diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/api-monitor/api-monitor-page.tsx b/studio/frontend/src/features/api-monitor/api-monitor-page.tsx
index 48d9dca650..590348c347 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/api-monitor/api-monitor-page.tsx
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/api-monitor/api-monitor-page.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { getInferenceStatus, unloadModel } from "@/features/chat/api/chat-api";
 import { resolveInferenceCheckpointId } from "@/features/chat/lib/apply-inference-status-to-store";
 import { useChatRuntimeStore } from "@/features/chat/stores/chat-runtime-store";
 import type { ApiMonitorEntry } from "@/features/chat/types/api";
+import { isExternalModelId } from "@/features/chat/external-providers";
 import { modelIdsMatch } from "@/features/hub/lib/model-identity";
 import { useSettingsDialogStore } from "@/features/settings";
 import { getApiBase, isTauri } from "@/lib/api-base";
@@ -520,9 +521,17 @@ export function ApiMonitorPage(): ReactElement {
       // external provider selected while a local model stays resident, and
       // clearCheckpoint calls saveLastExternalCheckpoint(null), so clearing
       // unconditionally would delete a selection this button never touched.
+      // Both spellings: status reports the concrete load path as the identifier
+      // while the store may hold the advertised repo id, so matching only the
+      // path leaves the store pinned to a model this button just freed.
       const store = useChatRuntimeStore.getState();
       const selected = store.params.checkpoint;
-      if (selected && modelIdsMatch(selected, checkpoint)) {
+      const unloadedAliases = [checkpoint, status.active_model];
+      if (
+        selected &&
+        !isExternalModelId(selected) &&
+        unloadedAliases.some((alias) => modelIdsMatch(selected, alias))
+      ) {
         store.clearCheckpoint();
       }
       setUnloadError(null);
diff --git a/tests/studio/test_model_picker_contracts.py b/tests/studio/test_model_picker_contracts.py
index 7459a45854..ff8bc5b873 100644
--- a/tests/studio/test_model_picker_contracts.py
+++ b/tests/studio/test_model_picker_contracts.py
@@ -1527,3 +1527,21 @@ def test_a_standalone_gguf_has_one_settings_identity_everywhere():
     bare = route.index("\n                            target_id,\n")
     labelled = route.index('f"{target_id}:{file_variant}"')
     assert bare < labelled, "the bare path must be read before the filename label"
+
+
+def test_monitor_unload_clears_only_the_model_it_freed():
+    """Unload targets the resident local model from /status, but the store may
+    hold either spelling: status reports the concrete load path while the store
+    can hold the advertised repo id. Matching one spelling leaves the store
+    pinned to a model just freed; matching none of them, or matching an external
+    pick, deletes a selection this button never touched, because clearCheckpoint
+    also drops the persisted external checkpoint."""
+    page = " ".join(
+        _read("features/api-monitor/api-monitor-page.tsx").split()
+    )
+    assert "const unloadedAliases = [checkpoint, status.active_model];" in page
+    assert "!isExternalModelId(selected)" in page
+    assert (
+        "unloadedAliases.some((alias) => modelIdsMatch(selected, alias))" in page
+    )
+    assert "store.clearCheckpoint();" in page