diff --git a/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.test.ts b/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.test.ts
index b070a2b5cd8..aa5f0b081f3 100644
--- a/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.test.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,18 @@ describe("createModelListAuthIndex", () => {
     expect(index.hasProviderAuth("codex")).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it("keeps synthetic auth refs exact instead of applying auth-choice aliases", () => {
+    const index = createModelListAuthIndex({
+      cfg: {},
+      authStore: emptyStore,
+      env: {},
+      syntheticAuthProviderRefs: ["claude-cli"],
+    });
+
+    expect(index.hasProviderAuth("claude-cli")).toBe(true);
+    expect(index.hasProviderAuth("anthropic")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("ignores derived synthetic auth snapshots", () => {
     pluginRegistryMocks.loadPluginRegistrySnapshotWithMetadata.mockReturnValueOnce({
       source: "derived",
diff --git a/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.ts b/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.ts
index 39cf25de8e1..ba64321ca7b 100644
--- a/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.ts
+++ b/src/commands/models/list.auth-index.ts
@@ -57,12 +57,20 @@ export function createModelListAuthIndex(
   const aliasMap = resolveProviderAuthAliasMap({ config: params.cfg, env });
   const envCandidateMap = resolveProviderEnvApiKeyCandidates({ config: params.cfg, env });
   const authenticatedProviders = new Set<string>();
+  const syntheticAuthProviders = new Set<string>();
   const addProvider = (provider: string | undefined) => {
     if (!provider?.trim()) {
       return;
     }
     authenticatedProviders.add(normalizeAuthProvider(provider, aliasMap));
   };
+  const addSyntheticProvider = (provider: string | undefined) => {
+    const normalized = provider?.trim() ? normalizeProviderIdForAuth(provider) : "";
+    if (!normalized) {
+      return;
+    }
+    syntheticAuthProviders.add(normalized);
+  };
 
   for (const credential of Object.values(params.authStore.profiles ?? {})) {
     addProvider(credential.provider);
@@ -94,12 +102,15 @@ export function createModelListAuthIndex(
 
   for (const provider of params.syntheticAuthProviderRefs ??
     listValidatedSyntheticAuthProviderRefs({ cfg: params.cfg, env })) {
-    addProvider(provider);
+    addSyntheticProvider(provider);
   }
 
   return {
     hasProviderAuth(provider: string): boolean {
-      return authenticatedProviders.has(normalizeAuthProvider(provider, aliasMap));
+      return (
+        authenticatedProviders.has(normalizeAuthProvider(provider, aliasMap)) ||
+        syntheticAuthProviders.has(normalizeProviderIdForAuth(provider))
+      );
     },
   };
 }