Admin-gated Settings: runtime model selection, enforce is_admin (#79)

Moves the agent model out of env-only config into an admin-editable Settings
section, and enforces is_admin for the first time — it has been in the schema
since migration 0001, plumbed to the client, and checked nowhere.

Backend:
- Migration 0010: instance_settings, a single-row (CHECK id=1) table — pansy's
  first instance-level state. Holds agent_model ('' = inherit env) and
  agent_enabled (NULL = inherit env), version-guarded like every mutable row.
  SECRETS STAY IN ENV: OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY is never stored here.
- requireAdmin at the service seam (authoritative) plus a cheap middleware
  early-403. Non-admin gets 403, not 404 — settings existence isn't masked.
- EffectiveAgent resolves DB-over-env (model, enabled); key always from env.
- The live Runner is hot-swapped, not built once. agentHolder holds it behind
  an atomic.Pointer; the chat routes are now registered UNCONDITIONALLY and
  nil-check agent.get(), so a settings change turns the assistant on/off/onto a
  new model with no restart and no race against in-flight readers. /capabilities
  reads the pointer, so it reports what's live, not what booted.
- internal/agentmodel is a new leaf package holding the one place that knows how
  to turn a spec into a model. Both agent (to run) and service (to validate a
  spec before storing it) import it; it can't live in agent, which imports
  service. Settings PATCH validates the spec via Parse, so a typo is a 400 now
  rather than a broken assistant on the next turn.

Frontend:
- /settings route (admin guard), a Settings page (model field, tri-state
  enabled, live status), nav link shown only to admins.
- useCapabilities drops staleTime:Infinity — the assistant can now change under
  a running page — and the settings save invalidates it.

Contract change: chat routes always exist, so "assistant off" is a runtime 503
+ capabilities:false, not a missing route. Updated the test that asserted the
old shape.

Verified live against the built binary: disable flips capabilities to false and
logs it; re-enable with a new model swaps it back; a bad spec is rejected 400;
the setting persists across a restart. Swap is race-clean under `go test -race`.

Docs: README (precedence + key-stays-in-env), DESIGN (decision + routes),
CLAUDE (don't re-add conditional route registration; key never in the DB).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <[email protected]>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01H3zbym8Doka2d7D48maSgZ

internal/agent/runtime.go

@@ -10,12 +10,10 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/agent"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/llm"
-	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/provider/ollama"
 
-	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/agentmodel"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
 )
@@ -41,29 +39,21 @@ type Runner struct {
 	model llm.Model
 }
 
-// NewRunner resolves the configured model and returns a Runner, or an error if
-// the assistant can't be offered. Callers should treat an error as "no
-// assistant" rather than a startup failure — an instance with no key must still
-// serve the app.
-func NewRunner(svc *service.Service, cfg *config.Config) (*Runner, error) {
-	if !cfg.Agent.Ready() {
+// NewRunner resolves modelSpec against pansy's registry and returns a Runner, or
+// an error if the assistant can't be offered. Callers should treat an error as
+// "no assistant" rather than a startup failure — an instance with no key must
+// still serve the app.
+//
+// It takes the key and spec explicitly rather than a *config.Config so the same
+// constructor serves both boot (from env) and a runtime settings change (from
+// the DB) — the Runner has no idea which one configured it.
+func NewRunner(svc *service.Service, apiKey, modelSpec string) (*Runner, error) {
+	if apiKey == "" || strings.TrimSpace(modelSpec) == "" {
 		return nil, errors.New("agent: not configured")
 	}
-
-	// A private registry, not the package-level default: pansy passes the key it
-	// was configured with rather than depending on ambient environment, and
-	// majordomo's own ollama-cloud preset reads OLLAMA_API_KEY while pansy (like
-	// gadfly) is configured with OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY. Registering the provider
-	// explicitly makes that bridge visible instead of a mysterious empty token.
-	reg := majordomo.New()
-	reg.RegisterProvider(ollama.Cloud(ollama.WithToken(cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey)))
-
-	// The spec goes to Parse VERBATIM. The grammar — including comma-separated
-	// failover chains — is majordomo's, and re-implementing any of it here would
-	// only mean two places to update when it grows.
-	model, err := reg.Parse(cfg.Agent.Model)
+	model, err := agentmodel.Resolve(apiKey, modelSpec)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent: resolve model %q: %w", cfg.Agent.Model, err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return &Runner{svc: svc, model: model}, nil
 }

internal/agent/runtime_test.go

@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/llm"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/provider/fake"
 
-	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
 )
@@ -232,24 +231,24 @@ func TestReadOnlyTurnWritesNoChangeSet(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestNewRunnerNeedsConfiguration — an instance with no key must not get a
-// half-built runner; the caller treats the error as "no assistant" and carries on.
+// TestNewRunnerNeedsConfiguration — an instance with no key or no model must not
+// get a half-built runner; the caller treats the error as "no assistant" and
+// carries on. (Whether the assistant is ENABLED is resolved before NewRunner is
+// reached, so it isn't NewRunner's concern any more.)
 func TestNewRunnerNeedsConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 	svc, _ := newAgentTestService(t)
-	for _, cfg := range []*config.Config{
-		{Agent: config.AgentConfig{Enabled: false, OllamaCloudAPIKey: "k", Model: "ollama-cloud/x"}},
-		{Agent: config.AgentConfig{Enabled: true, OllamaCloudAPIKey: "", Model: "ollama-cloud/x"}},
-		{Agent: config.AgentConfig{Enabled: true, OllamaCloudAPIKey: "k", Model: ""}},
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ key, model string }{
+		{"", "ollama-cloud/x"},
+		{"k", ""},
+		{"k", "   "},
 	} {
-		if _, err := NewRunner(svc, cfg); err == nil {
-			t.Errorf("NewRunner accepted %+v", cfg.Agent)
+		if _, err := NewRunner(svc, tc.key, tc.model); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("NewRunner accepted key=%q model=%q", tc.key, tc.model)
 		}
 	}
 	// A model spec naming a provider that doesn't exist is a configuration
 	// error, not a panic at first use.
-	if _, err := NewRunner(svc, &config.Config{Agent: config.AgentConfig{
-		Enabled: true, OllamaCloudAPIKey: "k", Model: "nonesuch/model",
-	}}); err == nil {
+	if _, err := NewRunner(svc, "k", "nonesuch/model"); err == nil {
 		t.Error("NewRunner accepted an unresolvable model spec")
 	}
 }

