diff --git a/src/components/ProviderManager.test.tsx b/src/components/ProviderManager.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5af5ebc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/ProviderManager.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+import { PassThrough } from 'node:stream'
+
+import { afterEach, expect, mock, test } from 'bun:test'
+import React from 'react'
+import stripAnsi from 'strip-ansi'
+
+import { createRoot } from '../ink.js'
+import { AppStateProvider } from '../state/AppState.js'
+
+const SYNC_START = '\x1B[?2026h'
+const SYNC_END = '\x1B[?2026l'
+
+const ORIGINAL_ENV = {
+  CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB: process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB,
+  GITHUB_TOKEN: process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN,
+  GH_TOKEN: process.env.GH_TOKEN,
+}
+
+function extractLastFrame(output: string): string {
+  let lastFrame: string | null = null
+  let cursor = 0
+
+  while (cursor < output.length) {
+    const start = output.indexOf(SYNC_START, cursor)
+    if (start === -1) {
+      break
+    }
+
+    const contentStart = start + SYNC_START.length
+    const end = output.indexOf(SYNC_END, contentStart)
+    if (end === -1) {
+      break
+    }
+
+    const frame = output.slice(contentStart, end)
+    if (frame.trim().length > 0) {
+      lastFrame = frame
+    }
+    cursor = end + SYNC_END.length
+  }
+
+  return lastFrame ?? output
+}
+
+function createTestStreams(): {
+  stdout: PassThrough
+  stdin: PassThrough & {
+    isTTY: boolean
+    setRawMode: (mode: boolean) => void
+    ref: () => void
+    unref: () => void
+  }
+  getOutput: () => string
+} {
+  let output = ''
+  const stdout = new PassThrough()
+  const stdin = new PassThrough() as PassThrough & {
+    isTTY: boolean
+    setRawMode: (mode: boolean) => void
+    ref: () => void
+    unref: () => void
+  }
+
+  stdin.isTTY = true
+  stdin.setRawMode = () => {}
+  stdin.ref = () => {}
+  stdin.unref = () => {}
+  ;(stdout as unknown as { columns: number }).columns = 120
+  stdout.on('data', chunk => {
+    output += chunk.toString()
+  })
+
+  return {
+    stdout,
+    stdin,
+    getOutput: () => output,
+  }
+}
+
+async function waitForCondition(
+  predicate: () => boolean,
+  options?: { timeoutMs?: number; intervalMs?: number },
+): Promise<void> {
+  const timeoutMs = options?.timeoutMs ?? 2000
+  const intervalMs = options?.intervalMs ?? 10
+  const startedAt = Date.now()
+
+  while (Date.now() - startedAt < timeoutMs) {
+    if (predicate()) {
+      return
+    }
+    await Bun.sleep(intervalMs)
+  }
+
+  throw new Error('Timed out waiting for ProviderManager test condition')
+}
+
+function createDeferred<T>(): {
+  promise: Promise<T>
+  resolve: (value: T) => void
+} {
+  let resolve!: (value: T) => void
+  const promise = new Promise<T>(r => {
+    resolve = r
+  })
+  return { promise, resolve }
+}
+
+function mockProviderProfilesModule(): void {
+  mock.module('../utils/providerProfiles.js', () => ({
+    addProviderProfile: () => null,
+    applyActiveProviderProfileFromConfig: () => {},
+    deleteProviderProfile: () => ({ removed: false, activeProfileId: null }),
+    getActiveProviderProfile: () => null,
+    getProviderPresetDefaults: () => ({
+      provider: 'openai',
+      name: 'Mock provider',
+      baseUrl: 'http://localhost:11434/v1',
+      model: 'mock-model',
+      apiKey: '',
+    }),
+    getProviderProfiles: () => [],
+    setActiveProviderProfile: () => null,
+    updateProviderProfile: () => null,
+  }))
+}
+
+function mockProviderManagerDependencies(
+  syncRead: () => string | undefined,
+  asyncRead: () => Promise<string | undefined>,
+): void {
+  mockProviderProfilesModule()
+
