diff --git a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.test.ts b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.test.ts
index 478e360ecaf..67057d1fcc2 100644
--- a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.test.ts
@@ -273,6 +273,21 @@ describe("gateway sessions patch", () => {
     expect(entry.modelOverride).toBe("claude-sonnet-4-6");
   });
 
+  test.each([
+    { name: "list", model: "list" },
+    { name: "LIST (uppercase)", model: "LIST" },
+    { name: "List (mixed case)", model: "List" },
+    { name: "status", model: "status" },
+    { name: "STATUS (uppercase)", model: "STATUS" },
+    { name: "Status (mixed case)", model: "Status" },
+  ])("rejects model command alias '$name' as invalid model", async ({ model }) => {
+    const result = await runPatch({
+      patch: { key: MAIN_SESSION_KEY, model },
+    });
+    expectPatchError(result, `invalid model`);
+    expectPatchError(result, `command alias`);
+  });
+
   test("sets spawnDepth for subagent sessions", async () => {
     const entry = expectPatchOk(
       await runPatch({
diff --git a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
index 18b542302f6..e07977253fb 100644
--- a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
@@ -389,6 +389,11 @@ export async function applySessionsPatchToStore(params: {
       if (!trimmed) {
         return invalid("invalid model: empty");
       }
+      if (trimmed.toLowerCase() === "list" || trimmed.toLowerCase() === "status") {
+        return invalid(
+          `invalid model: "${trimmed}" is a command alias, not a model. Use /models list or /model status in chat instead.`,
+        );
+      }
       if (!params.loadGatewayModelCatalog) {
         return {
           ok: false,