diff --git a/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-card.tsx b/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-card.tsx
index 7457caae..941ac32b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-card.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-card.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
+import { getRequestedModelId } from '@/lib/provider-config';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import type {
   AiProviderEntryView,
@@ -241,9 +242,13 @@ export function ProviderEntryCard({
                     key={`${model.name}:${model.alias}`}
                     className="rounded-md border bg-muted/20 px-3 py-2"
                   >
-                    <span className="font-medium">{model.name}</span>
-                    <span className="mx-2 text-muted-foreground">→</span>
-                    <span className="text-muted-foreground">{model.alias}</span>
+                    <span className="font-medium">{getRequestedModelId(model)}</span>
+                    {model.alias.trim() ? (
+                      <>
+                        <span className="mx-2 text-muted-foreground">→</span>
+                        <span className="text-muted-foreground">{model.name}</span>
+                      </>
+                    ) : null}
                   </div>
                 ))}
               </div>
diff --git a/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-dialog.tsx b/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-dialog.tsx
index e6b54c0b..d3dfc74c 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-dialog.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-dialog.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { ProviderLogo } from '@/components/cliproxy/provider-logo';
 import {
   formatRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
   getAiProviderFamilyVisual,
+  getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors,
   parseRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
 } from '@/lib/provider-config';
 import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge';
@@ -284,6 +285,10 @@ export function ProviderEntryDialog({
   const [headers, setHeaders] = useState(() => formatHeaders(entry));
   const [excludedModels, setExcludedModels] = useState(() => formatExcludedModels(entry));
   const [modelAliases, setModelAliases] = useState(() => formatModelAliases(entry));
+  const modelRuleErrors = useMemo(
+    () => getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors(modelAliases),
+    [modelAliases]
+  );
   const [advancedOpen, setAdvancedOpen] = useState(() =>
     Boolean(
       entry?.headers.length || entry?.excludedModels.length || entry?.proxyUrl || entry?.prefix
@@ -298,6 +303,10 @@ export function ProviderEntryDialog({
   }, [entry?.secretConfigured, isEditing, supportsOpenAiCompat]);
 
   const handleSubmit = async () => {
+    if (modelRuleErrors.length > 0) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const nextApiKey = apiKey.trim();
     const nextApiKeys = parseDelimitedLines(apiKeys);
     const preserveSecrets =
@@ -459,6 +468,9 @@ export function ProviderEntryDialog({
                   placeholder={guide.aliasesPlaceholder}
                 />
                 <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{guide.aliasesHelper}</p>
+                {modelRuleErrors.length > 0 ? (
+                  <p className="text-xs text-destructive">{modelRuleErrors[0]}</p>
+                ) : null}
               </div>
             </section>
 
@@ -560,7 +572,11 @@ export function ProviderEntryDialog({
             <Button type="button" variant="outline" onClick={() => onOpenChange(false)}>
               Cancel
             </Button>
-            <Button type="button" onClick={() => void handleSubmit()} disabled={isSaving}>
+            <Button
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => void handleSubmit()}
+              disabled={isSaving || modelRuleErrors.length > 0}
+            >
               {isSaving
                 ? 'Saving...'
                 : supportsOpenAiCompat
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/provider-config.ts b/ui/src/lib/provider-config.ts
index 554441f7..792f3f01 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/provider-config.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/provider-config.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,23 @@ export function parseRequestedUpstreamModelRules(value: string): AiProviderModel
     .filter((item) => item.name.length > 0 || item.alias.length > 0);
 }
 
+export function getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors(value: string): string[] {
+  return value
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((line, index) => ({ line: line.trim(), lineNumber: index + 1 }))
+    .filter(({ line }) => line.length > 0 && line.includes('='))
+    .flatMap(({ line, lineNumber }) => {
+      const separatorIndex = line.indexOf('=');
+      const requested = line.slice(0, separatorIndex).trim();
+      const upstream = line.slice(separatorIndex + 1).trim();
+      if (requested && upstream) {
+        return [];
+      }
+
+      return [`Line ${lineNumber}: use requested=upstream or a plain model name.`];
+    });
+}
+
 /**
  * Format stored provider config back into the UI-facing requested=upstream form.
  */
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/cliproxy-ai-providers.tsx b/ui/src/pages/cliproxy-ai-providers.tsx
index 300e35bb..0d60c6bd 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/cliproxy-ai-providers.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/cliproxy-ai-providers.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { Tabs, TabsContent, TabsList, TabsTrigger } from '@/components/ui/tabs';
 import {
   formatRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
   getAiProviderFamilyVisual,
+  getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors,
   getRequestedModelId,
   parseRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
 } from '@/lib/provider-config';
@@ -386,6 +387,12 @@ function buildRawConfigModelArray(value: string) {
   return parsed.length > 0 ? parsed : undefined;
 }
 
