diff --git a/packages/plugin/src/tui/context.ts b/packages/plugin/src/tui/context.ts
index 575d2f9f9ad..f2c5792447e 100644
--- a/packages/plugin/src/tui/context.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin/src/tui/context.ts
@@ -499,6 +499,16 @@ export interface UI {
     /** Closes an open tab, or the active tab when omitted, and returns false when no tab matched. */
     close(sessionID?: string): boolean
   }
+  readonly model: {
+    /** The prompt's selected model; variant is undefined for the model default. Reactive when read in a Solid computation. */
+    current(): { readonly providerID: string; readonly modelID: string; readonly variant?: string } | undefined
+    readonly variant: {
+      /** Variant IDs of the selected model. Reactive when read in a Solid computation. */
+      list(): readonly string[]
+      /** Selects a variant of the selected model, or the model default when undefined. Returns false when no model is selected or the variant is unavailable. */
+      set(variant: string | undefined): boolean
+    }
+  }
   /** Claims a place in the slot tree; see SlotClaim. */
   readonly slot: (claim: SlotClaim) => () => void
 }
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/plugin/api.tsx b/packages/tui/src/plugin/api.tsx
index f1040b81d6d..9895b1f8ab5 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/plugin/api.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/plugin/api.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { useAttention } from "../context/attention"
 import { useStorage } from "../context/storage"
 import { useSessionTabs } from "../context/session-tabs"
 import { useOptionalPanel } from "../context/panel"
+import { useLocal } from "../context/local"
 import { abbreviateHome } from "../util/path-format"
 
 export type Dispose = () => Promise<void>
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ export function usePluginHost() {
     storage: useStorage(),
     sessionTabs: useSessionTabs(),
     panel: useOptionalPanel(),
+    local: useLocal(),
   }
 }
 
@@ -249,6 +251,22 @@ export function createPluginContext(input: {
           return true
         },
       },
+      model: {
+        current() {
+          const selection = host.local.model.selection()
+          if (!selection) return
+          return { providerID: selection.providerID, modelID: selection.modelID, variant: selection.variant }
+        },
+        variant: {
+          list: () => host.local.model.variant.list(),
+          set(variant) {
+            if (!host.local.model.selection()) return false
+            if (variant !== undefined && !host.local.model.variant.list().includes(variant)) return false
+            host.local.model.variant.set(variant)
+            return true
+          },
+        },
+      },
       slot(value: SlotClaim) {
         // Keys are counter-suffixed so one plugin may claim several places;
         // order within the plugin is registration order.
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/plugin-model.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/plugin-model.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b802f7cae8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/test/plugin-model.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { createPluginContext, type Registry, type usePluginHost } from "../src/plugin/api"
+import { model, renderLocal } from "./fixture/local"
+
+// Eagerly read host services need a shape; model access goes through the real LocalProvider.
+function pluginModel(local: ReturnType<typeof usePluginHost>["local"]) {
+  const host = {
+    app: {},
+    client: {},
+    keymap: {},
+    shortcuts: {},
+    keymapState: {},
+    sessionTabs: {},
+    local,
+  } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof usePluginHost>
+  const registry: Registry = { has: () => false, set() {}, remove() {}, active: () => true }
+  return createPluginContext({ host, id: "test", options: undefined, owned: [], registry }).ui.model
+}
+
+test("plugins read and select variants of the selected model", async () => {
+  await using setup = await renderLocal({ models: [model("first", ["low", "high"])] })
+  const selected = pluginModel(setup.local)
+
+  expect(selected.current()).toEqual({ providerID: "provider", modelID: "first", variant: undefined })
+  expect(selected.variant.list()).toEqual(["low", "high"])
+
+  expect(selected.variant.set("high")).toBe(true)
+  expect(selected.current()?.variant).toBe("high")
+  expect(setup.local.model.variant.current()).toBe("high")
+
+  expect(selected.variant.set(undefined)).toBe(true)
+  expect(selected.current()?.variant).toBeUndefined()
+})
+
+test("plugins cannot select unavailable variants or variants without a model", async () => {
+  await using setup = await renderLocal({ models: [model("first", ["low", "high"])] })
+  const selected = pluginModel(setup.local)
+  expect(selected.variant.set("max")).toBe(false)
+  expect(selected.current()?.variant).toBeUndefined()
+
+  await using empty = await renderLocal({ models: [] })
+  const none = pluginModel(empty.local)
+  expect(none.current()).toBeUndefined()
+  expect(none.variant.list()).toEqual([])
+  expect(none.variant.set(undefined)).toBe(false)
+})
diff --git a/services/www/src/docs/content/build/plugins/cli.mdx b/services/www/src/docs/content/build/plugins/cli.mdx
index d0d6363e2cf..52f7cabd557 100644
--- a/services/www/src/docs/content/build/plugins/cli.mdx
+++ b/services/www/src/docs/content/build/plugins/cli.mdx
@@ -389,6 +389,39 @@ if (context.ui.tabs.enabled()) {
 }
 ```
 
+## Model
+
+Read the prompt's selected model and change its variant. `current()` and `variant.list()` are reactive when read in a
+Solid computation. A `variant` of `undefined` is the model default.
+
+```ts
+const selected = context.ui.model.current()
+const variants = context.ui.model.variant.list()
+context.ui.model.variant.set("high")
+context.ui.model.variant.set(undefined)
+```
+
+`variant.set` returns `false` when no model is selected or the model has no such variant. Bind it to a command to
+replace the built-in variant cycle, for example to skip the model default:
+
+```ts
+context.keymap.layer(() => ({
+  commands: [
+    {
+      id: "acme.variant.cycle",
+      title: "Cycle variants",
+      bind: "tab",
+      run() {
+        const variants = context.ui.model.variant.list()
+        if (variants.length === 0) return
+        const index = variants.indexOf(context.ui.model.current()?.variant ?? "")
+        context.ui.model.variant.set(variants[(index + 1) % variants.length])
+      },
+    },
+  ],
+}))
+```
+
 ## Slots
 
 Slots insert or replace JSX at `app`, `home.footer`, `home.footer.status`, `prompt.footer`, `prompt.footer.status`,