diff --git a/build.zig.zon b/build.zig.zon
index 9b9ec5429..7a0eae81c 100644
--- a/build.zig.zon
+++ b/build.zig.zon
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
             .hash = "sqlite3-3.51.0-DMxLWssOAABZ8cAvU_LfBIbp0kZjm824PU8sSLXpEDdr",
         },
         .zenai = .{
-            .url = "git+https://github.com/lightpanda-io/zenai.git#3f9315fdf390b37ee8bda55f7e454327b0c1d931",
-            .hash = "zenai-0.0.0-iOY_VJSBBADUifICag2s31rv-XZZ924Be_MVXXxFx22S",
+            .url = "git+https://github.com/lightpanda-io/zenai.git#d62ee4bb8afdc675256c753cb9d86f4c85c37c92",
+            .hash = "zenai-0.0.0-iOY_VM-CBABTsCxvb0ZqiWQkhu7Z9kWNBupPDCtEy-XJ",
         },
         .isocline = .{
             .url = "git+https://github.com/arrufat/isocline?ref=lightpanda#832a9fe25f5f4458fcc47b5acc7c21db669c2f47",
diff --git a/src/agent/Agent.zig b/src/agent/Agent.zig
index b36073bc6..0068fb552 100644
--- a/src/agent/Agent.zig
+++ b/src/agent/Agent.zig
@@ -291,14 +291,15 @@ pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, app: *App, opts: Config.Agent) !*Agent
     // "No API key detected" for a run that does not need one.
     const resolve = !opts.no_llm and requires_llm;
 
-    // Print the banner before provider resolution so it precedes any
-    // interactive "Select a provider" prompt. On error paths (missing key / no
-    // key detected) resolveCredentials prints its own message; banner skipped.
-    if (will_repl and (!resolve or settings.wouldResolve(allocator, opts, remembered))) {
-        welcome.print(resolve);
-    }
+    // Print the banner before resolution so it precedes the interactive picker.
+    // The Ollama-only path never prompts, so its banner is deferred (below) to
+    // avoid probing the local server a second time just to decide ordering.
+    const banner_before = will_repl and (!resolve or settings.hasDetectableKey(opts, remembered));
+    if (banner_before) welcome.print(resolve);
 
     const resolved: ?settings.ResolvedProvider = if (resolve) try settings.resolveCredentials(allocator, opts, remembered, will_repl) else null;
+
+    if (will_repl and !banner_before and resolved != null) welcome.print(resolve);
     const llm: ?Credentials = if (resolved) |r| r.credentials else null;
 
     if (llm == null and requires_llm) {
diff --git a/src/agent/settings.zig b/src/agent/settings.zig
index e75bc42ba..1d70e499a 100644
--- a/src/agent/settings.zig
+++ b/src/agent/settings.zig
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ fn detectOllama(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, base_url: ?[:0]const u8) ?Credenti
     return .{ .provider = .ollama, .key = key };
 }
 
-/// Returns true when resolveCredentials would succeed (no error, non-null).
-/// Used by callers that need to print a banner before calling resolveCredentials.
-pub fn wouldResolve(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, opts: Config.Agent, remembered: ?Remembered) bool {
+/// True when a non-Ollama provider key is available (flag, remembered, or
+/// env-detected). Skips the Ollama probe so it isn't run twice at startup; the
+/// interactive picker only fires on detected keys, which this still catches.
+pub fn hasDetectableKey(opts: Config.Agent, remembered: ?Remembered) bool {
     if (opts.provider) |p| return zenai.provider.envApiKey(p) != null;
     if (remembered) |r| if (r.provider) |p| if (zenai.provider.envApiKey(p)) |_| return true;
     var buf: [zenai.provider.default_candidates.len]Credentials = undefined;
-    if (zenai.provider.detectKeys(&buf, zenai.provider.default_candidates).len > 0) return true;
-    return detectOllama(allocator, opts.base_url) != null;
+    return zenai.provider.detectKeys(&buf, zenai.provider.default_candidates).len > 0;
 }
 
 /// Precedence: `--provider` > remembered (if its key is still set) > first