diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.test.ts
index 09a01e2c32..ccc1b41f79 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "./agent-messages/index.js";
 import { expect, test, vi, onTestFinished } from "vitest";
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
-import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
@@ -13094,4 +13094,62 @@ describe("agent options", () => {
       value: true,
     });
   });
+
+  test("a metadata-only update of an agent stored with legacy features reports their values", async () => {
+    const workdir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "agent-manager-legacy-features-"));
+    const agentsDir = join(workdir, "agents");
+    const first = new AgentManager({
+      clients: { codex: new OptionsClient() },
+      registry: new AgentStorage(agentsDir, logger),
+      logger,
+    });
+    const created = await first.createAgent({ provider: "codex", cwd: workdir }, undefined, {
+      workspaceId: "workspace-1",
+    });
+    await first.closeAgent(created.id);
+
+    // Rewrite the record as an older daemon stored it: features with values, no controls.
+    const dir = readdirSync(agentsDir, { withFileTypes: true }).find(
+      (entry) =>
+        entry.isDirectory() && existsSync(join(agentsDir, entry.name, `${created.id}.json`)),
+    )!;
+    const file = join(agentsDir, dir.name, `${created.id}.json`);
+    const stored = JSON.parse(readFileSync(file, "utf8"));
+    delete stored.controls;
+    stored.features = [
+      { type: "toggle", id: "fast_mode", label: "Fast", value: true },
+      {
+        type: "select",
+        id: "voice",
+        label: "Voice",
+        value: "soft",
+        options: [
+          { id: "direct", label: "Direct" },
+          { id: "soft", label: "Soft" },
+        ],
+      },
+    ];
+    writeFileSync(file, JSON.stringify(stored));
+
+    const manager = new AgentManager({
+      clients: { codex: new OptionsClient() },
+      registry: new AgentStorage(agentsDir, logger),
+      logger,
+    });
+    const updates: ManagedAgent[] = [];
+    manager.subscribe(
+      (event) => {
+        if (event.type === "agent_state" && event.agent.id === created.id)
+          updates.push(event.agent);
+      },
+      { replayState: false },
+    );
+    await manager.markAgentUnread(created.id);
+
+    const payload = toAgentPayload(updates.at(-1)!);
+    expect(payload.features?.map((feature) => [feature.id, feature.value])).toEqual([
+      ["fast_mode", true],
+      ["voice", "soft"],
+    ]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-storage.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-storage.test.ts
index 9c8296d0f6..b2d152559f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-storage.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-storage.test.ts
@@ -252,12 +252,12 @@ describe("AgentStorage", () => {
     expect(persisted?.config).not.toHaveProperty("featureValues");
     expect(persisted).not.toHaveProperty("features");
     expect(persisted?.controls).toEqual([
-      { type: "toggle", key: "fast_mode", label: "Fast mode" },
+      { type: "toggle", key: "fast_mode", label: "Fast mode", defaultValue: true },
       {
         type: "select",
         key: "service_tier",
         label: "Speed",
-        defaultValue: "default",
+        defaultValue: "fast",
         choices: [
           { value: "default", label: "Normal" },
           { value: "fast", label: "Fast" },
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/agent/option-controls.ts b/packages/server/src/server/agent/option-controls.ts
index c69065c1f5..b0ed1305fa 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/agent/option-controls.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/agent/option-controls.ts
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ export function featuresFromControls(
   return (controls ?? []).map((control) => featureFromControl(control, effective));
 }
 
+/**
+ * A recorded feature's value is the control's unset value: it is what the agent showed before
+ * any option was stored, and an explicit effective option still wins over it.
+ */
 function controlFromFeature(feature: AgentFeature): AgentOptionControl {
   const descriptor = {
     key: feature.id,
@@ -182,14 +186,15 @@ function controlFromFeature(feature: AgentFeature): AgentOptionControl {
     ...describe(feature),
   };
   if (feature.type === "toggle") {
-    return { type: "toggle", ...descriptor };
+    return { type: "toggle", ...descriptor, defaultValue: feature.value };
   }
   const defaultChoice = feature.options.find((option) => option.isDefault);
+  const unsetValue = feature.value ?? defaultChoice?.id;
   return {
     type: "select",
     ...descriptor,
     ...(feature.desktopTrigger ? { desktopTrigger: feature.desktopTrigger } : {}),
-    ...(defaultChoice ? { defaultValue: defaultChoice.id } : {}),
+    ...(unsetValue != null ? { defaultValue: unsetValue } : {}),
     choices: feature.options.map((option) => ({
       value: option.id,
       label: option.label,