diff --git a/py/config.py b/py/config.py
index 68354937..b929049f 100644
--- a/py/config.py
+++ b/py/config.py
@@ -359,6 +359,47 @@ class Config:
                         "Failed to rename legacy 'default' library: %s", rename_error
                     )
 
+            # Clean up a stale "default" library entry that has no meaningful
+            # paths configured (e.g. leftover bootstrap artifact).  This only
+            # fires when "comfyui" already exists so we never delete the last
+            # remaining library.
+            if (
+                "default" in libraries
+                and "comfyui" in libraries
+                and isinstance(default_library, Mapping)
+            ):
+                default_folder_paths = _normalize_library_folder_paths(
+                    default_library
+                )
+                default_extra_paths = default_library.get("extra_folder_paths", {})
+                has_meaningful_paths = bool(default_folder_paths) or bool(
+                    default_extra_paths
+                ) or any(
+                    default_library.get(key)
+                    for key in (
+                        "default_lora_root",
+                        "default_checkpoint_root",
+                        "default_unet_root",
+                        "default_embedding_root",
+                        "recipes_path",
+                    )
+                )
+                if not has_meaningful_paths:
+                    try:
+                        settings_service.delete_library("default")
+                        libraries_changed = True
+                        logger.info(
+                            "Removed stale 'default' library entry "
+                            "with no meaningful paths configured"
+                        )
+                        libraries = settings_service.get_libraries()
+                        comfy_library = libraries.get("comfyui", {})
+                    except Exception as delete_error:
+                        logger.debug(
+                            "Failed to remove stale 'default' library: %s",
+                            delete_error,
+                        )
+
             default_lora_root = _resolve_valid_default_root(
                 comfy_library.get("default_lora_root", ""),
                 list(self.loras_roots or []),
diff --git a/py/utils/example_images_paths.py b/py/utils/example_images_paths.py
index 1c559ba2..44a59f6a 100644
--- a/py/utils/example_images_paths.py
+++ b/py/utils/example_images_paths.py
@@ -113,6 +113,35 @@ def get_model_folder(model_hash: str, library_name: Optional[str] = None) -> str
                     exc,
                 )
                 return legacy_folder
+    elif not os.path.exists(resolved_folder):
+        # Reverse migration: when consolidating from multi-library to
+        # single-library mode (e.g. after "default" was cleaned up), look
+        # for existing example images inside library-named subdirectories
+        # and bring them back to the root level.
+        root = get_example_images_root()
+        if root:
+            try:
+                for entry in os.listdir(root):
+                    entry_path = os.path.join(root, entry)
+                    if not os.path.isdir(entry_path):
+                        continue
+                    if is_hash_folder(entry) or entry == "_deleted":
+                        continue
+                    if not _library_folder_has_only_hash_dirs(entry_path):
+                        continue
+                    legacy = os.path.join(entry_path, normalized_hash)
+                    if os.path.exists(legacy):
+                        shutil.move(legacy, resolved_folder)
+                        logger.info(
+                            "Consolidated example images from '%s' to '%s'",
+                            legacy, resolved_folder,
+                        )
+                        break
+            except OSError as exc:
+                logger.error(
+                    "Failed to consolidate example images during "
+                    "library merge: %s", exc,
+                )
 
     return resolved_folder
 
diff --git a/tests/config/test_config_save_paths.py b/tests/config/test_config_save_paths.py
index a7721cdb..59ffe481 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_config_save_paths.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_config_save_paths.py
@@ -823,3 +823,73 @@ def test_apply_library_settings_ignores_extra_lora_path_overlapping_primary_root
         "same lora folder" in record.message.lower()
         for record in caplog.records
     )
+
+
+def test_save_paths_removes_stale_empty_default_when_comfyui_exists(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_path,
+):
+    """When an empty-shell 'default' library coexists with 'comfyui', the
+    stale 'default' entry should be removed and 'comfyui' activated."""
+    folder_paths = _setup_config_environment(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+
+    class FakeSettingsService:
+        def __init__(self):
+            # Replicate the user's settings.json: empty default + populated comfyui
+            self.libraries = {
+                "default": {
+                    "folder_paths": {},
+                    "extra_folder_paths": {},
+                    "default_lora_root": "",
+                    "default_checkpoint_root": "",
+                    "default_unet_root": "",
+                    "default_embedding_root": "",
+                    "recipes_path": "",
+                },
+                "comfyui": {
+                    "folder_paths": {
+                        key: list(value) for key, value in folder_paths.items()
+                    },
+                    "default_lora_root": folder_paths["loras"][0],
+                    "default_checkpoint_root": folder_paths["checkpoints"][0],
+                    "default_embedding_root": folder_paths["embeddings"][0],
+                },
+            }
+            # No active_library key — get_active_library_name() falls back to
+            # dict order, returning "default".
+            self.active_library = "default"
+            self.delete_calls: list[str] = []
+            self.upsert_calls: list[tuple[str, dict]] = []
+
+        def get_libraries(self):
+            return dict(self.libraries)
+
+        def delete_library(self, name: str):
+            self.delete_calls.append(name)
+            self.libraries.pop(name, None)
+
+        def rename_library(self, *_):
+            raise AssertionError("rename_library should not be invoked")
+
+        def get_active_library_name(self):
+            return self.active_library
+
+        def upsert_library(self, name: str, **payload):
+            self.upsert_calls.append((name, payload))
+            self.libraries[name] = {**payload}
+            if payload.get("activate"):
+                self.active_library = name
+
+    fake_settings = FakeSettingsService()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings_manager_module, "settings", fake_settings)
+
+    config_module.Config()
+
+    assert fake_settings.delete_calls == ["default"]
+    assert "default" not in fake_settings.libraries
+    assert set(fake_settings.libraries.keys()) == {"comfyui"}
+
+    assert len(fake_settings.upsert_calls) == 1
+    name, payload = fake_settings.upsert_calls[0]
+    assert name == "comfyui"
+    assert payload["activate"] is True
+    assert fake_settings.active_library == "comfyui"