiers: tiers("xai"),
+        available: false,
+      },
+      {
+        id: "anthropic_default",
+        label: "Claude",
+        hint: "Anthropic",
+        tiers: tiers("anthropic"),
+        available: true,
+      },
+      {
+        id: "openai_default",
+        label: "GPT",
+        hint: "OpenAI",
+        tiers: tiers("openai"),
+        available: true,
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+function render(value: string | undefined, models = catalog()) {
+  const client = new QueryClient({
+    defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false, staleTime: Infinity } },
+  });
+  client.setQueryData(keys.modelCatalog, models);
+  client.setQueryData(keys.modelChoice, null);
+  return renderToStaticMarkup(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={client}>
+      <NewProjectProfile value={value} onValueChange={() => {}} />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe("NewProjectProfile", () => {
+  test("selects the first runnable profile when none is automatic", () => {
+    const initial = render(undefined);
+    expect(initial).toContain("Model profile, Claude");
+    expect(initial).not.toContain("Grok");
+
+    const picked = render("openai_default");
+    expect(picked).toContain("Model profile, GPT");
+    expect(picked).not.toContain("Model profile, Claude");
+  });
+
+  test("keeps the automatic profile when one is set", () => {
+    const models = catalog();
+    models.automaticProfile = "openai_default";
+    expect(render(undefined, models)).toContain("Model profile, GPT");
+  });
+
+  test("renders nothing when no profile can run", () => {
+    const models = catalog();
+    models.profiles = models.profiles.map((profile) => ({
+      ...profile,
+      available: false,
+    }));
+    expect(render(undefined, models)).toBe("");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.tsx
index a95ecbaa..cb34aed0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/profile-select.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 /**
- * The model profile in the new-project prompt box. A new project starts on the one picked here
- * (the person's active profile, else the only connected provider's, until they pick another); its
- * bindings never change once it starts. With neither, nothing is picked and the hub says why.
+ * The model profile in the new-project prompt box. A new project starts on the one picked here:
+ * the person's active profile, else the only connected provider's, else the first profile that can
+ * run, until they pick another. Its bindings never change once it starts. With no runnable
+ * profile, nothing is picked and the hub says why.
  */
 import {
   PromptInputModelSelect,
@@ -74,9 +75,8 @@ export function NewProjectProfile({
   const models =
     catalog && choice !== undefined ? profileOptions(catalog, choice) : [];
   const active = choice?.profile ?? catalog?.automaticProfile;
-  const shown = models.some((model) => model.id === active)
-    ? active
-    : undefined;
+  const shown =
+    models.find((model) => model.id === active)?.id ?? models[0]?.id;
   useEffect(() => {
     if (value === undefined && shown !== undefined) onValueChange(shown);
   }, [value, shown, onValueChange]);