internal/agentmodel/agentmodel.go

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Package agentmodel holds the ONE place that knows how pansy turns a model spec
+// into a majordomo model: which provider to register and under which token.
+//
+// It exists as a leaf so both internal/agent (which builds the run loop) and
+// internal/service (which validates a spec before storing it as a setting) can
+// share that knowledge without an import cycle — agent imports service, so the
+// shared bit can live in neither of them.
+package agentmodel
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/llm"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/provider/ollama"
+)
+
+// registry builds the private majordomo registry pansy uses.
+//
+// Private, not the package-level default: pansy passes the key it was configured
+// with rather than depending on ambient environment, and majordomo's own
+// ollama-cloud preset reads OLLAMA_API_KEY while pansy (like gadfly) is
+// configured with OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY. Registering the provider explicitly
+// makes that bridge visible instead of a mysterious empty token.
+func registry(apiKey string) *majordomo.Registry {
+	reg := majordomo.New()
+	reg.RegisterProvider(ollama.Cloud(ollama.WithToken(apiKey)))
+	return reg
+}
+
+// Resolve parses a model spec against pansy's registry into a live model. The
+// spec goes to Parse VERBATIM — the grammar, including comma-separated failover
+// chains, is majordomo's, and re-implementing any of it here would only mean two
+// places to update when it grows.
+func Resolve(apiKey, spec string) (llm.Model, error) {
+	if strings.TrimSpace(spec) == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("agentmodel: empty model spec")
+	}
+	m, err := registry(apiKey).Parse(spec)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agentmodel: resolve %q: %w", spec, err)
+	}
+	return m, nil
+}
+
+// Validate reports whether a spec resolves, without building anything the caller
+// keeps — the cheap, deterministic check a settings save runs to reject a typo.
+//
+// It does NOT make a live call, so it needs no working key and won't catch a
+// model that is merely absent upstream; that surfaces on first use. Parse
+// resolving (known provider, well-formed spec) is the half worth doing eagerly.
+func Validate(apiKey, spec string) error {
+	_, err := Resolve(apiKey, spec)
+	return err
+}

internal/agentmodel/agentmodel_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package agentmodel
+
+import "testing"
+
+// TestValidate is what the settings PATCH relies on to reject a typo at save
+// time rather than on the next chat turn.
+func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	if err := Validate("k", "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("valid spec rejected: %v", err)
+	}
+	// No key needed to validate — Parse resolves the provider, it doesn't call it.
+	if err := Validate("", "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("valid spec rejected without a key: %v", err)
+	}
+	// A comma-separated failover chain is majordomo grammar and must resolve.
+	if err := Validate("k", "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud,ollama-cloud/kimi-k2.6:cloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failover chain rejected: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, bad := range []string{"", "   ", "nonesuch/model"} {
+		if err := Validate("k", bad); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Validate accepted %q", bad)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestResolveReturnsAModel confirms a good spec yields a usable model handle.
+func TestResolveReturnsAModel(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := Resolve("k", "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("resolve: %v", err)
+	}
+	if m == nil {
+		t.Fatal("resolve returned a nil model with no error")
+	}
+}

internal/api/agent.go

@@ -56,6 +56,16 @@ type stepEvent struct {
 }
 
 func (h *handlers) agentChat(c *gin.Context) {
+	// The route is always registered, so the assistant being off is a runtime
+	// state, not a missing route: answer it plainly rather than 404ing a path
+	// that exists. Loaded once here so a settings-driven swap mid-request can't
+	// make it flip between the guard and the Run call.
+	runner := h.agent.get()
+	if runner == nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "AGENT_DISABLED", "the garden assistant isn't enabled on this instance")
+		return
+	}
+
 	var req chatRequest
 	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req); err != nil {
 		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "a gardenId and a message are required")
@@ -78,7 +88,7 @@ func (h *handlers) agentChat(c *gin.Context) {
 	stopBeat := stream.keepAlive(keepAliveInterval)
 	defer stopBeat()
 
-	turn, err := h.agent.Run(c.Request.Context(), actor.ID, req.GardenID, req.Message,
+	turn, err := runner.Run(c.Request.Context(), actor.ID, req.GardenID, req.Message,
 		replayHistory(history),
 		func(s mdagent.Step) {
 			send(chatEvent{Step: &stepEvent{Index: s.Index, Tools: toolNames(s)}})

