Desktop app ignores global settings.json model field (1M context falls back to 200k)

Bug

Claude Code Desktop sessions start with 200k context window despite settings.json explicitly setting the 1M model variant.

Environment

• Platform: Windows 11 Enterprise (10.0.26220)
• Plan: Max ($200/mo)
• Claude Code: Desktop app (latest)
• Model: Claude Opus 4.6

Configuration

Global ~/.claude/settings.json contains:

{
  "model": "claude-opus-4-6[1m]"
}

No project-level settings.json overrides the model field.

Expected behavior

Every new Desktop session should start with the 1M context window, respecting the global model field in settings.json.

Actual behavior

New Desktop sessions frequently start with a 200k context window instead of 1M. The global model setting appears to be ignored or overridden by the Desktop app's internal state.

Running /context at session start confirms the 200k limit.

Notes

• The setting works in some sessions (e.g., CLI sessions or intermittently in Desktop), suggesting the config syntax is correct.
• No UI-level model change was made — the expectation is that settings.json is authoritative.
• The Desktop app's model picker may be persisting its own preference that shadows the global config.