+function formatRawConfigModelArray(value: unknown): string {
+  return Array.isArray(value)
+    ? formatRequestedUpstreamModelRules(value as Array<{ name?: string; alias?: string }>)
+    : '';
+}
+
 function buildExcludedModelsArray(value: string) {
   const parsed = parseDelimitedLines(value);
   return parsed.length > 0 ? parsed : undefined;
@@ -472,16 +479,7 @@ function parseEntryConfigDraft(
               .join('\n')
           : '',
       excludedModelsText: '',
-      modelAliasesText: Array.isArray(record.models)
-        ? (record.models as Array<{ name?: string; alias?: string }>)
-            .map((item) =>
-              item.alias?.trim()
-                ? `${item.name?.trim() || ''}=${item.alias.trim()}`
-                : item.name?.trim() || ''
-            )
-            .filter(Boolean)
-            .join('\n')
-        : '',
+      modelAliasesText: formatRawConfigModelArray(record.models),
       apiKey: '',
       apiKeysText: apiKeys.join('\n'),
     };
@@ -503,16 +501,7 @@ function parseEntryConfigDraft(
     excludedModelsText: Array.isArray(record['excluded-models'])
       ? (record['excluded-models'] as string[]).join('\n')
       : '',
-    modelAliasesText: Array.isArray(record.models)
-      ? (record.models as Array<{ name?: string; alias?: string }>)
-          .map((item) =>
-            item.alias?.trim()
-              ? `${item.name?.trim() || ''}=${item.alias.trim()}`
-              : item.name?.trim() || ''
-          )
-          .filter(Boolean)
-          .join('\n')
-      : '',
+    modelAliasesText: formatRawConfigModelArray(record.models),
     apiKey:
       typeof record['api-key'] === 'string' && record['api-key'] !== STORED_SECRET_PLACEHOLDER
         ? record['api-key']
@@ -690,6 +679,10 @@ function EntryInspector({
     () => parseModelAliasLines(draft.modelAliasesText),
     [draft.modelAliasesText]
   );
+  const modelRuleErrors = useMemo(
+    () => getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors(draft.modelAliasesText),
+    [draft.modelAliasesText]
+  );
   const headerRules = useMemo(() => parseKeyValueLines(draft.headersText), [draft.headersText]);
   const excludedModelRules = useMemo(
     () => parseDelimitedLines(draft.excludedModelsText),
@@ -741,7 +734,11 @@ function EntryInspector({
     entry.secretConfigured,
     family.id,
   ]);
-  const canSave = isRawJsonValid && missingRequiredFields.length === 0 && hasChanges;
+  const canSave =
+    isRawJsonValid &&
+    missingRequiredFields.length === 0 &&
+    modelRuleErrors.length === 0 &&
+    hasChanges;
 
   const updateDraft = (updater: (current: EntryEditorDraft) => EntryEditorDraft) => {
     setDraft((current) => updater(current));
@@ -1079,6 +1076,11 @@ function EntryInspector({
                       rows={6}
                     />
                   </EntryEditorField>
+                  {modelRuleErrors.length > 0 ? (
+                    <div className="mt-3 rounded-md border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/10 px-3 py-2 text-sm text-destructive">
+                      {modelRuleErrors[0]}
+                    </div>
+                  ) : null}
                 </div>
 
                 <div className="rounded-xl border bg-background p-4">
diff --git a/ui/tests/unit/components/cliproxy/provider-entry-card.test.tsx b/ui/tests/unit/components/cliproxy/provider-entry-card.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b447edc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/tests/unit/components/cliproxy/provider-entry-card.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { ProviderEntryCard } from '@/components/cliproxy/ai-providers/provider-entry-card';
+import { render, screen } from '../../../setup/test-utils';
+
+describe('ProviderEntryCard', () => {
+  it('renders mapped models as requested to upstream', () => {
+    render(
+      <ProviderEntryCard
+        family={{
+          id: 'openai-compatibility',
+          displayName: 'OpenAI-Compatible',
+          description: 'Connectors',
+          authMode: 'connector',
+          routePath: '/api/provider/openai-compat',
+          status: 'ready',
+          supportsNamedEntries: true,
+          entries: [],
+        }}
+        entry={{
+          id: 'openai-compatibility:0',
+          index: 0,
+          name: 'openrouter',
+          label: 'openrouter',
+          baseUrl: 'https://openrouter.ai/api/v1',
+          headers: [],
+          excludedModels: [],
+          models: [{ name: 'gpt-5', alias: 'claude-sonnet-4-5' }],
+          apiKeysMasked: ['...1234'],
+          secretConfigured: true,
+        }}
+        onEdit={vi.fn()}
+        onDelete={vi.fn()}
+      />
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('claude-sonnet-4-5')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('gpt-5')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('→')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/tests/unit/ui/lib/provider-config.test.ts b/ui/tests/unit/ui/lib/provider-config.test.ts
index 21514da1..6d48a838 100644
--- a/ui/tests/unit/ui/lib/provider-config.test.ts
+++ b/ui/tests/unit/ui/lib/provider-config.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import {
   formatRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
+  getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors,
   getRequestedModelId,
   parseRequestedUpstreamModelRules,
 } from '@/lib/provider-config';
@@ -33,4 +34,11 @@ describe('provider model mapping helpers', () => {
       'minimax/minimax-m2.7'
     );
   });
+
+  it('rejects malformed requested=upstream lines instead of coercing them', () => {
+    expect(getRequestedUpstreamModelRuleErrors('claude-sonnet-4-5=\n=gpt-5\nqwen3-coder')).toEqual([
+      'Line 1: use requested=upstream or a plain model name.',
+      'Line 2: use requested=upstream or a plain model name.',
+    ]);
+  });
 });