diff --git a/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.test.ts b/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2da5604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import {
+  fetchOpenAiCompatModels,
+  getCachedOpenAiCompatModels,
+  normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl,
+} from "./fetch-openai-compat-models.js";
+
+describe("fetchOpenAiCompatModels", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it("strips trailing slashes and an explicit /v1 from the base url", () => {
+    expect(normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(" https://vllm.example/v1/ ")).toBe(
+      "https://vllm.example",
+    );
+    expect(normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl("https://vllm.example")).toBe(
+      "https://vllm.example",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("lists sorted model ids, sends the bearer key, and caches per base url", async () => {
+    const fetchMock = vi.fn(async (_url: string, _init?: RequestInit) => ({
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({
+        data: [{ id: "zephyr" }, { id: "Qwen/Qwen3-8B" }, { id: 42 }],
+      }),
+    }));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+
+    const ids = await fetchOpenAiCompatModels("https://vllm.example/v1", "key");
+    expect(ids).toEqual(["Qwen/Qwen3-8B", "zephyr"]);
+    expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toBe("https://vllm.example/v1/models");
+    expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[0]?.[1]).toMatchObject({
+      headers: { Authorization: "Bearer key" },
+    });
+
+    expect(getCachedOpenAiCompatModels("https://vllm.example/")).toEqual(ids);
+    await fetchOpenAiCompatModels("https://vllm.example", "key");
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("throws on a rejected request so callers can fall back to typing", async () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "fetch",
+      vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: false, status: 401 })),
+    );
+    await expect(
+      fetchOpenAiCompatModels("https://locked.example"),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("http 401");
+    expect(getCachedOpenAiCompatModels("https://locked.example")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.ts b/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2596b2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * Model discovery for OpenAI-compatible servers (vLLM, llama-server, LM Studio,
+ * OpenAI itself): `GET {baseUrl}/v1/models`. The wizard reads the result
+ * synchronously through the module cache, same shape as the OpenRouter picker.
+ */
+
+const cache = new Map<string, readonly string[]>();
+
+/** Callers append `/v1/...`, so a base URL pasted with `/v1` must lose it. */
+export function normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(raw: string): string {
+  return raw
+    .trim()
+    .replace(/\/+$/, "")
+    .replace(/\/v\d+$/, "");
+}
+
+export function getCachedOpenAiCompatModels(
+  baseUrl: string,
+): readonly string[] | undefined {
+  return cache.get(normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(baseUrl));
+}
+
+/** Throws on unreachable/unauthorized servers so the caller can fall back to typing. */
+export async function fetchOpenAiCompatModels(
+  baseUrl: string,
+  apiKey?: string,
+): Promise<readonly string[]> {
+  const base = normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(baseUrl);
+  const cached = cache.get(base);
+  if (cached) return cached;
+
+  const res = await fetch(`${base}/v1/models`, {
+    headers: apiKey ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}` } : {},
+    signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10_000),
+  });
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`http ${res.status}`);
+  const json = (await res.json()) as { data?: readonly { id?: unknown }[] };
+  const ids = (json.data ?? [])
+    .map((row) => row?.id)
+    .filter((id): id is string => typeof id === "string" && id.length > 0)
+    .sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
+  if (ids.length === 0) throw new Error("server listed no models");
+
+  cache.set(base, ids);
+  return ids;
+}
diff --git a/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.test.tsx b/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54dc44c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { render } from "ink-testing-library";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { createProvidersWizardState } from "../providers/providers-wizard-state.js";
+import { ProvidersWizard } from "./providers-wizard.js";
+
+function stripAnsi(value: string): string {
+  return value.replace(/\[[0-9;]*m/g, "");
+}
+
+function chatModelStep(baseUrlLine: string, cursor = 0) {
+  return {
+    ...createProvidersWizardState("add", { kind: "openai-compatible" }),
+    phase: "chat_model_line" as const,
+    baseUrlLine,
+    cursor,
+  };
+}
+
+async function flush(): Promise<void> {
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+}
+
+describe("ProvidersWizard chat model step", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it("windows a long discovered model list around the cursor", async () => {
+    const ids = Array.from({ length: 30 }, (_, i) => `model-${i + 1}`);
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "fetch",
+      vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        json: async () => ({ data: ids.map((id) => ({ id })) }),
+      })),
+    );
+
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      // pasted with `/v1` — the header must show the URL actually requested
+      <ProvidersWizard wizard={chatModelStep("https://many.example/v1", 20)} />,
+    );
+    await flush();
+
+    const text = stripAnsi(lastFrame() ?? "");
+    expect(text).toContain("30 from https://many.example/v1/models");
+    // ids are listed sorted; cursor 20 lands on the 21st of them
+    expect(text).toContain("> model-28");
+    expect(text).toContain("(21/30)");
+    expect(text).not.toContain("model-10");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to a typed id when the server refuses the list", async () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "fetch",
+      vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: false, status: 403 })),
+    );
+
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <ProvidersWizard wizard={chatModelStep("https://refused.example")} />,
+    );
+    await flush();
+
+    const text = stripAnsi(lastFrame() ?? "");
+    expect(text).toContain("model list unavailable (http 403)");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.tsx b/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.tsx
index 452eb65..57f4ab8 100644
--- a/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.tsx
+++ b/src/tui/components/providers-wizard.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import { Box, Text } from "ink";
-import type { ReactElement } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState, type ReactElement } from "react";
+import { resolveLlmProviderApiKey } from "../../config/resolve-llm-api-key.js";
+import { fetchOpenAiCompatModels } from "../../llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.js";
+import {
+  baseUrlForWizard,
+  listCompatChatModelPicks,
+} from "../providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.js";
 import { theme } from "../theme/theme.js";
 import {
   listAimlapiChatModels,
@@ -103,6 +109,76 @@ function renderLineField(props: {
   );
 }
 
