diff --git a/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.test.ts b/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.test.ts
index b82ad64359..761c87fff5 100644
--- a/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.test.ts
+++ b/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.test.ts
@@ -768,15 +768,18 @@ describe("SdkCloudSessionCoordinator ownership", () => {
 			checkClinePassSubscription: vi.fn(() => plan.promise),
 		})
 
-		// A local ClinePass model carries over without waiting for the plan check.
-		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe("cline-pass/local")
+		// A local ClinePass model only carries over once the plan check confirms a current plan.
+		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe(CLINE_DEFAULT_MODEL_ID)
 		await vi.waitFor(() => expect(options.postStateToWebview).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
-		apiConfig = { actModeApiProvider: "anthropic" }
 		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe(CLINE_DEFAULT_MODEL_ID)
 
 		plan.resolve(true)
 		await vi.waitFor(() => expect(coordinator.clinePassSubscribed()).toBe(true))
 		expect(options.postStateToWebview).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe("cline-pass/local")
+		apiConfig = { actModeApiProvider: "cline-pass", actModeClinePassModelId: "cline-free/local" }
+		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe("cline-pass/first")
+		apiConfig = { actModeApiProvider: "anthropic" }
 		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe("cline-pass/first")
 		apiConfig = { actModeApiProvider: "cline", actModeClineModelId: "usage/model" }
 		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe("usage/model")
@@ -789,6 +792,26 @@ describe("SdkCloudSessionCoordinator ownership", () => {
 		await coordinator.dispose()
 	})
 
+	it("starts a local ClinePass provider user without a current plan on Cline's default model", async () => {
+		let apiConfig: Record<string, unknown> = { actModeApiProvider: "cline-pass", actModeClinePassModelId: "cline-free/local" }
+		const { coordinator } = makeCoordinator({
+			stateManager: { ...makeStateManager(), getApiConfiguration: () => apiConfig } as never,
+			getAccountScope: () => "user-1:",
+			loadCloudModels: async () => [
+				{ id: "cline-pass/local", name: "Local", catalogId: "cline-pass" },
+				{ id: "cline-free/local", name: "Free", catalogId: "cline" },
+			],
+			checkClinePassSubscription: async () => false,
+		})
+
+		coordinator.nextCloudModelId()
+		await vi.waitFor(() => expect(coordinator.clinePassSubscribed()).toBe(false))
+		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe(CLINE_DEFAULT_MODEL_ID)
+		apiConfig = { actModeApiProvider: "cline-pass", actModeClinePassModelId: "cline-pass/local" }
+		expect(coordinator.nextCloudModelId()).toBe(CLINE_DEFAULT_MODEL_ID)
+		await coordinator.dispose()
+	})
+
 	it("keeps a local ClinePass model out of the cloud when the catalog doesn't offer ClinePass", async () => {
 		const { coordinator } = makeCoordinator({
 			stateManager: {
diff --git a/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.ts b/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.ts
index 6e4110262d..58f75758db 100644
--- a/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.ts
+++ b/apps/vscode/src/sdk/sdk-cloud-session-coordinator.ts
@@ -902,12 +902,12 @@ export class SdkCloudSessionCoordinator {
 
 	/**
 	 * The Cline model a new sandbox runs: the cloud model picked in Settings,
-	 * else the user's Act-mode Cline or ClinePass model when the cloud catalog
-	 * offers it, else the first ClinePass model for a subscriber, else Cline's
-	 * default model. Until the catalog is known, a local Cline or ClinePass
-	 * model is assumed to be offered. Synchronous, and the only source for both
-	 * the composer label and the start path, so the sandbox runs the model the
-	 * user saw when they submitted.
+	 * else the user's Act-mode Cline model, or ClinePass model when the plan
+	 * check confirms a current plan, if the cloud catalog offers it; else the
+	 * first ClinePass model for a subscriber, else Cline's default model. Until
+	 * the catalog is known, a local Cline or ClinePass model is assumed to be
+	 * offered. Synchronous, and the only source for both the composer label and
+	 * the start path, so the sandbox runs the model the user saw when they submitted.
 	 */
 	nextCloudModelId(): string {
 		const chosen = this.options.stateManager.getGlobalStateKey("cloudModelId")?.trim()
@@ -915,15 +915,16 @@ export class SdkCloudSessionCoordinator {
 			return chosen
 		}
 		const apiConfig = this.options.stateManager.getApiConfiguration()
+		const account = this.accountCloudModels()
+		// The local ClinePass provider also serves free models without a subscription,
+		// so only a confirmed plan makes its model a ClinePass model to carry over.
 		const local =
 			apiConfig.actModeApiProvider === "cline"
 				? apiConfig.actModeClineModelId?.trim()
-				: apiConfig.actModeApiProvider === "cline-pass"
+				: apiConfig.actModeApiProvider === "cline-pass" && account?.subscribed
 					? apiConfig.actModeClinePassModelId?.trim()
 					: undefined
-		const account = this.accountCloudModels()
 		const catalog = account?.models
-		// The local ClinePass provider also offers free models, which the cloud does not take.
 		const offered = catalog
 			? catalog.some((model) => model.id === local)
 			: apiConfig.actModeApiProvider === "cline" || !!local?.startsWith("cline-pass/")