diff --git a/packages/core/src/models-dev.ts b/packages/core/src/models-dev.ts
index c2325cb57fda..76af5cb4ea87 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/models-dev.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/models-dev.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import path from "path"
 import { Context, Duration, Effect, Layer, Option, Schedule, Schema } from "effect"
-import { FetchHttpClient, HttpClient, HttpClientRequest } from "effect/unstable/http"
+import { HttpClient, HttpClientRequest } from "effect/unstable/http"
 import { ModelsDev } from "@opencode-ai/schema/models-dev"
 import { Global } from "./global"
 import { Flag } from "./flag/flag"
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
 
     const get = (): Effect.Effect<Record<string, Provider>> => cachedGet
 
-    const refresh = Effect.fn("ModelsDev.refresh")(function* (force = false) {
+    const attempt = Effect.fn("ModelsDev.refresh.attempt")(function* (force = false) {
       if (!force && (yield* fresh())) return
       yield* Effect.scoped(
         Effect.gen(function* () {
@@ -224,7 +224,11 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
           yield* invalidate
           yield* events.publish(Event.Refreshed, {})
         }),
-      ).pipe(
+      )
+    })
+
+    const refresh = Effect.fn("ModelsDev.refresh")(function* (force = false) {
+      yield* attempt(force).pipe(
         Effect.tapCause((cause) => Effect.logError("Failed to fetch models.dev", { cause: cause })),
         Effect.ignore,
       )
@@ -232,7 +236,16 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
 
     if (!Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MODELS_FETCH && !process.argv.includes("--get-yargs-completions")) {
       // Schedule.spaced runs the effect once, then waits between completions.
-      yield* Effect.forkScoped(refresh().pipe(Effect.repeat(Schedule.spaced("60 minutes")), Effect.ignore))
+      // Keep best-effort background failures at Debug: before the file logger is
+      // installed, Effect's default logger writes to stdout, which corrupts the TUI.
+      yield* Effect.forkScoped(
+        attempt().pipe(
+          Effect.tapCause((cause) => Effect.logDebug("Failed to fetch models.dev", { cause: cause })),
+          Effect.ignore,
+          Effect.repeat(Schedule.spaced("60 minutes")),
+          Effect.ignore,
+        ),
+      )
     }
 
     return Service.of({ get, refresh })
diff --git a/packages/core/test/models.test.ts b/packages/core/test/models.test.ts
index a3ed86dc8cda..06a34d9444a3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/models.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/models.test.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import { describe, expect, beforeAll, beforeEach, afterAll } from "bun:test"
-import { Effect, Layer, Ref } from "effect"
+import { Effect, Layer, Logger, Ref, References } from "effect"
 import { HttpClient, HttpClientResponse } from "effect/unstable/http"
 import { AppNodeBuilder } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/app-node-builder"
 import { LayerNodePlatform } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/app-node-platform"
-import { LayerNode } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/layer-node"
 import { Flag } from "@opencode-ai/core/flag/flag"
 import { Global } from "@opencode-ai/core/global"
 import { ModelsDev } from "@opencode-ai/core/models-dev"
@@ -97,6 +96,22 @@ const buildLayer = (state: Ref.Ref<MockState>) =>
     ]),
   )
 
+const makeCaptureLoggerLayer = (entries: Array<{ message: string; logLevel: string }>) =>
+  Layer.mergeAll(
+    Logger.layer(
+      [
+        Logger.make<unknown, void>((options) => {
+          entries.push({ message: logMessage(options.message), logLevel: options.logLevel })
+        }),
+      ],
+      { mergeWithExisting: false },
+    ),
+    Layer.succeed(References.MinimumLogLevel, "Debug"),
+  )
+
+const logMessage = (message: unknown) =>
+  Array.isArray(message) ? message.map((item) => String(item)).join(" ") : String(message)
+
 const writeCacheText = (text: string, mtimeMs?: number) =>
   Effect.promise(async () => {
     await mkdir(Global.Path.cache, { recursive: true })
@@ -287,4 +302,43 @@ describe("ModelsDev Service", () => {
       expect(final.calls.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1)
     }),
   )
+
+  it.live("background refresh logs fetch failures at Debug", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const entries: Array<{ message: string; logLevel: string }> = []
+      const state = yield* Ref.make({ ...initialState, status: 404, body: "boom" })
+      yield* Effect.acquireUseRelease(
+        Effect.sync(() => {
+          Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MODELS_FETCH = false
+        }),
+        () =>
+          Effect.gen(function* () {
+            yield* Layer.build(buildLayer(state))
+            yield* Effect.sleep("1 second")
+          }).pipe(Effect.scoped, Effect.provide(makeCaptureLoggerLayer(entries))),
+        () =>
+          Effect.sync(() => {
+            Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MODELS_FETCH = true
+          }),
+      )
+      const failures = entries.filter((entry) => entry.message.includes("Failed to fetch models.dev"))
+      expect(failures.some((entry) => entry.logLevel === "Debug")).toBe(true)
+      expect(failures.some((entry) => entry.logLevel === "Error")).toBe(false)
+    }),
+  )
+
+  it.live("manual refresh logs fetch failures at Error", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      yield* writeCache(fixture)
+      const entries: Array<{ message: string; logLevel: string }> = []
+      const state = yield* Ref.make({ ...initialState, status: 404, body: "boom" })
+      yield* ModelsDev.Service.use((s) => s.refresh(true)).pipe(
+        Effect.provide(buildLayer(state)),
+        Effect.provide(makeCaptureLoggerLayer(entries)),
+      )
+      const failures = entries.filter((entry) => entry.message.includes("Failed to fetch models.dev"))
+      expect(failures.some((entry) => entry.logLevel === "Error")).toBe(true)
+      expect(failures.some((entry) => entry.logLevel === "Debug")).toBe(false)
+    }),
+  )
 })