diff --git a/py/routes/handlers/misc_handlers.py b/py/routes/handlers/misc_handlers.py
index 977be1d3..b62af8b8 100644
--- a/py/routes/handlers/misc_handlers.py
+++ b/py/routes/handlers/misc_handlers.py
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ from ...services.settings_manager import get_settings_manager
 from ...services.websocket_manager import ws_manager
 from ...services.downloader import get_downloader
 from ...services.errors import ResourceNotFoundError
-from ...services.llm_service import get_provider_model_ids, fetch_ollama_models
+from ...services.llm_service import (
+    PROVIDER_PRESETS,
+    fetch_ollama_models,
+    get_all_provider_models,
+    get_provider_model_ids,
+)
 from ...services.cache_health_monitor import CacheHealthMonitor, CacheHealthStatus
 from ...utils.models import BaseModelMetadata
 from ...utils.constants import (
@@ -1625,6 +1630,20 @@ class SettingsHandler:
     def _is_dedicated_example_images_folder(self, folder_path: str) -> bool:
         return is_valid_example_images_root(folder_path)
 
+    async def get_provider_models(self, request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
+        """Return the model catalog for all preset providers.
+
+        This endpoint is called asynchronously by the settings UI so that
+        page rendering never blocks on the remote model catalog fetch.
+        """
+        catalog_provider_ids = [p for p in PROVIDER_PRESETS if p != "custom"]
+        try:
+            provider_models = await get_all_provider_models(catalog_provider_ids)
+            return web.json_response({"success": True, "models": provider_models})
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.warning("Failed to fetch provider models: %s", exc)
+            return web.json_response({"success": False, "models": {}, "error": str(exc)})
+
 
 class UsageStatsHandler:
     def __init__(self, usage_stats_factory: UsageStatsFactory = UsageStats) -> None:
@@ -3395,6 +3414,7 @@ class MiscHandlerSet:
             "get_settings_libraries": self.settings.get_libraries,
             "activate_library": self.settings.activate_library,
             "get_llm_models": self.settings.get_llm_models,
+            "get_provider_models": self.settings.get_provider_models,
             "update_usage_stats": self.usage_stats.update_usage_stats,
             "get_usage_stats": self.usage_stats.get_usage_stats,
             "update_lora_code": self.lora_code.update_lora_code,
diff --git a/py/routes/handlers/model_handlers.py b/py/routes/handlers/model_handlers.py
index 1a082c63..ea9dfd8b 100644
--- a/py/routes/handlers/model_handlers.py
+++ b/py/routes/handlers/model_handlers.py
@@ -154,10 +154,13 @@ class ModelPageView:
                 )
                 self._template_env._i18n_filter_added = True  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
-            from ...services.llm_service import PROVIDER_PRESETS, get_all_provider_models
+            from ...services.llm_service import PROVIDER_PRESETS
 
-            catalog_provider_ids = [p for p in PROVIDER_PRESETS if p != "custom"]
-            provider_models = await get_all_provider_models(catalog_provider_ids)
+            # Provider presets are embedded directly (local, no await needed).
+            # Provider model catalogs are fetched asynchronously by the
+            # frontend via GET /api/lm/llm/provider-models so page rendering
+            # never blocks on the remote model catalog (which can take up to
+            # 30s on cold cache).
 
             template_context = {
                 "is_initializing": is_initializing,
@@ -167,7 +170,7 @@ class ModelPageView:
                 "t": self._server_i18n.get_translation,
                 "version": self._get_app_version(),
                 "provider_presets_json": json.dumps(PROVIDER_PRESETS),
-                "provider_models_json": json.dumps(provider_models),
+                "provider_models_json": "{}",
             }
 
             if not is_initializing:
diff --git a/py/routes/misc_route_registrar.py b/py/routes/misc_route_registrar.py
index 8748f592..4c29bb33 100644
--- a/py/routes/misc_route_registrar.py
+++ b/py/routes/misc_route_registrar.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ MISC_ROUTE_DEFINITIONS: tuple[RouteDefinition, ...] = (
     RouteDefinition("GET", "/api/lm/settings", "get_settings"),
     RouteDefinition("POST", "/api/lm/settings", "update_settings"),
     RouteDefinition("GET", "/api/lm/llm/models", "get_llm_models"),
+    RouteDefinition("GET", "/api/lm/llm/provider-models", "get_provider_models"),
     RouteDefinition("GET", "/api/lm/doctor/diagnostics", "get_doctor_diagnostics"),
     RouteDefinition("POST", "/api/lm/doctor/repair-cache", "repair_doctor_cache"),
     RouteDefinition("POST", "/api/lm/doctor/resolve-filename-conflicts", "resolve_doctor_filename_conflicts"),
diff --git a/static/js/managers/SettingsManager.js b/static/js/managers/SettingsManager.js
index fdf62b4f..a143a20f 100644
--- a/static/js/managers/SettingsManager.js
+++ b/static/js/managers/SettingsManager.js
@@ -789,6 +789,27 @@ export class SettingsManager {
         }
     }
 
+    async _fetchProviderModelsAsync() {
+        try {
+            const resp = await fetch('/api/lm/llm/provider-models');
+            if (!resp.ok) return;
+            const data = await resp.json();
+            if (data.success && data.models) {
+                this._providerModels = data.models;
+                // Refresh model combobox if the settings modal is still open.
+                // Skip when provider is Ollama — it fetches its own live list
+                // from the local Ollama API and we must not overwrite it.
+                const llmProviderSelect = document.getElementById('llmProvider');
+                const provider = llmProviderSelect ? llmProviderSelect.value : 'openai';
+                if (this._llmModelCombobox && provider !== 'ollama') {
+                    this._llmModelCombobox.updatePresets(this._providerModels[provider] || []);
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (_) {
+            // Silently ignore — models stay empty until next modal open
+        }
+    }
+
     async loadSettingsToUI() {
         // Set frontend settings from state
         const blurMatureContentCheckbox = document.getElementById('blurMatureContent');
@@ -850,6 +871,12 @@ export class SettingsManager {
             }
         }
 
+        // If the embedded provider models is empty (server did not block on
+        // the remote catalog during page render), fetch asynchronously.
+        if (!this._providerModels || Object.keys(this._providerModels).length === 0) {
+            this._fetchProviderModelsAsync();
+        }
+
         const llmProviderSelect = document.getElementById('llmProvider');
         if (llmProviderSelect) {
             llmProviderSelect.value = state.global.settings.llm_provider || 'openai';