diff --git a/docs/cli/agent.md b/docs/cli/agent.md
index 0712a16661b..93c8d04b41a 100644
--- a/docs/cli/agent.md
+++ b/docs/cli/agent.md
@@ -22,3 +22,7 @@ openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Summarize logs"
 openclaw agent --session-id 1234 --message "Summarize inbox" --thinking medium
 openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Generate report" --deliver --reply-channel slack --reply-to "#reports"
 ```
+
+## Notes
+
+- When this command triggers `models.json` regeneration, SecretRef-managed provider credentials are persisted as non-secret markers (for example env var names or `secretref-managed`), not resolved secret plaintext.
diff --git a/docs/concepts/models.md b/docs/concepts/models.md
index 767e7309366..2ad809d9599 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/models.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/models.md
@@ -217,3 +217,5 @@ Merge mode precedence for matching provider IDs:
 - SecretRef-managed provider `apiKey` values are refreshed from source markers (`ENV_VAR_NAME` for env refs, `secretref-managed` for file/exec refs) instead of persisting resolved secrets.
 - Empty or missing agent `apiKey`/`baseUrl` fall back to config `models.providers`.
 - Other provider fields are refreshed from config and normalized catalog data.
+
+This marker-based persistence applies whenever OpenClaw regenerates `models.json`, including command-driven paths like `openclaw agent`.
diff --git a/src/commands/agent.test.ts b/src/commands/agent.test.ts
index 7ca6909af4a..57c1cbe6df1 100644
--- a/src/commands/agent.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/agent.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { FailoverError } from "../agents/failover-error.js";
 import { loadModelCatalog } from "../agents/model-catalog.js";
 import * as modelSelectionModule from "../agents/model-selection.js";
 import { runEmbeddedPiAgent } from "../agents/pi-embedded.js";
+import * as commandSecretGatewayModule from "../cli/command-secret-gateway.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import * as configModule from "../config/config.js";
 import * as sessionsModule from "../config/sessions.js";
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ const runtime: RuntimeEnv = {
 };
 
 const configSpy = vi.spyOn(configModule, "loadConfig");
+const readConfigFileSnapshotForWriteSpy = vi.spyOn(configModule, "readConfigFileSnapshotForWrite");
+const setRuntimeConfigSnapshotSpy = vi.spyOn(configModule, "setRuntimeConfigSnapshot");
 const runCliAgentSpy = vi.spyOn(cliRunnerModule, "runCliAgent");
 const deliverAgentCommandResultSpy = vi.spyOn(agentDeliveryModule, "deliverAgentCommandResult");
 
@@ -256,13 +259,91 @@ function createTelegramOutboundPlugin() {
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   vi.clearAllMocks();
+  configModule.clearRuntimeConfigSnapshot();
   runCliAgentSpy.mockResolvedValue(createDefaultAgentResult() as never);
   vi.mocked(runEmbeddedPiAgent).mockResolvedValue(createDefaultAgentResult());
   vi.mocked(loadModelCatalog).mockResolvedValue([]);
   vi.mocked(modelSelectionModule.isCliProvider).mockImplementation(() => false);
+  readConfigFileSnapshotForWriteSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+    snapshot: { valid: false, resolved: {} as OpenClawConfig },
+    writeOptions: {},
+  } as Awaited<ReturnType<typeof configModule.readConfigFileSnapshotForWrite>>);
 });
 
 describe("agentCommand", () => {
+  it("sets runtime snapshots from source config before embedded agent run", async () => {
+    await withTempHome(async (home) => {
+      const store = path.join(home, "sessions.json");
+      const loadedConfig = {
+        agents: {
+          defaults: {
+            model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5" },
+            models: { "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5": {} },
+            workspace: path.join(home, "openclaw"),
+          },
+        },
+        session: { store, mainKey: "main" },
+        models: {
+          providers: {
+            openai: {
+              baseUrl: "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+              apiKey: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "OPENAI_API_KEY" },
+              models: [],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+      const sourceConfig = {
