diff --git a/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts b/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
index 2d1327bcd5f..67284656588 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   loadSessionStore,
   resolveSessionStoreEntry,
   resolveStorePath,
+  updateSessionStore,
 } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import type { DmPolicy } from "../config/types.base.js";
 import type {
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import { MediaFetchError } from "../media/fetch.js";
 import { readChannelAllowFromStore } from "../pairing/pairing-store.js";
 import { resolveAgentRoute } from "../routing/resolve-route.js";
 import { resolveThreadSessionKeys } from "../routing/session-key.js";
+import { applyModelOverrideToSessionEntry } from "../sessions/model-overrides.js";
 import { withTelegramApiErrorLogging } from "./api-logging.js";
 import {
   isSenderAllowed,
@@ -300,6 +302,7 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
   }): {
     agentId: string;
     sessionEntry: ReturnType<typeof loadSessionStore>[string] | undefined;
+    sessionKey: string;
     model?: string;
   } => {
     const resolvedThreadId =
@@ -339,6 +342,7 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
       return {
         agentId: route.agentId,
         sessionEntry: entry,
+        sessionKey,
         model: storedOverride.provider
           ? `${storedOverride.provider}/${storedOverride.model}`
           : storedOverride.model,
@@ -350,6 +354,7 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
       return {
         agentId: route.agentId,
         sessionEntry: entry,
+        sessionKey,
         model: `${provider}/${model}`,
       };
     }
@@ -357,6 +362,7 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
     return {
       agentId: route.agentId,
       sessionEntry: entry,
+      sessionKey,
       model: typeof modelCfg === "string" ? modelCfg : modelCfg?.primary,
     };
   };
@@ -1374,16 +1380,69 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
             );
             return;
           }
-          // Process model selection as a synthetic message with /model command
-          const syntheticMessage = buildSyntheticTextMessage({
-            base: callbackMessage,
-            from: callback.from,
-            text: `/model ${selection.provider}/${selection.model}`,
-          });
-          await processMessage(buildSyntheticContext(ctx, syntheticMessage), [], storeAllowFrom, {
-            forceWasMentioned: true,
-            messageIdOverride: callback.id,
-          });
+
+          const modelSet = byProvider.get(selection.provider);
+          if (!modelSet?.has(selection.model)) {
+            await editMessageWithButtons(
+              `❌ Model "${selection.provider}/${selection.model}" is not allowed.`,
+              [],
+            );
+            return;
+          }
+
+          // Directly set model override in session
+          try {
+            // Get session store path
+            const storePath = resolveStorePath(cfg.session?.store, {
+              agentId: sessionState.agentId,
+            });
+
+            const agentConfig = cfg.agents?.list?.find((a) => a.id === sessionState.agentId);
+            const agentModelConfig = agentConfig?.model ?? cfg.agents?.defaults?.model;
+            const rawModelRef =
+              typeof agentModelConfig === "string" ? agentModelConfig : agentModelConfig?.primary;
+
+            let resolvedDefaultRef = sessionState.model;
+            if (rawModelRef) {
+              const trimmed = rawModelRef.trim();
+              if (trimmed.includes("/")) {
+                resolvedDefaultRef = trimmed;
+              } else {
+                const currentProvider = sessionState.model?.split("/")[0];
+                resolvedDefaultRef = currentProvider
+                  ? `${currentProvider}/${trimmed}`
+                  : sessionState.model;
+              }
+            }
+
+            const isDefaultSelection =
+              `${selection.provider}/${selection.model}` === resolvedDefaultRef;
+
+            await updateSessionStore(storePath, (store) => {
+              const sessionKey = sessionState.sessionKey;
+              const entry = store[sessionKey] ?? {};
+              store[sessionKey] = entry;
+              applyModelOverrideToSessionEntry({
+                entry,
+                selection: {
+                  provider: selection.provider,
+                  model: selection.model,
+                  isDefault: isDefaultSelection,
+                },
+              });
+            });
+
+            // Update message to show success with visual feedback
+            const actionText = isDefaultSelection
+              ? "reset to default"
+              : `changed to **${selection.provider}/${selection.model}**`;
+            await editMessageWithButtons(
+              `✅ Model ${actionText}\n\nThis model will be used for your next message.`,
+              [], // Empty buttons = remove inline keyboard
+            );
+          } catch (err) {
+            await editMessageWithButtons(`❌ Failed to change model: ${String(err)}`, []);
+          }
           return;
         }