internal/api/agent_holder.go

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/agent"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
+)
+
+// agentHolder owns the live assistant Runner and lets an admin swap it at
+// runtime when the model settings change (#79).
+//
+// The Runner used to be a plain handlers field set once at boot, with the chat
+// routes registered only when it existed. That made the assistant permanently
+// whatever the environment said at startup. Now the routes are always
+// registered and the Runner lives behind an atomic pointer, so a settings change
+// can turn the assistant on, off, or onto a different model without a restart —
+// and without a data race against in-flight requests reading the pointer.
+//
+// A nil pointer means "no assistant right now"; handlers nil-check get() rather
+// than assuming a Runner is present.
+type agentHolder struct {
+	svc *service.Service
+	// apiKey is the OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY from the environment. It never changes at
+	// runtime — only the model spec and the enabled flag are settings — and it is
+	// deliberately not something the settings UI can read or write.
+	apiKey string
+
+	ptr atomic.Pointer[agent.Runner]
+	// rebuildMu serializes rebuilds so two concurrent settings saves can't
+	// interleave into a torn "resolve A, resolve B, store A, store B" swap. The
+	// read path (get) stays lock-free on the atomic pointer.
+	rebuildMu sync.Mutex
+}
+
+// newAgentHolder builds the holder and resolves the initial Runner from whatever
+// the settings + environment currently say. A resolution failure is logged and
+// left as "no assistant", never fatal: a garden planner must still boot.
+func newAgentHolder(ctx context.Context, svc *service.Service, apiKey string) *agentHolder {
+	h := &agentHolder{svc: svc, apiKey: apiKey}
+	h.rebuild(ctx)
+	return h
+}
+
+// get returns the current Runner, or nil if the assistant is off.
+func (h *agentHolder) get() *agent.Runner { return h.ptr.Load() }
+
+// rebuild resolves the effective agent configuration and swaps the Runner to
+// match: a new one when the assistant should be on, nil when it shouldn't. It is
+// safe to call at boot and from a settings save; concurrent calls serialize.
+//
+// It logs what it did rather than returning an error, because every caller wants
+// the same thing — best-effort apply, keep serving either way — and a settings
+// save must not fail just because the new model won't resolve. The save already
+// validated the spec; a rebuild failure here means the environment changed under
+// it, and "assistant off, with a reason in the log" is the right outcome.
+func (h *agentHolder) rebuild(ctx context.Context) {
+	h.rebuildMu.Lock()
+	defer h.rebuildMu.Unlock()
+
+	eff, err := h.svc.EffectiveAgent(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("api: could not resolve agent settings; leaving assistant unchanged", "error", err)
+		return
+	}
+	// The env key is authoritative; EffectiveAgent reports it, but the holder was
+	// handed it directly at construction, so use that.
+	if !eff.Enabled || h.apiKey == "" || eff.Model == "" {
+		if h.ptr.Swap(nil) != nil {
+			slog.Info("api: garden assistant turned off", "enabled", eff.Enabled, "hasModel", eff.Model != "")
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	runner, err := agent.NewRunner(h.svc, h.apiKey, eff.Model)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Configured but unusable. Turn the assistant off rather than leaving a
+		// stale Runner on the old model — an admin who just pointed it at a broken
+		// spec should see it stop, not silently keep answering on the previous one.
+		slog.Error("api: garden assistant disabled (model won't resolve)", "error", err, "model", eff.Model)
+		h.ptr.Store(nil)
+		return
+	}
+	h.ptr.Store(runner)
+	slog.Info("api: garden assistant ready", "model", eff.Model)
+}

internal/api/agent_test.go

@@ -6,24 +6,40 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
-// TestAgentRoutesAbsentWithoutAKey — an instance with no API key must start,
-// serve the app, and simply not offer the assistant. The routes aren't
-// registered at all, so this is a 404 rather than a handler that apologizes:
-// the same shape as OIDC when unconfigured.
-func TestAgentRoutesAbsentWithoutAKey(t *testing.T) {
+// TestAgentDisabledWithoutAKey — an instance with no API key must start, serve
+// the app, and not offer the assistant.
+//
+// The contract CHANGED with #79: the chat route is now always registered (so a
+// settings change can turn the assistant on without a restart), so "off" is a
+// runtime 503 rather than a missing route. capabilities reports agent:false, and
+// the frontend keys the chat tab off that — so a user never reaches the 503.
+func TestAgentDisabledWithoutAKey(t *testing.T) {
 	r := authEngine(t, localCfg()) // localCfg has no agent configuration
 	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
 	gid := createGardenAPI(t, r, cookie, "G")
 
+	// Chat is refused, plainly, because there is no Runner to run.
 	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/agent/chat",
 		map[string]any{"gardenId": gid, "message": "plant garlic"}, cookie)
-	if w.Code != http.StatusNotFound {
-		t.Errorf("chat without a key: status %d, want 404", w.Code)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+		t.Errorf("chat without a key: status %d, want 503", w.Code)
 	}
 
+	// Capabilities advertises the assistant as unavailable, which is what the UI
+	// actually consults.
+	w = doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/capabilities", nil, cookie)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("capabilities: status %d", w.Code)
+	}
+	if agent, _ := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["agent"].(bool); agent {
+		t.Error("capabilities reported agent:true with no key")
+	}
+
+	// History is just stored data behind the ordinary garden-role check, so it
+	// reads fine (empty) whether or not a Runner exists — it isn't gated on one.
 	path := "/api/v1/gardens/" + strconv.FormatInt(gid, 10) + "/agent/history"
-	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, path, nil, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusNotFound {
-		t.Errorf("history without a key: status %d, want 404", w.Code)
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, path, nil, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Errorf("history without a key: status %d, want 200 (it's data, not the model)", w.Code)
 	}
 
 	// And the rest of the app is entirely unaffected.

internal/api/api.go

@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
 package api
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	sloggin "github.com/samber/slog-gin"
 
-	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/agent"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
 )
@@ -23,9 +23,12 @@ type handlers struct {
 	cfg  *config.Config
 	svc  *service.Service
 	oidc *oidcClient // nil unless OIDC is configured (see config.OIDCReady)
-	// agent is nil unless the assistant is configured; the chat routes are only
-	// registered when it isn't, so a handler never has to check.
-	agent *agent.Runner
+	// agent holds the live Runner behind an atomic pointer. Unlike oidc it is
+	// never nil — the holder is always present and its Runner may be nil when the
+	// assistant is off. The chat routes are registered unconditionally and
+	// nil-check agent.get(), so a settings change can turn the assistant on or off
+	// at runtime (#79) rather than only at boot.
+	agent *agentHolder
 }
 