+        ...loadedConfig,
+        models: {
+          providers: {
+            openai: {
+              baseUrl: "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+              apiKey: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "OPENAI_API_KEY" },
+              models: [],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+      const resolvedConfig = {
+        ...loadedConfig,
+        models: {
+          providers: {
+            openai: {
+              baseUrl: "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+              apiKey: "sk-resolved-runtime",
+              models: [],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+
+      configSpy.mockReturnValue(loadedConfig);
+      readConfigFileSnapshotForWriteSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+        snapshot: { valid: true, resolved: sourceConfig },
+        writeOptions: {},
+      } as Awaited<ReturnType<typeof configModule.readConfigFileSnapshotForWrite>>);
+      const resolveSecretsSpy = vi
+        .spyOn(commandSecretGatewayModule, "resolveCommandSecretRefsViaGateway")
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+          resolvedConfig,
+          diagnostics: [],
+          targetStatesByPath: {},
+          hadUnresolvedTargets: false,
+        });
+
+      await agentCommand({ message: "hello", to: "+1555" }, runtime);
+
+      expect(resolveSecretsSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        config: loadedConfig,
+        commandName: "agent",
+        targetIds: expect.any(Set),
+      });
+      expect(setRuntimeConfigSnapshotSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(resolvedConfig, sourceConfig);
+      expect(vi.mocked(runEmbeddedPiAgent).mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]?.config).toBe(resolvedConfig);
+    });
+  });
+
   it("creates a session entry when deriving from --to", async () => {
     await withTempHome(async (home) => {
       const store = path.join(home, "sessions.json");
diff --git a/src/commands/agent.ts b/src/commands/agent.ts
index 10582521b95..7ed147dd46f 100644
--- a/src/commands/agent.ts
+++ b/src/commands/agent.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ import { formatCliCommand } from "../cli/command-format.js";
 import { resolveCommandSecretRefsViaGateway } from "../cli/command-secret-gateway.js";
 import { getAgentRuntimeCommandSecretTargetIds } from "../cli/command-secret-targets.js";
 import { type CliDeps, createDefaultDeps } from "../cli/deps.js";
-import { loadConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import {
+  loadConfig,
+  readConfigFileSnapshotForWrite,
+  setRuntimeConfigSnapshot,
+} from "../config/config.js";
 import {
   mergeSessionEntry,
   parseSessionThreadInfo,
@@ -427,11 +431,23 @@ async function agentCommandInternal(
   }
 
   const loadedRaw = loadConfig();
+  const sourceConfig = await (async () => {
+    try {
+      const { snapshot } = await readConfigFileSnapshotForWrite();
+      if (snapshot.valid) {
+        return snapshot.resolved;
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // Fall back to runtime-loaded config when source snapshot is unavailable.
+    }
+    return loadedRaw;
+  })();
   const { resolvedConfig: cfg, diagnostics } = await resolveCommandSecretRefsViaGateway({
     config: loadedRaw,
     commandName: "agent",
     targetIds: getAgentRuntimeCommandSecretTargetIds(),
   });
+  setRuntimeConfigSnapshot(cfg, sourceConfig);
   for (const entry of diagnostics) {
     runtime.log(`[secrets] ${entry}`);
   }
diff --git a/src/media-understanding/runner.entries.ts b/src/media-understanding/runner.entries.ts
index 5175d764526..cdd9468c4a7 100644
--- a/src/media-understanding/runner.entries.ts
+++ b/src/media-understanding/runner.entries.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ function sanitizeProviderHeaders(
     if (typeof value !== "string") {
       continue;
     }
+    // Intentionally preserve marker-shaped values here. This path handles
+    // explicit config/runtime provider headers, where literal values may
+    // legitimately match marker patterns; discovered models.json entries are
+    // sanitized separately in the model registry path.
     next[key] = value;
   }
   return Object.keys(next).length > 0 ? next : undefined;