diff --git a/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.test.ts b/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.test.ts
index fbcd64956e0..3303bb08138 100644
--- a/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.test.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,38 @@ describe("model catalog state cache", () => {
     ).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it("prunes expired agent catalog rows on write", () => {
+    const expiredEntries = [{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.5", name: "GPT-5.5" }];
+    writeCachedAgentModelCatalog({
+      agentDir: "/agent/main",
+      catalogKey: "expired-key",
+      entries: expiredEntries,
+      nowMs: 1_000,
+    });
+
+    writeCachedAgentModelCatalog({
+      agentDir: "/agent/main",
+      catalogKey: "fresh-key",
+      entries: [{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.6", name: "GPT-5.6" }],
+      nowMs: 31 * 60 * 1_000,
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      readCachedAgentModelCatalog({
+        agentDir: "/agent/main",
+        catalogKey: "expired-key",
+        nowMs: 1_000,
+      }),
+    ).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(
+      readCachedAgentModelCatalog({
+        agentDir: "/agent/main",
+        catalogKey: "fresh-key",
+        nowMs: 31 * 60 * 1_000,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual([{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.6", name: "GPT-5.6" }]);
+  });
+
   it("builds stable keys that change with relevant catalog inputs", () => {
     const base = buildAgentModelCatalogCacheKey({
       agentDir: "/agent/main",
diff --git a/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.ts b/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.ts
index 520492124c4..1fd22be86b3 100644
--- a/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.ts
+++ b/src/agents/model-catalog-state-cache.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ export function writeCachedAgentModelCatalog(params: WriteCachedAgentModelCatalo
     } satisfies CachedAgentModelCatalogPayload);
     runOpenClawStateWriteTransaction((database) => {
       const db = getNodeSqliteKysely<AgentModelCatalogDatabase>(database.db);
+      executeSqliteQuerySync(
+        database.db,
+        db
+          .deleteFrom("agent_model_catalogs")
+          .where("updated_at", "<", updatedAt - AGENT_MODEL_CATALOG_CACHE_TTL_MS),
+      );
       executeSqliteQuerySync(
         database.db,
         db
diff --git a/src/agents/model-catalog.test.ts b/src/agents/model-catalog.test.ts
index 185f85d9452..002c28863f4 100644
--- a/src/agents/model-catalog.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/model-catalog.test.ts
@@ -733,6 +733,7 @@ describe("loadModelCatalog", () => {
 
     const entry = requireCatalogEntry(result, "openai", "gpt-test");
     expect(entry.name).toBe("GPT Test");
+    expect(readCachedAgentModelCatalogMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(prepareOpenClawModelsJsonSourceMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(importAgentDiscoveryModule).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(loadPluginMetadataSnapshotMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/src/agents/model-catalog.ts b/src/agents/model-catalog.ts
index 94734debe77..364b83eb3dd 100644
--- a/src/agents/model-catalog.ts
+++ b/src/agents/model-catalog.ts
@@ -389,23 +389,6 @@ async function loadReadOnlyPersistedModelCatalog(params?: {
     manifestPlugins ??= getMetadataSnapshot().plugins;
     return manifestPlugins;
   };
-  const sourceFingerprint = await buildModelsJsonSourceFingerprint(cfg, agentDir, {
-    pluginMetadataSnapshot: params?.metadataSnapshot,
-    workspaceDir,
-  });
-  const cached = readCachedAgentModelCatalog({
-    agentDir,
-    catalogKey: buildLoadModelCatalogStateCacheKey({
-      agentDir,
-      config: cfg,
-      metadataSnapshot: params?.metadataSnapshot,
-      sourceFingerprint: sourceFingerprint.fingerprint,
-      workspaceDir,
-    }),
-  }) as ModelCatalogEntry[] | undefined;
-  if (cached?.length) {
-    return cached;
-  }
   const providers = await loadReadOnlyPersistedProviderRows(agentDir, getMetadataSnapshot);
   for (const [providerRaw, providerConfig] of Object.entries(providers)) {
     if (!Array.isArray(providerConfig?.models)) {