 // New builds the gin engine with the standard middleware stack and registers the
@@ -126,37 +129,30 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, svc *service.Service) *gin.Engine {
 	plantings.PATCH("/:id", h.updatePlanting)
 	plantings.DELETE("/:id", h.deletePlanting)
 
-	// The garden assistant, registered only when it can actually be offered —
-	// the same shape as OIDC. An instance with no API key serves the app
-	// normally and simply doesn't have these routes.
-	if !cfg.Agent.Ready() {
-		// Say WHY, at startup, in the logs an operator is already looking at.
-		// Someone who set the key and sees no assistant otherwise has nothing to
-		// check — and "is the variable reaching the container?" is exactly the
-		// question they need answered.
-		slog.Info("api: garden assistant disabled",
-			"enabled", cfg.Agent.Enabled,
-			"hasApiKey", cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey != "",
-			"model", cfg.Agent.Model,
-			"hint", "needs OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY set in the container's environment (not just the stack's)")
-	}
-	if cfg.Agent.Ready() {
-		runner, err := agent.NewRunner(svc, cfg)
-		if err != nil {
-			// Configured but unusable (an unresolvable model spec, say). Log it and
-			// carry on without the assistant rather than refusing to start: a
-			// garden planner that won't boot because of a chat feature is worse
-			// than one without chat.
-			slog.Error("api: garden assistant disabled", "error", err)
-		} else {
-			h.agent = runner
-			agentGroup := v1.Group("/agent", h.requireAuth())
-			agentGroup.POST("/chat", h.agentChat)
-			gardens.GET("/:id/agent/history", h.getAgentHistory)
-			gardens.DELETE("/:id/agent/history", h.deleteAgentHistory)
-			slog.Info("api: garden assistant enabled", "model", cfg.Agent.Model)
-		}
+	// The garden assistant. Its routes are registered UNCONDITIONALLY and the live
+	// Runner sits behind an atomic pointer in the holder, so a settings change can
+	// turn the assistant on or off at runtime (#79). Each handler nil-checks
+	// agent.get(); a request while the assistant is off gets a clean 404/"not
+	// available", not a panic and not a missing route.
+	//
+	// The holder resolves its initial Runner from settings + environment at
+	// construction. If the key never reaches the container, the assistant is off
+	// and the reason is logged below — the same operability need #72 added.
+	h.agent = newAgentHolder(context.Background(), svc, cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey)
+	if cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey == "" {
+		slog.Info("api: garden assistant has no API key",
+			"hint", "set OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY in the container's environment (not just the stack's); the model can be chosen in Settings")
 	}
+	agentGroup := v1.Group("/agent", h.requireAuth())
+	agentGroup.POST("/chat", h.agentChat)
+	gardens.GET("/:id/agent/history", h.getAgentHistory)
+	gardens.DELETE("/:id/agent/history", h.deleteAgentHistory)
+
+	// Instance settings: admin-only, and the first thing to enforce is_admin.
+	// requireAdmin runs after requireAuth (it reads the actor requireAuth stored).
+	settings := v1.Group("/settings", h.requireAuth(), h.requireAdmin())
+	settings.GET("", h.getSettings)
+	settings.PATCH("", h.updateSettings)
 
 	// Undo. A change set is addressed by its own id; the service resolves the
 	// owning garden for the permission check, same as objects and plantings.
@@ -198,11 +194,12 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, svc *service.Service) *gin.Engine {
 // capabilities reports what this instance can actually do, so the UI offers only
 // what works.
 //
-// It reports whether the runner BUILT, not whether it was configured: a
-// configured-but-unresolvable model leaves the routes unregistered, and saying
-// "yes" there would offer a chat tab whose first message 404s.
+// It reports whether the assistant is live RIGHT NOW, not merely configured:
+// the chat routes always exist, but a request while the Runner is nil is refused,
+// so offering the tab must track the live Runner. Reading agent.get() (an atomic
+// load) means this reflects a settings-driven swap on the very next poll.
 func (h *handlers) capabilities(c *gin.Context) {
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"agent": h.agent != nil})
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"agent": h.agent.get() != nil})
 }
 
 // healthz is a liveness probe: always returns {"ok": true} when the server is up.