+  mock.module('../utils/githubModelsCredentials.js', () => ({
+    clearGithubModelsToken: () => ({ success: true }),
+    GITHUB_MODELS_HYDRATED_ENV_MARKER: 'CLAUDE_CODE_GITHUB_TOKEN_HYDRATED',
+    hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage: () => {},
+    readGithubModelsToken: syncRead,
+    readGithubModelsTokenAsync: asyncRead,
+  }))
+
+  mock.module('../utils/settings/settings.js', () => ({
+    updateSettingsForSource: () => ({ error: null }),
+  }))
+}
+
+async function waitForFrameOutput(
+  getOutput: () => string,
+  predicate: (output: string) => boolean,
+  timeoutMs = 2500,
+): Promise<string> {
+  let output = ''
+
+  await waitForCondition(() => {
+    output = stripAnsi(extractLastFrame(getOutput()))
+    return predicate(output)
+  }, { timeoutMs })
+
+  return output
+}
+
+async function mountProviderManager(
+  ProviderManager: React.ComponentType<{
+    mode: 'first-run' | 'manage'
+    onDone: () => void
+  }>,
+): Promise<{
+  getOutput: () => string
+  dispose: () => Promise<void>
+}> {
+  const { stdout, stdin, getOutput } = createTestStreams()
+  const root = await createRoot({
+    stdout: stdout as unknown as NodeJS.WriteStream,
+    stdin: stdin as unknown as NodeJS.ReadStream,
+    patchConsole: false,
+  })
+
+  root.render(
+    <AppStateProvider>
+      <ProviderManager
+        mode="manage"
+        onDone={() => {}}
+      />
+    </AppStateProvider>,
+  )
+
+  return {
+    getOutput,
+    dispose: async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+      stdin.end()
+      stdout.end()
+      await Bun.sleep(0)
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+async function renderProviderManagerFrame(
+  ProviderManager: React.ComponentType<{
+    mode: 'first-run' | 'manage'
+    onDone: () => void
+  }>,
+  options?: {
+    waitForOutput?: (output: string) => boolean
+    timeoutMs?: number
+  },
+): Promise<string> {
+  const mounted = await mountProviderManager(ProviderManager)
+  const output = await waitForFrameOutput(
+    mounted.getOutput,
+    frame => {
+      if (!options?.waitForOutput) {
+        return frame.includes('Provider manager')
+      }
+      return options.waitForOutput(frame)
+    },
+    options?.timeoutMs ?? 2500,
+  )
+
+  await mounted.dispose()
+  return output
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  mock.restore()
+
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(ORIGINAL_ENV)) {
+    if (value === undefined) {
+      delete process.env[key as keyof typeof ORIGINAL_ENV]
+    } else {
+      process.env[key as keyof typeof ORIGINAL_ENV] = value
+    }
+  }
+})
+
+test('ProviderManager resolves GitHub virtual provider from async storage without sync reads in render flow', async () => {
+  delete process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB
+  delete process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN
+  delete process.env.GH_TOKEN
+
+  const syncRead = mock(() => {
+    throw new Error('sync credential read should not run in ProviderManager render flow')
+  })
+  const asyncRead = mock(async () => 'stored-token')
+
+  mockProviderManagerDependencies(syncRead, asyncRead)
+
+  const nonce = `${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`
+  const { ProviderManager } = await import(`./ProviderManager.js?ts=${nonce}`)
+  const output = await renderProviderManagerFrame(ProviderManager, {
+    waitForOutput: frame =>
+      frame.includes('Provider manager') &&
+      frame.includes('GitHub Models') &&
+      frame.includes('token stored'),
+  })
+
+  expect(output).toContain('Provider manager')
+  expect(output).toContain('GitHub Models')
+  expect(output).toContain('token stored')
+  expect(output).not.toContain('No provider profiles configured yet.')