+/** Keep long server model lists inside a fixed viewport around the cursor. */
+const PICK_WINDOW = 12;
+
+function CompatChatModelStep(props: {
+  wizard: ProvidersWizardState;
+}): ReactElement {
+  const w = props.wizard;
+  const baseUrl = baseUrlForWizard(w);
+  const [status, setStatus] = useState<{ loading: boolean; error: string | null }>(
+    { loading: true, error: null },
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let alive = true;
+    setStatus({ loading: true, error: null });
+    const apiKey =
+      w.apiKeyBuffer.trim() ||
+      resolveLlmProviderApiKey({
+        id: "openai-compatible",
+        kind: "openai-compatible",
+      });
+    fetchOpenAiCompatModels(baseUrl, apiKey).then(
+      () => {
+        if (alive) setStatus({ loading: false, error: null });
+      },
+      (err: unknown) => {
+        if (alive) {
+          setStatus({
+            loading: false,
+            error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err),
+          });
+        }
+      },
+    );
+    return () => {
+      alive = false;
+    };
+    // Re-fetch only when the server changes; the key is fixed for this wizard run.
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [baseUrl]);
+
+  const picks = listCompatChatModelPicks(w);
+  if (picks.length > 0) {
+    const cursor = Math.min(w.cursor, picks.length - 1);
+    const start = Math.min(
+      Math.max(0, cursor - Math.floor(PICK_WINDOW / 2)),
+      Math.max(0, picks.length - PICK_WINDOW),
+    );
+    return renderPickList(
+      `Chat model — ${picks.length} from ${baseUrl}/v1/models`,
+      picks.slice(start, start + PICK_WINDOW).map((id) => ({ label: id })),
+      cursor - start,
+      `↑/↓ move (${cursor + 1}/${picks.length}) · Enter select · type to enter an id by hand · Esc cancel`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  const hint = status.loading
+    ? `listing models from ${baseUrl}/v1/models…`
+    : status.error
+      ? `model list unavailable (${status.error}) — type the id · Enter to continue`
+      : "Enter to continue · Backspace to empty for the model list · Esc cancel";
+  return renderLineField({
+    title: "Chat model id",
+    value: w.chatModelLine,
+    placeholder: OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_CHAT_MODEL,
+    hint,
+    error: w.error,
+  });
+}
+
 export function ProvidersWizard(props: {
   wizard: ProvidersWizardState;
 }): ReactElement {
@@ -202,13 +278,7 @@ export function ProvidersWizard(props: {
   }
 
