diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/components/llama-update-banner.tsx b/studio/frontend/src/components/llama-update-banner.tsx
index 0383d8a150..0daade512b 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/components/llama-update-banner.tsx
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/components/llama-update-banner.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Copyright 2026-present the Unsloth AI Inc. team. All rights reserved. See /studio/LICENSE.AGPL-3.0
 
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { isExternalModelId, useChatRuntimeStore } from "@/features/chat";
 import { useLlamaUpdateCheck } from "@/hooks/use-llama-update-check";
 import { useShowLlamaUpdateBanner } from "@/hooks/use-llama-update-pref";
 import { toast } from "@/lib/toast";
@@ -99,9 +100,18 @@ export function LlamaUpdateBanner({
   async function handleUpdate() {
     const result = await apply();
     if (result?.ok) {
-      toast.success(
-        `llama.cpp updated to ${result.tag ?? "the latest build"}. Reload your model to use it.`,
-      );
+      // Prefer the full release tag (e.g. b9726-mix-<sha>); the job's to_tag and
+      // installed_tag are the bare bNNNN build number.
+      const updatedTag = status?.latest_tag ?? result.tag ?? "the latest build";
+      // Only a loaded local model can be reloaded to pick up the new binary;
+      // external-provider models do not use llama.cpp at all.
+      const checkpoint = useChatRuntimeStore.getState().params.checkpoint;
+      const hasLocalModel =
+        Boolean(checkpoint) && !isExternalModelId(checkpoint);
+      const reloadHint = hasLocalModel
+        ? " Reload your model to use it."
+        : "";
+      toast.success(`llama.cpp updated to ${updatedTag}.${reloadHint}`);
     } else if (result) {
       toast.error(
         `llama.cpp update failed: ${result.error ?? "unknown error"}`,