internal/api/settings.go

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
+)
+
+// Instance settings (#79): admin-only, instance-wide. The authoritative admin
+// check is in the service; requireAdmin here is a cheap early 403 that also
+// keeps the route group readable.
+
+// requireAdmin rejects a non-admin actor. It runs after requireAuth, so the
+// actor is already resolved and carries IsAdmin — no extra query. Returns 403
+// (not 404): a logged-in user knows settings exist, they just may not touch them.
+func (h *handlers) requireAdmin() gin.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		if !mustActor(c).IsAdmin {
+			writeAPIError(c, http.StatusForbidden, "FORBIDDEN", "admin access required")
+			c.Abort()
+			return
+		}
+		c.Next()
+	}
+}
+
+// settingsResponse is what GET/PATCH /settings return. It carries the stored
+// settings plus a read-only view of what's resolved and live, so the UI can show
+// "inheriting ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud from the environment" and whether a key
+// is present — without ever exposing the key itself.
+type settingsResponse struct {
+	Settings *domain.InstanceSettings `json:"settings"`
+	// Effective is the configuration actually in force after layering settings
+	// over the environment.
+	Effective effectiveView `json:"effective"`
+}
+
+type effectiveView struct {
+	Model   string `json:"model"`
+	Enabled bool   `json:"enabled"`
+	// HasApiKey reports whether OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY is set. The key itself is
+	// never serialized — an admin may know one exists, not what it is.
+	HasApiKey bool `json:"hasApiKey"`
+	// AgentLive is whether the assistant Runner is actually built right now. It
+	// can be false even when Enabled+HasApiKey are true (an unresolvable model),
+	// which is exactly the case the UI needs to surface.
+	AgentLive bool `json:"agentLive"`
+}
+
+func (h *handlers) settingsPayload(c *gin.Context, st *domain.InstanceSettings) settingsResponse {
+	eff, err := h.svc.EffectiveAgent(c.Request.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		// The settings row read succeeded to get here, so this is unexpected; fall
+		// back to an empty effective view rather than failing the whole response.
+		eff = service.EffectiveAgent{}
+	}
+	return settingsResponse{
+		Settings: st,
+		Effective: effectiveView{
+			Model:     eff.Model,
+			Enabled:   eff.Enabled,
+			HasApiKey: h.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey != "",
+			AgentLive: h.agent.get() != nil,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func (h *handlers) getSettings(c *gin.Context) {
+	st, err := h.svc.GetInstanceSettings(c.Request.Context(), mustActor(c).ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		writeServiceError(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, h.settingsPayload(c, st))
+}
+
+// settingsUpdateRequest is the PATCH body. agentModel "" means inherit the env
+// var. agentEnabled is json.RawMessage so an explicit null (inherit) is
+// distinguishable from an absent field and from true/false.
+type settingsUpdateRequest struct {
+	AgentModel   string          `json:"agentModel"`
+	AgentEnabled json.RawMessage `json:"agentEnabled"`
+	Version      int64           `json:"version" binding:"required"`
+}
+
+func (h *handlers) updateSettings(c *gin.Context) {
+	var req settingsUpdateRequest
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req); err != nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "a current version is required")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// agentEnabled: absent or null → inherit (nil); true/false → explicit override.
+	enabled, err := parseNullableBool(req.AgentEnabled)
+	if err != nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "agentEnabled must be true, false, or null")
+		return
+	}
+
+	st, err := h.svc.UpdateInstanceSettings(c.Request.Context(), mustActor(c).ID, service.InstanceSettingsPatch{
+		AgentModel:   req.AgentModel,
+		AgentEnabled: enabled,
+		Version:      req.Version,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, domain.ErrVersionConflict) {
+			writeVersionConflict(c, st)
+			return
+		}
+		writeServiceError(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Apply the change to the LIVE assistant. Detached from the request context:
+	// the write is committed and the rebuild describes it, so a client that hangs
+	// up now must not leave the running Runner out of step with the stored
+	// settings. Mirrors the same reasoning as the history-write detachment.
+	h.agent.rebuild(context.WithoutCancel(c.Request.Context()))
+
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, h.settingsPayload(c, st))
+}
+
+// parseNullableBool maps a JSON field that may be absent, null, or a bool to a
+// *bool: nil for absent/null (inherit), else a pointer to the value.
+func parseNullableBool(raw json.RawMessage) (*bool, error) {
+	if len(raw) == 0 || string(raw) == "null" {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	var b bool
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &b); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &b, nil
+}