   if (w.phase === "chat_model_line") {
-    return renderLineField({
-      title: "Chat model id",
-      value: w.chatModelLine,
-      placeholder: OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_CHAT_MODEL,
-      hint: "Enter to continue · Esc cancel",
-      error: w.error,
-    });
+    return <CompatChatModelStep wizard={w} />;
   }
 
   if (w.phase === "embedding_model_line") {
diff --git a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-build-entry.ts b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-build-entry.ts
index 8900bb5..18b47ff 100644
--- a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-build-entry.ts
+++ b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-build-entry.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { UserLlmProviderEntry } from "../../config/llm-config.js";
+import { normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl } from "../../llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.js";
 import {
   LOCAL_EMBEDDING_CHOICE_ID,
   OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_BASE_URL,
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ export function buildProviderEntryFromWizard(input: {
     ...(input.kind === "openai-compatible"
       ? {
           baseUrl:
-            input.baseUrl?.trim() || OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_BASE_URL,
+            normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(input.baseUrl ?? "") ||
+            OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_BASE_URL,
         }
       : {}),
   };
diff --git a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.test.ts b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.test.ts
index 9e46dee..4237fa0 100644
--- a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Key } from "ink";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
+import { fetchOpenAiCompatModels } from "../../llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.js";
 import { LOCAL_EMBEDDING_CHOICE_ID } from "./providers-model-options.js";
 import { handleProvidersWizardKey } from "./providers-wizard-key-bindings.js";
 import { createProvidersWizardState } from "./providers-wizard-state.js";
@@ -62,6 +63,59 @@ describe("handleProvidersWizardKey", () => {
     expect(wizard.phase).toBe("api_key");
   });
 
+  describe("openai-compatible chat model step", () => {
+    afterEach(() => {
+      vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+    });
+
+    async function wizardAtChatModelStep(
+      baseUrl: string,
+    ): Promise<ProvidersWizardState> {
+      let wizard = createProvidersWizardState("add", {
+        kind: "openai-compatible",
+      });
+      wizard = { ...wizard, phase: "base_url" };
+      for (const ch of baseUrl) wizard = next(wizard, ch, emptyKey());
+      return next(wizard, "", emptyKey({ return: true }));
+    }
+
+    it("picks a discovered model with arrows + Enter", async () => {
+      vi.stubGlobal(
+        "fetch",
+        vi.fn(async () => ({
+          ok: true,
+          json: async () => ({ data: [{ id: "a-model" }, { id: "b-model" }] }),
+        })),
+      );
+      await fetchOpenAiCompatModels("https://picks.example");
+
+      let wizard = await wizardAtChatModelStep("https://picks.example");
+      expect(wizard.phase).toBe("chat_model_line");
+
+      wizard = next(wizard, "", emptyKey({ downArrow: true }));
+      wizard = next(wizard, "", emptyKey({ return: true }));
+      expect(wizard.chatModelLine).toBe("b-model");
+      expect(wizard.phase).toBe("embedding_model_line");
+    });
+
+    it("lets typing override the discovered list", async () => {
+      vi.stubGlobal(
+        "fetch",
+        vi.fn(async () => ({
+          ok: true,
+          json: async () => ({ data: [{ id: "a-model" }] }),
+        })),
+      );
+      await fetchOpenAiCompatModels("https://typed.example");
+
+      let wizard = await wizardAtChatModelStep("https://typed.example");
+      for (const ch of "my-own") wizard = next(wizard, ch, emptyKey());
+      wizard = next(wizard, "", emptyKey({ return: true }));
+      expect(wizard.chatModelLine).toBe("my-own");
+      expect(wizard.phase).toBe("embedding_model_line");
+    });
+  });
+
   it("walks the OpenRouter onboarding flow through model and embedding picks", () => {
     let wizard = createProvidersWizardState("add");
 
