diff --git a/src/ai/ai_client.c b/src/ai/ai_client.c
index 5023d4ec..70dbfd03 100644
--- a/src/ai/ai_client.c
+++ b/src/ai/ai_client.c
@@ -626,6 +626,10 @@ _ai_generic_request_thread(gpointer data)
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    /* Keep the provider alive for the duration of this request.  Without this, /ai remove provider X could free the provider
+     * struct (via the hash table's destroy-notify) while curl_easy_perform is still using it — classic UAF. */
+    ai_provider_ref(provider);
+
     CURL* curl = curl_easy_init();
     if (!curl) {
         log_error("Failed to initialize curl for %s", req->provider_name);
@@ -656,6 +660,10 @@ _ai_generic_request_thread(gpointer data)
     curl_slist_free_all(headers);
     curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
     g_free(response.data);
+
+    /* Release the reference taken after lookup — provider may now be freed. */
+    ai_provider_unref(provider);
+
     g_free(req->provider_name);
     g_free(req->request_url);
     g_free(req);
@@ -1153,6 +1161,38 @@ ai_session_set_model(AISession* session, const gchar* model)
     log_info("Session model changed to: %s", model);
 }
 
+void
+ai_session_switch(AISession* session, const gchar* provider_name,
+                  const gchar* model, gchar* api_key)
+{
+    if (!session || !provider_name || !model || !api_key)
+        return;
+
+    AIProvider* provider = ai_get_provider(provider_name);
+    if (!provider) {
+        log_warning("Provider '%s' not found for session switch", provider_name);
+        g_free(api_key);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&session->lock);
+    g_free(session->provider_name);
+    session->provider_name = g_strdup(provider_name);
+
+    ai_provider_unref(session->provider);
+    session->provider = ai_provider_ref(provider);
+
+    g_free(session->model);
+    session->model = g_strdup(model);
+
+    g_free(session->api_key);
+    session->api_key = g_strdup(api_key);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&session->lock);
+
+    g_free(api_key);
+    log_info("Session switched to %s/%s", provider_name, model);
+}
+
 /* ========================================================================
  * API Request Handling
  * ======================================================================== */
diff --git a/src/ai/ai_client.h b/src/ai/ai_client.h
index 840b1cfb..afcfab10 100644
--- a/src/ai/ai_client.h
+++ b/src/ai/ai_client.h
@@ -239,32 +239,6 @@ const gchar* ai_session_get_model(AISession* session);
  */
 void ai_session_set_model(AISession* session, const gchar* model);
 
-/**
- * Atomically switch session provider, model, and API key.
- * All mutations happen under the session lock to prevent races with
- * _ai_request_thread() which snapshots session state before making requests.
- *
- * @param session The session
- * @param provider_name New provider name
- * @param model New model identifier
- * @param api_key New API key (caller must free after calling this)
- */
-void ai_session_switch(AISession* session, const gchar* provider_name,
-                       const gchar* model, gchar* api_key);
-
-/**
- * Atomically switch session provider, model, and API key.
- * All mutations happen under the session lock to prevent races with
- * _ai_request_thread() which snapshots session state before making requests.
- *
- * @param session The session
- * @param provider_name New provider name
- * @param model New model identifier
- * @param api_key New API key (caller must free after calling this)
- */
-void ai_session_switch(AISession* session, const gchar* provider_name,
-                       const gchar* model, gchar* api_key);
-
 /**
  * Atomically switch session provider, model, and API key.
  * All mutations happen under the session lock to prevent races with
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
index 8e59f76f..edbc0c50 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <langinfo.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
-#include <pthread.h>
 
 // fork / execl
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -11075,14 +11074,12 @@ cmd_ai_switch(ProfWin* window, const char* const command, gchar** args)
 
     const gchar* provider_name;
     const gchar* model;
-    gboolean changed_provider = FALSE;
 
     // Check if arg1 is a known provider
     AIProvider* provider = ai_get_provider(arg1);
     if (provider) {
         // arg1 is a provider name
         provider_name = arg1;
-        changed_provider = TRUE;
 
         // Get model: arg2 > provider default > error
         if (arg2) {
@@ -11097,10 +11094,7 @@ cmd_ai_switch(ProfWin* window, const char* const command, gchar** args)
         }
     } else {
         // arg1 is a model name, keep current provider
-        // Read provider_name under lock to prevent UAF on session->provider_name
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&aiwin->session->lock);
         provider_name = aiwin->session->provider_name;
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&aiwin->session->lock);
         if (!provider_name) {
             cons_show_error("Session has no provider name.");
             return TRUE;
@@ -11116,21 +11110,8 @@ cmd_ai_switch(ProfWin* window, const char* const command, gchar** args)
         return TRUE;
     }
 
-    // Update the existing session's provider and model (all under lock)
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&aiwin->session->lock);
-    if (changed_provider) {
-        AIProvider* new_provider = ai_get_provider(provider_name);
-        g_free(aiwin->session->provider_name);
-        aiwin->session->provider_name = g_strdup(provider_name);
-        ai_provider_unref(aiwin->session->provider);
-        aiwin->session->provider = new_provider;
-        ai_provider_ref(aiwin->session->provider);
-    }
-    g_free(aiwin->session->model);
-    aiwin->session->model = g_strdup(model);
-    g_free(aiwin->session->api_key);
-    aiwin->session->api_key = g_strdup(api_key);
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&aiwin->session->lock);
+    // Atomically switch session provider, model, and API key (thread-safe)
+    ai_session_switch(aiwin->session, provider_name, model, g_steal_pointer(&api_key));
 
     // Update window title
     win_println((ProfWin*)aiwin, THEME_DEFAULT, "-", "AI Chat: %s/%s", provider_name, model);