diff --git a/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.chat.test.tsx b/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.chat.test.tsx
index 6d8cd01..8424779 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.chat.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.chat.test.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@ const ptyProfile: AgentProfile = {
   cwdTemplate: "{projectRoot}",
 };
 
+function deferred<T>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T | PromiseLike<T>) => void;
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((res) => {
+    resolve = res;
+  });
+  return { promise, resolve };
+}
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   window.localStorage.clear();
 });
@@ -191,4 +199,58 @@ describe("LayoutGrid custom agent CLI (#147)", () => {
       expect(screen.getByTestId("custom-agent-chat-view")).toBeTruthy(),
     );
   });
+
+  it("keeps a restored custom CLI mode while the agent/profile catalog is still loading (#149)", async () => {
+    const layout = new MockLayoutGateway();
+    const agent = new MockAgentGateway();
+    const profileGateway = new MockProfileGateway();
+    const terminal = new MockTerminalGateway();
+    const system = new MockSystemGateway();
+    await profileGateway.configureProfiles([structuredProfile]);
+    const created = await agent.createAgent("p1", {
+      name: "Worker",
+      profileId: structuredProfile.id,
+    });
+    const tree = await layout.loadLayout("p1");
+    const leafId = leaves(tree)[0].id;
+    await layout.mutateLayout("p1", {
+      type: "setCellAgent",
+      target: leafId,
+      agent: created.id,
+    });
+    window.localStorage.setItem(`idea.agent-cell-mode.p1.${leafId}`, "custom");
+
+    const agentsLoaded = deferred<void>();
+    const profilesLoaded = deferred<void>();
+    const originalListAgents = agent.listAgents.bind(agent);
+    const originalListProfiles = profileGateway.listProfiles.bind(profileGateway);
+    vi.spyOn(agent, "listAgents").mockImplementation(async (projectId) => {
+      await agentsLoaded.promise;
+      return originalListAgents(projectId);
+    });
+    vi.spyOn(profileGateway, "listProfiles").mockImplementation(async () => {
+      await profilesLoaded.promise;
+      return originalListProfiles();
+    });
+
+    renderGrid({
+      layout,
+      agent,
+      profile: profileGateway,
+      terminal,
+      system,
+    } as unknown as Gateways);
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByTestId("layout-leaf")).toBeTruthy());
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem(`idea.agent-cell-mode.p1.${leafId}`)).toBe("custom");
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("custom-agent-chat-view")).toBeNull();
+
+    agentsLoaded.resolve();
+    profilesLoaded.resolve();
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(screen.getByTestId("custom-agent-chat-view")).toBeTruthy(),
+    );
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem(`idea.agent-cell-mode.p1.${leafId}`)).toBe("custom");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.tsx b/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.tsx
index f59b6c8..098de80 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/layout/LayoutGrid.tsx
@@ -362,25 +362,48 @@ function LeafView({
 
   // Load the project's agents for the dropdown.
   const [agents, setAgents] = useState<Agent[]>([]);
+  const [agentsLoaded, setAgentsLoaded] = useState(false);
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!agentGateway) return;
+    setAgentsLoaded(false);
+    if (!agentGateway) {
+      setAgentsLoaded(true);
+      return;
+    }
     let cancelled = false;
     agentGateway.listAgents(projectId).then((list) => {
-      if (!cancelled) setAgents(list);
-    }).catch(() => {/* ignore — dropdown stays empty */});
+      if (!cancelled) {
+        setAgents(list);
+        setAgentsLoaded(true);
+      }
+    }).catch(() => {
+      if (!cancelled) setAgentsLoaded(true);
+      /* ignore — dropdown stays empty */
+    });
     return () => { cancelled = true; };
   }, [agentGateway, projectId]);
 
   const [profiles, setProfiles] = useState<AgentProfile[]>([]);
+  const [profilesLoaded, setProfilesLoaded] = useState(false);
   useEffect(() => {
+    setProfilesLoaded(false);
+    if (!profileGateway) {
+      setProfilesLoaded(true);
+      return;
+    }
     let cancelled = false;
     profileGateway
-      ?.listProfiles()
+      .listProfiles()
       .then((list) => {
-        if (!cancelled) setProfiles(list);
+        if (!cancelled) {
+          setProfiles(list);
+          setProfilesLoaded(true);
+        }
       })
       .catch(() => {
-        if (!cancelled) setProfiles([]);
+        if (!cancelled) {
+          setProfiles([]);
+          setProfilesLoaded(true);
+        }
       });
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
@@ -486,8 +509,9 @@ function LeafView({
       agentGateway?.closeAgentChat,
   );
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (!agentsLoaded || !profilesLoaded) return;
     if (!customCliAvailable && cellMode !== "tui") setCellMode("tui");
-  }, [cellMode, customCliAvailable]);
+  }, [agentsLoaded, cellMode, customCliAvailable, profilesLoaded, setCellMode]);
   const modelServerStatus = statusForAgent(pinnedAgent);
   const modelServerOverlay = modelServerOverlayText(modelServerStatus);
   // F2 — download progress (bar/%/bytes/source) when the status carries it; null