diff --git a/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.test.tsx b/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.test.tsx
index f2a3d51..9fd71e3 100644
--- a/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { GlobalChatbox } from "./GlobalChatbox";
 
 const createSession = jest.fn();
 const mockFetchAgentRuntimeHealth = jest.fn();
+const mockFetchAgentModels = jest.fn();
 let mockCurrentProjectId = "project-1";
 
 jest.mock("@refinedev/core", () => ({
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ jest.mock("@refinedev/core", () => ({
 }));
 
 jest.mock("@/lib/chatModels", () => ({
-  fetchAgentModels: jest.fn(() => new Promise(() => {})),
+  fetchAgentModels: (...args: unknown[]) => mockFetchAgentModels(...args),
 }));
 
 jest.mock("@/lib/agentRuntime", () => ({
@@ -100,12 +101,15 @@ describe("GlobalChatbox lifecycle", () => {
     createSession.mockClear();
     mockFetchAgentRuntimeHealth.mockReset();
     mockFetchAgentRuntimeHealth.mockImplementation(() => new Promise(() => {}));
+    mockFetchAgentModels.mockReset();
+    mockFetchAgentModels.mockImplementation(() => new Promise(() => {}));
     mockCurrentProjectId = "project-1";
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
     jest.runOnlyPendingTimers();
     jest.useRealTimers();
+    jest.restoreAllMocks();
   });
 
   it("keeps content mounted and preserves the session across close and reopen", async () => {
@@ -146,4 +150,45 @@ describe("GlobalChatbox lifecycle", () => {
 
     expect(screen.getByText("Workspace state: unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it("reserves models unavailable for an empty model configuration", async () => {
+    mockFetchAgentRuntimeHealth.mockResolvedValueOnce(true);
+    mockFetchAgentModels.mockResolvedValueOnce({ models: [] });
+    render(<GlobalChatbox open onClose={jest.fn()} />);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("Workspace state: models_unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("reports an auth dependency failure as unavailable and retries quickly", async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    mockFetchAgentRuntimeHealth.mockResolvedValue(true);
+    mockFetchAgentModels
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("authentication service unavailable"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        defaultModel: "provider/model",
+        models: [{ id: "provider/model", label: "Model" }],
+      });
+
+    render(<GlobalChatbox open onClose={jest.fn()} />);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+    expect(screen.getByText("Workspace state: unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(mockFetchAgentModels).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+    expect(screen.getByText("Workspace state: ready")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(mockFetchAgentModels).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.tsx b/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.tsx
index cf19fb7..ef308fc 100644
--- a/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.tsx
+++ b/src/components/chat/GlobalChatbox.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import { useAgentToolActions } from "./hooks/useAgentToolActions";
 const STREAMING_BOTTOM_RESERVE_PX = 180;
 const STREAMING_SCROLL_RESTORE_AT_PX = STREAMING_BOTTOM_RESERVE_PX - 36;
 const AGENT_RUNTIME_POLL_MS = 30_000;
+const AGENT_RUNTIME_RETRY_MS = 5_000;
 const AGENT_RUNTIME_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000;
 
 export const GlobalChatbox: React.FC<Props> = ({ open, onClose }) => {
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ export const GlobalChatbox: React.FC<Props> = ({ open, onClose }) => {
         setRuntimeState("unavailable");
         setModelOptions([]);
         setSelectedModel(undefined);
-        return;
+        return "unavailable" as const;
       }
 
       const modelConfig = await fetchAgentModels(controller.signal);
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ export const GlobalChatbox: React.FC<Props> = ({ open, onClose }) => {
         setRuntimeState("models_unavailable");
         setModelOptions([]);
         setSelectedModel(undefined);
-        return;
+        return "models_unavailable" as const;
       }
 
       setModelOptions(modelConfig.models);
@@ -117,12 +118,14 @@ export const GlobalChatbox: React.FC<Props> = ({ open, onClose }) => {
         return modelConfig.defaultModel;
       });
       setRuntimeState("ready");
+      return "ready" as const;
     } catch (error) {
       if (requestId !== runtimeRequestIdRef.current) return;
       console.error("[GlobalChatbox] Failed to check agent runtime:", error);
-      setRuntimeState(runtimeHealthy ? "models_unavailable" : "unavailable");
+      setRuntimeState("unavailable");
       setModelOptions([]);
       setSelectedModel(undefined);
+      return "unavailable" as const;
     } finally {
       window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
       if (runtimeAbortRef.current === controller) {
@@ -134,14 +137,23 @@ export const GlobalChatbox: React.FC<Props> = ({ open, onClose }) => {
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!open) return;
 
-    void refreshAgentRuntime(true);
-    const intervalId = window.setInterval(
-      () => void refreshAgentRuntime(false),
-      AGENT_RUNTIME_POLL_MS,
-    );
+    let cancelled = false;
+    let pollTimerId: number | undefined;
+
+    const pollRuntime = async (showChecking: boolean) => {
+      const nextState = await refreshAgentRuntime(showChecking);
+      if (cancelled || !nextState) return;
+      pollTimerId = window.setTimeout(
+        () => void pollRuntime(false),
+        nextState === "ready" ? AGENT_RUNTIME_POLL_MS : AGENT_RUNTIME_RETRY_MS,
+      );
+    };
+
+    void pollRuntime(true);
 
     return () => {
-      window.clearInterval(intervalId);
+      cancelled = true;
+      if (pollTimerId !== undefined) window.clearTimeout(pollTimerId);
       runtimeRequestIdRef.current += 1;
       runtimeAbortRef.current?.abort();
       runtimeAbortRef.current = null;