diff --git a/src/ai/ai_client.c b/src/ai/ai_client.c
index 9e27bffc..83201450 100644
--- a/src/ai/ai_client.c
+++ b/src/ai/ai_client.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ ai_list_providers(void)
 
     g_hash_table_iter_init(&iter, providers);
     while (g_hash_table_iter_next(&iter, &key, &value)) {
-        result = g_list_append(result, ai_provider_ref((AIProvider*)value));
+        result = g_list_append(result, value);
     }
 
     return result;
diff --git a/src/ai/ai_client.h b/src/ai/ai_client.h
index 870ec766..c6aaeca1 100644
--- a/src/ai/ai_client.h
+++ b/src/ai/ai_client.h
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ void ai_provider_unref(AIProvider* provider);
 
 /**
  * List all configured providers.
- * @return GList of AIProvider* (caller must not free the list or providers)
+ * @return GList of AIProvider* (caller must not free the list or providers,
+ *         and must not unref the returned providers)
  */
 GList* ai_list_providers(void);
 
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
index d0a798cd..2b0c42b5 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
@@ -10929,7 +10929,6 @@ cmd_ai_providers(ProfWin* window, const char* const command, gchar** args)
         }
         cons_show("");
         g_free(key);
-        ai_provider_unref(provider);
     }
     g_list_free(providers);
 
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_ai_client.c b/tests/unittests/test_ai_client.c
index abc40886..d0a38cb6 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_ai_client.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_ai_client.c
@@ -78,10 +78,7 @@ test_ai_list_providers(void** state)
     assert_non_null(providers);
     assert_int_equal(2, g_list_length(providers)); /* openai and perplexity */
 
-    /* Free list and unref providers (ai_list_providers returns ref'd providers) */
-    for (GList* l = providers; l; l = g_list_next(l)) {
-        ai_provider_unref(l->data);
-    }
+    /* Free list (ai_list_providers returns non-ref'd providers; caller must not unref) */
     g_list_free(providers);
 
     /* Add another provider */
@@ -89,10 +86,7 @@ test_ai_list_providers(void** state)
     providers = ai_list_providers();
     assert_int_equal(3, g_list_length(providers));
 
-    /* Free list and unref providers */
-    for (GList* l = providers; l; l = g_list_next(l)) {
-        ai_provider_unref(l->data);
-    }
+    /* Free list */
     g_list_free(providers);
 }