internal/api/settings_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
+)
+
+// agentCfg is a config with the assistant configured — a (fake) key, on, and a
+// resolvable model. The key isn't real, but ValidateAgentModel/NewRunner only
+// PARSE the spec (no live call), so a Runner still builds and capabilities
+// reports it live. That's enough to exercise the runtime on/off swap.
+func agentCfg() *config.Config {
+	c := localCfg()
+	c.Agent = config.AgentConfig{
+		Model:             "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud",
+		OllamaCloudAPIKey: "test-key",
+		Enabled:           true,
+	}
+	return c
+}
+
+func settingsVersion(t *testing.T, r *gin.Engine, cookie *http.Cookie) int64 {
+	t.Helper()
+	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/settings", nil, cookie)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("get settings: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	st, _ := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["settings"].(map[string]any)
+	return int64(st["version"].(float64))
+}
+
+// TestSettingsAdminOnly: the first registered user is admin and can read/write
+// settings; a second user is not and gets 403 (not 404 — settings aren't a
+// masked resource).
+func TestSettingsAdminOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, localCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]") // first user → admin
+	member := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/settings", nil, admin); w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("admin GET settings: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/settings", nil, member); w.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Errorf("member GET settings: status %d, want 403", w.Code)
+	}
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "x", "version": 1}, member); w.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Errorf("member PATCH settings: status %d, want 403", w.Code)
+	}
+	// Unauthenticated is 401, before the admin check.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/settings", nil, nil); w.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("anonymous GET settings: status %d, want 401", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSettingsInheritFromEnv: an untouched instance reports the env model as
+// effective, and an empty stored model keeps inheriting it.
+func TestSettingsInheritFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, agentCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/settings", nil, admin)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("get: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	body := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())
+	st := body["settings"].(map[string]any)
+	eff := body["effective"].(map[string]any)
+
+	if st["agentModel"] != "" {
+		t.Errorf("stored model = %v, want empty (inherit)", st["agentModel"])
+	}
+	if eff["model"] != "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud" {
+		t.Errorf("effective model = %v, want the env value", eff["model"])
+	}
+	if eff["hasApiKey"] != true || eff["agentLive"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("effective = %+v, want a key present and the agent live", eff)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSettingsUpdateSwapsTheRunner is the core of #79: changing settings takes
+// effect on the LIVE assistant, with no restart. Driven entirely through HTTP.
+func TestSettingsUpdateSwapsTheRunner(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, agentCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	capsAgent := func() bool {
+		w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/capabilities", nil, admin)
+		return decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["agent"] == true
+	}
+
+	// Configured and on out of the box.
+	if !capsAgent() {
+		t.Fatal("assistant should be live at boot with a key + enabled")
+	}
+
+	// Turn it OFF via settings → capabilities flips immediately.
+	v := settingsVersion(t, r, admin)
+	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "", "agentEnabled": false, "version": v}, admin)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("disable: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	if capsAgent() {
+		t.Error("assistant still live after being disabled — the runner wasn't swapped")
+	}
+	// Chat now refuses, at runtime, on a route that still exists.
+	gid := createGardenAPI(t, r, admin, "G")
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/agent/chat",
+		map[string]any{"gardenId": gid, "message": "hi"}, admin); w.Code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+		t.Errorf("chat while disabled: status %d, want 503", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// Turn it back ON, with an explicit model, and confirm it's live again and the
+	// effective model reflects the change.
+	v = settingsVersion(t, r, admin)
+	w = doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings", map[string]any{
+		"agentModel": "ollama-cloud/kimi-k2.6:cloud", "agentEnabled": true, "version": v,
+	}, admin)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("re-enable: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	if eff := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["effective"].(map[string]any); eff["model"] != "ollama-cloud/kimi-k2.6:cloud" {
+		t.Errorf("effective model = %v after change, want the new one", eff["model"])
+	}
+	if !capsAgent() {
+		t.Error("assistant not live after being re-enabled")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSettingsRejectsBadModel: a spec that won't resolve is a 400 at save time,
+// not a broken assistant on the next turn.
+func TestSettingsRejectsBadModel(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, agentCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+	v := settingsVersion(t, r, admin)
+
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "nonesuch/model", "version": v}, admin); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("bad model: status %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+	// agentEnabled must be a bool or null, not a string.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "", "agentEnabled": "yes", "version": v}, admin); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("string agentEnabled: status %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSettingsVersionConflict: a stale version 409s and carries the current row.
+func TestSettingsVersionConflict(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, agentCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+	v := settingsVersion(t, r, admin)
+
+	// First write succeeds and bumps the version.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "", "agentEnabled": false, "version": v}, admin); w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("first update: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	// Reusing the old version conflicts.
+	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+		map[string]any{"agentModel": "", "agentEnabled": true, "version": v}, admin)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusConflict {
+		t.Fatalf("stale update: status %d, want 409", w.Code)
+	}
+	if cur, ok := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["current"].(map[string]any); !ok || cur["version"].(float64) != float64(v+1) {
+		t.Errorf("409 body missing the current row at the bumped version: %s", w.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSettingsSwapUnderRace runs settings saves concurrently with chat requests,
+// so `go test -race` proves the atomic swap of the live Runner is safe against
+// in-flight readers. The whole point of the atomic.Pointer is this: without it,
+// toggling the assistant while a request reads it is a data race.
+func TestSettingsSwapUnderRace(t *testing.T) {
+	r := authEngine(t, agentCfg())
+	admin := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	// Readers hammer capabilities, whose h.agent.get() is the SAME atomic Load the
+	// chat handler does — so this races the pointer read against the writer's swap
+	// without ever invoking the model (a real Run would hit the network on a fake
+	// key). If get() is race-clean here it is race-clean in chat.
+	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
+		go func() {
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-done:
+					return
+				default:
+					doJSON(t, r, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/capabilities", nil, admin)
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	// Writer: flip the assistant on and off, swapping the pointer each time.
+	for i := 0; i < 12; i++ {
+		v := settingsVersion(t, r, admin)
+		doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPatch, "/api/v1/settings",
+			map[string]any{"agentModel": "", "agentEnabled": i%2 == 0, "version": v}, admin)
+	}
+	close(done)
+}

internal/domain/domain.go

@@ -242,6 +242,22 @@ const (
 	ConflictUnsupported = "unsupported"
 )
 
+// InstanceSettings is the single row of instance-wide, admin-editable
+// configuration (#79). Secrets are deliberately absent — see migration 0010.
+//
+// Both agent fields express "inherit from the environment unless set":
+// AgentModel == "" falls back to PANSY_AGENT_MODEL; AgentEnabled == nil inherits
+// the env default. EffectiveAgent resolves them against the environment.
+type InstanceSettings struct {
+	// AgentModel overrides PANSY_AGENT_MODEL when non-empty. Passed verbatim to
+	// majordomo.Parse, exactly like the env var it shadows.
+	AgentModel string `json:"agentModel"`
+	// AgentEnabled overrides PANSY_AGENT_ENABLED when non-nil. nil = inherit.
+	AgentEnabled *bool  `json:"agentEnabled"`
+	Version      int64  `json:"version"`
+	UpdatedAt    string `json:"updatedAt"`
+}
+
 // User is a pansy account. It may have a local password, OIDC identity, or both.
 type User struct {
 	ID           int64   `json:"id"`