diff --git a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.ts b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.ts
index 2c48ba6..f4a8ffd 100644
--- a/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.ts
+++ b/src/tui/providers/providers-wizard-key-bindings.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 import type { Key } from "ink";
+import {
+  getCachedOpenAiCompatModels,
+  normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl,
+} from "../../llm/provider/openai/fetch-openai-compat-models.js";
 import {
   listAimlapiChatModels,
   listAimlapiEmbeddingModels,
   listOpenRouterChatModels,
   listOpenRouterEmbeddingModels,
+  OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_BASE_URL,
 } from "./providers-model-options.js";
 import type {
   ProvidersWizardKind,
@@ -116,6 +121,28 @@ function isLinePhase(phase: ProvidersWizardPhase): boolean {
   );
 }
 
+/** Normalized so the fetch, the cache key and the displayed URL always agree. */
+export function baseUrlForWizard(wizard: ProvidersWizardState): string {
+  return (
+    normalizeOpenAiCompatBaseUrl(wizard.baseUrlLine) ||
+    OPENAI_COMPAT_DEFAULT_BASE_URL
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Chat model ids discovered from `{baseUrl}/v1/models`. Empty once the operator
+ * types anything — a typed id is a deliberate override, so the picker steps
+ * aside (backspacing back to empty brings it back).
+ */
+export function listCompatChatModelPicks(
+  wizard: ProvidersWizardState,
+): readonly string[] {
+  if (wizard.phase !== "chat_model_line") return [];
+  if (wizard.kind !== "openai-compatible") return [];
+  if (wizard.chatModelLine.length > 0) return [];
+  return getCachedOpenAiCompatModels(baseUrlForWizard(wizard)) ?? [];
+}
+
 export type ProvidersWizardKeyResult =
   | { handled: true; wizard: ProvidersWizardState; submit?: false }
   | { handled: true; wizard: ProvidersWizardState; submit: true }
@@ -165,6 +192,33 @@ export function handleProvidersWizardKey(
   }
 
   if (isLinePhase(wizard.phase)) {
+    const picks = listCompatChatModelPicks(wizard);
+    if (picks.length > 0) {
+      // Arrows only: printable keys fall through to line editing so an id the
+      // server does not advertise can still be typed.
+      if (key.downArrow) {
+        return {
+          handled: true,
+          wizard: { ...wizard, cursor: (wizard.cursor + 1) % picks.length },
+        };
+      }
+      if (key.upArrow) {
+        return {
+          handled: true,
+          wizard: {
+            ...wizard,
+            cursor: (wizard.cursor - 1 + picks.length) % picks.length,
+          },
+        };
+      }
+      if (key.return) {
+        const picked = picks[wizard.cursor] ?? picks[0]!;
+        return {
+          handled: true,
+          wizard: advanceWizardPhase({ ...wizard, chatModelLine: picked }),
+        };
+      }
+    }
     const field =
       wizard.phase === "base_url"
         ? "baseUrlLine"
diff --git a/src/tui/providers/save-provider-wizard.test.ts b/src/tui/providers/save-provider-wizard.test.ts
index f181cd1..cf9e4bc 100644
--- a/src/tui/providers/save-provider-wizard.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui/providers/save-provider-wizard.test.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ describe("saveProviderWizardToConfig", () => {
     expect(getConfig().llm?.providers.find((p) => p.id === "openai-compatible"))
       .toMatchObject({
         kind: "openai-compatible",
-        baseUrl: "https://api.venice.ai/api/",
+        // trailing slash normalized away — callers append `/v1/...`
+        baseUrl: "https://api.venice.ai/api",
         defaultChatModel: "venice-uncensored",
       });
   });