diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index c2c3ffcbc828b..ad793c5dfb651 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -7781,28 +7781,24 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                 ) or None
             except Exception:
                 provider = None
+        # Both shapes use the same or-None discipline so stale keys from a
+        # previous switch are deleted (not merely omitted) in BOTH the
+        # nested gateway_runtime dict (CLI reader) and the top-level keys
+        # (TUI gateway reader). _merge_model_config_json only deletes on
+        # explicit None, so falsy values must be converted, not filtered.
+        # Deriving the top-level from **route guarantees the two shapes
+        # can never diverge — the asymmetry that caused the original
+        # stale-key bug (#85261 simplify-code review).
         route = {
-            k: v
-            for k, v in {
-                "provider": provider,
-                "base_url": result.base_url,
-                "api_mode": result.api_mode,
-            }.items()
-            if v
+            "provider": provider or None,
+            "base_url": result.base_url or None,
+            "api_mode": result.api_mode or None,
         }
         try:
             db.update_session_model(sid, result.new_model)
-            # Both shapes: nested for the CLI reader, top-level for the
-            # TUI gateway's resume path. Top-level keys are written as
-            # explicit None when absent — _merge_model_config_json only
-            # deletes on None, so omitting them would let a PREVIOUS
-            # switch's provider/api_mode survive this one (stale wire
-            # protocol / frankenroute on resume).
             db.patch_session_model_config(sid, {
                 "gateway_runtime": route,
-                "provider": provider or None,
-                "base_url": result.base_url or None,
-                "api_mode": result.api_mode or None,
+                **route,
             })
         except Exception:
             logger.debug(
diff --git a/hermes_state.py b/hermes_state.py
index 4fe015d4f3a4d..0188e5d59bd12 100644
--- a/hermes_state.py
+++ b/hermes_state.py
@@ -6132,7 +6132,10 @@ class SessionDB(SessionSearchMixin, SessionSchemaMixin, SessionPortabilityMixin)
             return {}
         runtime = raw.get("gateway_runtime")
         if isinstance(runtime, dict) and runtime.get("provider"):
-            return dict(runtime)
+            # Filter None values: the persist path writes or-None to trigger
+            # deletion in the top-level merge, but gateway_runtime is replaced
+            # as a whole dict (not deep-merged), so None values survive here.
+            return {k: v for k, v in runtime.items() if v is not None}
         top_level = {
             key: raw.get(key)
             for key in ("provider", "base_url", "api_mode")
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_resume_model_restore.py b/tests/cli/test_resume_model_restore.py
index 33edbad8a1848..766490c54d88e 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_resume_model_restore.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_resume_model_restore.py
@@ -147,9 +147,10 @@ def test_persist_model_switch_writes_model_and_both_route_shapes():
     # ...and top-level for the TUI gateway's _stored_session_runtime_overrides.
     assert patch["provider"] == "custom:opencode-zen"
     assert patch["base_url"] == "https://oz/v1"
-    assert "api_mode" not in patch["gateway_runtime"]  # empty values dropped
-    # Absent top-level values are explicit None so the merge DELETES stale
-    # keys from a previous switch (merge only deletes on None).
+    # Both shapes use or-None so stale keys are deleted (not merely omitted)
+    # in BOTH gateway_runtime and top-level — the asymmetry that caused the
+    # original stale-key bug.
+    assert patch["gateway_runtime"]["api_mode"] is None
     assert patch["api_mode"] is None
 
 
@@ -183,8 +184,16 @@ def test_persist_model_switch_clears_stale_route_keys(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
 
     meta = db.get_session("stale1")
     config = json.loads(meta["model_config"])
+    # Top-level keys: stale values deleted.
     assert config["provider"] == "openrouter"
     assert "api_mode" not in config, config  # stale anthropic_messages deleted
+    # Nested gateway_runtime: stale values replaced with None (the merge
+    # replaces the entire gateway_runtime dict, not deep-merging its keys).
+    # The reader's `or None` / `if v` filtering treats None the same as
+    # absent, so stale values are effectively erased.
+    gw = config.get("gateway_runtime", {})
+    assert gw.get("provider") == "openrouter"
+    assert gw.get("api_mode") is None  # stale anthropic_messages erased
     runtime = SessionDB.session_gateway_runtime(meta)
     assert runtime["provider"] == "openrouter"
     assert "api_mode" not in runtime
@@ -235,7 +244,7 @@ def test_persist_model_switch_heals_bare_custom(monkeypatch):
     written.clear()
     stub._persist_model_switch_to_session(_BareResult())
     assert written["patch"]["provider"] is None
-    assert "provider" not in written["patch"]["gateway_runtime"]
+    assert written["patch"]["gateway_runtime"]["provider"] is None
 
 
 def test_restore_session_model_heals_bare_custom_stored_rows(monkeypatch):