internal/service/instance_settings.go

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/agentmodel"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+)
+
+// Instance settings (#79): admin-editable, instance-wide configuration. The
+// admin gate lives HERE, in the seam, not in the handler — the same rule every
+// other permission follows. The API's requireAdmin middleware is a cheap early
+// 403, not the authority.
+
+// requireAdmin returns nil iff the actor is an admin, else ErrForbidden.
+//
+// ErrForbidden, not ErrNotFound: settings are not a resource whose existence is
+// masked. A logged-in non-admin knows the instance has settings; they simply may
+// not touch them. (Contrast objects/lots, where no-access masks existence.)
+func (s *Service) requireAdmin(ctx context.Context, actorID int64) error {
+	u, err := s.store.GetUserByID(ctx, actorID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !u.IsAdmin {
+		return domain.ErrForbidden
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GetInstanceSettings returns the instance settings for an admin.
+func (s *Service) GetInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, actorID int64) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
+	if err := s.requireAdmin(ctx, actorID); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return s.store.GetInstanceSettings(ctx)
+}
+
+// InstanceSettingsPatch is a full replacement of the editable fields plus the
+// current version. Both agent fields carry their "inherit" sentinel: an empty
+// AgentModel means fall back to env, a nil AgentEnabled means inherit.
+type InstanceSettingsPatch struct {
+	AgentModel   string
+	AgentEnabled *bool
+	Version      int64
+}
+
+// UpdateInstanceSettings applies an admin's change, version-guarded. It returns
+// (current row, ErrVersionConflict) on a stale version, like every mutable
+// resource. The model spec is validated before it is stored, so a typo is a 400
+// now rather than a broken assistant on the next turn.
+//
+// It does NOT rebuild the running agent — that is the API layer's job, because
+// the live Runner lives there. The caller rebuilds on success.
+func (s *Service) UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, actorID int64, patch InstanceSettingsPatch) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
+	if err := s.requireAdmin(ctx, actorID); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	model := strings.TrimSpace(patch.AgentModel)
+	// Validate a non-empty spec up front. An empty one is the "inherit env"
+	// sentinel and needs no check — the env value was validated at boot.
+	if model != "" {
+		if err := agentmodel.Validate(s.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey, model); err != nil {
+			return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput
+		}
+	}
+	return s.store.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, &domain.InstanceSettings{
+		AgentModel:   model,
+		AgentEnabled: patch.AgentEnabled,
+		Version:      patch.Version,
+	})
+}
+
+// EffectiveAgent resolves the agent configuration actually in force: DB settings
+// override the environment, and the API key always comes from the environment.
+//
+// This is internal plumbing (the API layer calls it to build the Runner), NOT an
+// admin-gated operation — resolving what's configured is not the same as editing
+// it, and the agent bootstrap must work before any user is even authenticated.
+type EffectiveAgent struct {
+	Model   string
+	Enabled bool
+	APIKey  string
+}
+
+// Ready mirrors config.AgentConfig.Ready: enabled, with a key and a model.
+func (e EffectiveAgent) Ready() bool {
+	return e.Enabled && e.APIKey != "" && e.Model != ""
+}
+
+// EffectiveAgent reads the settings row and layers it over the environment.
+func (s *Service) EffectiveAgent(ctx context.Context) (EffectiveAgent, error) {
+	st, err := s.store.GetInstanceSettings(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return EffectiveAgent{}, err
+	}
+	eff := EffectiveAgent{
+		Model:   s.cfg.Agent.Model,
+		Enabled: s.cfg.Agent.Enabled,
+		APIKey:  s.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey,
+	}
+	if st.AgentModel != "" {
+		eff.Model = st.AgentModel
+	}
+	if st.AgentEnabled != nil {
+		eff.Enabled = *st.AgentEnabled
+	}
+	return eff, nil
+}

internal/service/instance_settings_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+)
+
+// settingsTestService builds a service whose env config carries the given agent
+// model/enabled/key, so EffectiveAgent's env fallback can be exercised.
+func settingsTestService(t *testing.T, envModel string, envEnabled bool, key string) (*Service, int64) {
+	t.Helper()
+	cfg := openConfig()
+	cfg.Agent = config.AgentConfig{Model: envModel, Enabled: envEnabled, OllamaCloudAPIKey: key}
+	s := newTestService(t, cfg)
+	admin := seedUser(t, s, "[email protected]") // first user is admin
+	return s, admin
+}
+
+// TestRequireAdmin: the first user is admin; a second is not and gets
+// ErrForbidden (not ErrNotFound — settings existence isn't masked).
+func TestRequireAdmin(t *testing.T) {
+	s, admin := settingsTestService(t, "ollama-cloud/x", true, "k")
+	member := seedUser(t, s, "[email protected]")
+
+	if err := s.requireAdmin(context.Background(), admin); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("admin rejected: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := s.requireAdmin(context.Background(), member); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrForbidden) {
+		t.Errorf("member requireAdmin = %v, want ErrForbidden", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestEffectiveAgentLayering: DB settings override env; the API key always comes
+// from env; the "inherit" sentinels fall back.
+func TestEffectiveAgentLayering(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, admin := settingsTestService(t, "ollama-cloud/env-model", true, "envkey")
+
+	// Untouched: everything inherits env.
+	eff, err := s.EffectiveAgent(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("effective: %v", err)
+	}
+	if eff.Model != "ollama-cloud/env-model" || !eff.Enabled || eff.APIKey != "envkey" {
+		t.Errorf("inherited effective = %+v, want the env values", eff)
+	}
+
+	// Override the model only; enabled still inherits env (true).
+	cur, _ := s.GetInstanceSettings(ctx, admin)
+	if _, err := s.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, admin, InstanceSettingsPatch{
+		AgentModel: "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud", Version: cur.Version,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("update model: %v", err)
+	}
+	eff, _ = s.EffectiveAgent(ctx)
+	if eff.Model != "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud" {
+		t.Errorf("model = %q, want the DB override", eff.Model)
+	}
+	if !eff.Enabled {
+		t.Error("enabled should still inherit env (true) when unset")
+	}
+
+	// Now override enabled to false explicitly.
+	cur, _ = s.GetInstanceSettings(ctx, admin)
+	no := false
+	if _, err := s.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, admin, InstanceSettingsPatch{
+		AgentModel: "ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud", AgentEnabled: &no, Version: cur.Version,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("update enabled: %v", err)
+	}
+	eff, _ = s.EffectiveAgent(ctx)
+	if eff.Enabled {
+		t.Error("enabled should be the explicit false override now")
+	}
+	if eff.Ready() {
+		t.Error("Ready() should be false when disabled")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestUpdateInstanceSettingsRejectsBadModel: a spec that won't resolve is
+// ErrInvalidInput, before it is stored.
+func TestUpdateInstanceSettingsRejectsBadModel(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, admin := settingsTestService(t, "ollama-cloud/x", true, "k")
+	cur, _ := s.GetInstanceSettings(ctx, admin)
+
+	if _, err := s.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, admin, InstanceSettingsPatch{
+		AgentModel: "nonesuch/model", Version: cur.Version,
+	}); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrInvalidInput) {
+		t.Errorf("bad model = %v, want ErrInvalidInput", err)
+	}
+
+	// The rejected write didn't touch the row.
+	after, _ := s.GetInstanceSettings(ctx, admin)
+	if after.Version != cur.Version || after.AgentModel != "" {
+		t.Errorf("a rejected update changed the row: %+v", after)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestInstanceSettingsAdminGate: the read/write operations are admin-gated at the
+// service seam, not just in the handler.
+func TestInstanceSettingsAdminGate(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, _ := settingsTestService(t, "ollama-cloud/x", true, "k")
+	member := seedUser(t, s, "[email protected]")
+
+	if _, err := s.GetInstanceSettings(ctx, member); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrForbidden) {
+		t.Errorf("member GetInstanceSettings = %v, want ErrForbidden", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, member, InstanceSettingsPatch{Version: 1}); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrForbidden) {
+		t.Errorf("member UpdateInstanceSettings = %v, want ErrForbidden", err)
+	}
+}

