diff --git a/packages/cli/src/test-utils/render.tsx b/packages/cli/src/test-utils/render.tsx
index d07f6663cb..3eba2ff964 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/test-utils/render.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/test-utils/render.tsx
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ const baseMockUiState = {
   streamingState: StreamingState.Idle,
   mainAreaWidth: 100,
   terminalWidth: 120,
+  currentModel: 'gemini-pro',
 };
 
 export const renderWithProviders = (
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
index ae0f43b418..a6ff6c0eeb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
@@ -261,20 +261,18 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
     [historyManager.addItem],
   );
 
-  // Watch for model changes (e.g., from Flash fallback)
+  // Subscribe to fallback mode changes from core
   useEffect(() => {
-    const checkModelChange = () => {
+    const handleFallbackModeChanged = () => {
       const effectiveModel = getEffectiveModel();
-      if (effectiveModel !== currentModel) {
-        setCurrentModel(effectiveModel);
-      }
+      setCurrentModel(effectiveModel);
     };
 
-    checkModelChange();
-    const interval = setInterval(checkModelChange, 1000); // Check every second
-
-    return () => clearInterval(interval);
-  }, [config, currentModel, getEffectiveModel]);
+    coreEvents.on(CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged, handleFallbackModeChanged);
+    return () => {
+      coreEvents.off(CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged, handleFallbackModeChanged);
+    };
+  }, [getEffectiveModel]);
 
   const {
     consoleMessages,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
index a27f6b26d1..f5ef617e0d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
@@ -256,3 +256,31 @@ describe('<Footer />', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('fallback mode display', () => {
+  it('should display Flash model when in fallback mode, not the configured Pro model', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = renderWithProviders(<Footer />, {
+      width: 120,
+      uiState: {
+        sessionStats: mockSessionStats,
+        currentModel: 'gemini-2.5-flash', // Fallback active, showing Flash
+      },
+    });
+
+    // Footer should show the effective model (Flash), not the config model (Pro)
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('gemini-2.5-flash');
+    expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('gemini-2.5-pro');
+  });
+
+  it('should display Pro model when NOT in fallback mode', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = renderWithProviders(<Footer />, {
+      width: 120,
+      uiState: {
+        sessionStats: mockSessionStats,
+        currentModel: 'gemini-2.5-pro', // Normal mode, showing Pro
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('gemini-2.5-pro');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
index 377bc55667..7c4aa4347b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import { MemoryUsageDisplay } from './MemoryUsageDisplay.js';
 import { ContextUsageDisplay } from './ContextUsageDisplay.js';
 import { DebugProfiler } from './DebugProfiler.js';
 import { isDevelopment } from '../../utils/installationInfo.js';
-
 import { useUIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import { useConfig } from '../contexts/ConfigContext.js';
 import { useSettings } from '../contexts/SettingsContext.js';
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ export const Footer: React.FC = () => {
     isTrustedFolder,
     mainAreaWidth,
   } = {
-    model: config.getModel(),
+    model: uiState.currentModel,
     targetDir: config.getTargetDir(),
     debugMode: config.getDebugMode(),
     branchName: uiState.branchName,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/fallback/handler.ts b/packages/core/src/fallback/handler.ts
index 762552cd2d..69eaf38d22 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/fallback/handler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/fallback/handler.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type { Config } from '../config/config.js';
 import { AuthType } from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
 import { DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_MODEL } from '../config/models.js';
 import { logFlashFallback, FlashFallbackEvent } from '../telemetry/index.js';
+import { coreEvents } from '../utils/events.js';
 
 export async function handleFallback(
   config: Config,
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ export async function handleFallback(
 function activateFallbackMode(config: Config, authType: string | undefined) {
   if (!config.isInFallbackMode()) {
     config.setFallbackMode(true);
+    coreEvents.emitFallbackModeChanged(true);
     if (authType) {
       logFlashFallback(config, new FlashFallbackEvent(authType));
     }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/events.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/events.ts
index 76038560d8..9b34d27883 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/events.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/events.ts
@@ -33,8 +33,19 @@ export interface UserFeedbackPayload {
   error?: unknown;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Payload for the 'fallback-mode-changed' event.
+ */
+export interface FallbackModeChangedPayload {
+  /**
+   * Whether fallback mode is now active.
+   */
+  isInFallbackMode: boolean;
+}
+
 export enum CoreEvent {
   UserFeedback = 'user-feedback',
+  FallbackModeChanged = 'fallback-mode-changed',
 }
 
 export class CoreEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
@@ -66,6 +77,15 @@ export class CoreEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Notifies subscribers that fallback mode has changed.
+   * This is synchronous and doesn't use backlog (UI should already be initialized).
+   */
+  emitFallbackModeChanged(isInFallbackMode: boolean): void {
+    const payload: FallbackModeChangedPayload = { isInFallbackMode };
+    this.emit(CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged, payload);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Flushes buffered messages. Call this immediately after primary UI listener
    * subscribes.
@@ -82,6 +102,10 @@ export class CoreEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
     event: CoreEvent.UserFeedback,
     listener: (payload: UserFeedbackPayload) => void,
   ): this;
+  override on(
+    event: CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged,
+    listener: (payload: FallbackModeChangedPayload) => void,
+  ): this;
   override on(
     event: string | symbol,
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
@@ -94,6 +118,10 @@ export class CoreEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
     event: CoreEvent.UserFeedback,
     listener: (payload: UserFeedbackPayload) => void,
   ): this;
+  override off(
+    event: CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged,
+    listener: (payload: FallbackModeChangedPayload) => void,
+  ): this;
   override off(
     event: string | symbol,
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
@@ -106,6 +134,10 @@ export class CoreEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
     event: CoreEvent.UserFeedback,
     payload: UserFeedbackPayload,
   ): boolean;
+  override emit(
+    event: CoreEvent.FallbackModeChanged,
+    payload: FallbackModeChangedPayload,
+  ): boolean;
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
   override emit(event: string | symbol, ...args: any[]): boolean {
     return super.emit(event, ...args);