internal/store/instance_settings.go

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+)
+
+// The instance_settings row is seeded by migration 0010 and there is exactly one
+// (CHECK id = 1), so reads never branch on existence and writes never insert.
+
+const instanceSettingsColumns = `agent_model, agent_enabled, version, updated_at`
+
+// scanInstanceSettings reads the single settings row. agent_enabled is a nullable
+// INTEGER (NULL = inherit env), so it is scanned through sql.NullInt64.
+func scanInstanceSettings(s scanner) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
+	var (
+		out     domain.InstanceSettings
+		enabled sql.NullInt64
+	)
+	if err := s.Scan(&out.AgentModel, &enabled, &out.Version, &out.UpdatedAt); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if enabled.Valid {
+		b := enabled.Int64 != 0
+		out.AgentEnabled = &b
+	}
+	return &out, nil
+}
+
+// GetInstanceSettings returns the single settings row.
+func (d *DB) GetInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
+	s, err := scanInstanceSettings(d.sql.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT `+instanceSettingsColumns+` FROM instance_settings WHERE id = 1`))
+	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+		// The migration seeds this row, so its absence is a broken database, not a
+		// normal "not found" the caller should paper over.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("store: instance_settings row missing (migration 0010 not applied?)")
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("store: get instance settings: %w", err)
+	}
+	return s, nil
+}
+
+// UpdateInstanceSettings applies a version-guarded update to the single row,
+// following the same optimistic-concurrency contract as every mutable resource:
+// the updated row on success, (current row, ErrVersionConflict) on a version
+// mismatch. There is no ErrNotFound path — the row always exists.
+//
+// agentEnabled is nil to store SQL NULL (inherit env), or a pointer to store an
+// explicit 0/1.
+func (d *DB) UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, s *domain.InstanceSettings) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
+	var enabled any
+	if s.AgentEnabled != nil {
+		enabled = boolToInt(*s.AgentEnabled)
+	}
+	updated, err := scanInstanceSettings(d.sql.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`UPDATE instance_settings
+		    SET agent_model = ?, agent_enabled = ?,
+		        version = version + 1,
+		        updated_at = strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ', 'now')
+		  WHERE id = 1 AND version = ?
+		  RETURNING `+instanceSettingsColumns,
+		s.AgentModel, enabled, s.Version,
+	))
+	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+		current, gerr := d.GetInstanceSettings(ctx)
+		if gerr != nil {
+			return nil, gerr
+		}
+		return current, domain.ErrVersionConflict
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("store: update instance settings: %w", err)
+	}
+	return updated, nil
+}

internal/store/migrations/0010_instance_settings.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+-- Instance settings (#79): the first configuration that lives in the database
+-- rather than the environment.
+--
+-- Until now every preference hung off a garden or object row; this is pansy's
+-- first INSTANCE-level state. A single-row table (CHECK id = 1) is the least
+-- surprising shape for "there is exactly one of these" — a key/value table would
+-- invite typo'd keys and lose the column types.
+--
+-- Only NON-SECRET agent settings live here. OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY stays in the
+-- environment on purpose: a copy in SQLite would land in every backup and in the
+-- blast radius of the undo history. An admin can change WHICH model runs, not
+-- WHOSE account pays for it.
+--
+-- Both agent columns are "inherit from env unless set":
+--   * agent_model = '' means fall back to PANSY_AGENT_MODEL, then the built-in
+--     default. So an instance that never opens Settings behaves exactly as it
+--     did before this migration, and the documented env var keeps working.
+--   * agent_enabled is NULLABLE: NULL means inherit PANSY_AGENT_ENABLED's
+--     behaviour (on when a key is present), 0/1 is an explicit override. A plain
+--     boolean couldn't tell "admin hasn't touched this" from "admin turned it
+--     off", and those must deploy differently.
+--
+-- version drives the same optimistic-concurrency 409 every other mutable row
+-- uses, so two admins editing at once conflict rather than clobber.
+CREATE TABLE instance_settings (
+    id            INTEGER PRIMARY KEY CHECK (id = 1),
+    agent_model   TEXT    NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+    agent_enabled INTEGER          CHECK (agent_enabled IN (0, 1)),
+    version       INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
+    updated_at    TEXT    NOT NULL DEFAULT (strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ', 'now'))
+);
+
+-- Seed the single row so every read is a plain SELECT with no "does it exist
+-- yet" branch. Inherits everything from the environment out of the box.
+INSERT INTO instance_settings (id, agent_model, agent_enabled) VALUES (1, '', NULL);