+
+  expect(syncRead).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(asyncRead).toHaveBeenCalled()
+})
+
+test('ProviderManager avoids first-frame false negative while stored-token lookup is pending', async () => {
+  delete process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB
+  delete process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN
+  delete process.env.GH_TOKEN
+
+  const syncRead = mock(() => {
+    throw new Error('sync credential read should not run in ProviderManager render flow')
+  })
+  const deferredStoredToken = createDeferred<string | undefined>()
+  const asyncRead = mock(async () => deferredStoredToken.promise)
+
+  mockProviderManagerDependencies(syncRead, asyncRead)
+
+  const nonce = `${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`
+  const { ProviderManager } = await import(`./ProviderManager.js?ts=${nonce}`)
+  const mounted = await mountProviderManager(ProviderManager)
+
+  const firstFrame = await waitForFrameOutput(
+    mounted.getOutput,
+    frame => frame.includes('Provider manager'),
+  )
+
+  expect(firstFrame).toContain('Checking GitHub Models credentials...')
+  expect(firstFrame).not.toContain('No provider profiles configured yet.')
+
+  deferredStoredToken.resolve('stored-token')
+
+  const resolvedFrame = await waitForFrameOutput(
+    mounted.getOutput,
+    frame => frame.includes('GitHub Models') && frame.includes('token stored'),
+  )
+
+  expect(resolvedFrame).toContain('GitHub Models')
+  expect(resolvedFrame).toContain('token stored')
+
+  await mounted.dispose()
+
+  expect(syncRead).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(asyncRead).toHaveBeenCalled()
+})
diff --git a/src/components/ProviderManager.tsx b/src/components/ProviderManager.tsx
index 65622d8e..31b8752d 100644
--- a/src/components/ProviderManager.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ProviderManager.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   GITHUB_MODELS_HYDRATED_ENV_MARKER,
   hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage,
   readGithubModelsToken,
+  readGithubModelsTokenAsync,
 } from '../utils/githubModelsCredentials.js'
 import { isEnvTruthy } from '../utils/envUtils.js'
 import { updateSettingsForSource } from '../utils/settings/settings.js'
@@ -118,25 +119,38 @@ function profileSummary(profile: ProviderProfile, isActive: boolean): string {
   return `${providerKind} · ${profile.baseUrl} · ${profile.model} · ${keyInfo}${activeSuffix}`
 }
 
-function getGithubCredentialSource(
+function getGithubCredentialSourceFromEnv(
   processEnv: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
 ): GithubCredentialSource {
-  if (readGithubModelsToken()?.trim()) {
-    return 'stored'
-  }
   if (processEnv.GITHUB_TOKEN?.trim() || processEnv.GH_TOKEN?.trim()) {
     return 'env'
   }
   return 'none'
 }
 
+async function resolveGithubCredentialSource(
+  processEnv: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+): Promise<GithubCredentialSource> {
+  const envSource = getGithubCredentialSourceFromEnv(processEnv)
+  if (envSource !== 'none') {
+    return envSource
+  }
+
+  if (await readGithubModelsTokenAsync()) {
+    return 'stored'
+  }
+
+  return 'none'
+}
+
 function isGithubProviderAvailable(
+  credentialSource: GithubCredentialSource,
   processEnv: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
 ): boolean {
   if (isEnvTruthy(processEnv.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB)) {
     return true
   }
-  return getGithubCredentialSource(processEnv) !== 'none'
+  return credentialSource !== 'none'
 }
 
 function getGithubProviderModel(
@@ -164,19 +178,24 @@ function getGithubProviderSummary(
 }
 
 export function ProviderManager({ mode, onDone }: Props): React.ReactNode {
+  const initialGithubCredentialSource = getGithubCredentialSourceFromEnv()
+  const initialIsGithubActive = isEnvTruthy(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB)
+  const initialHasGithubCredential = initialGithubCredentialSource !== 'none'
+
   const [profiles, setProfiles] = React.useState(() => getProviderProfiles())
   const [activeProfileId, setActiveProfileId] = React.useState(
     () => getActiveProviderProfile()?.id,
   )
-  const [githubProviderAvailable, setGithubProviderAvailable] = React.useState(() =>
-    isGithubProviderAvailable(),
+  const [githubProviderAvailable, setGithubProviderAvailable] = React.useState(
+    () => isGithubProviderAvailable(initialGithubCredentialSource),
   )
   const [githubCredentialSource, setGithubCredentialSource] = React.useState<GithubCredentialSource>(
-    () => getGithubCredentialSource(),
-  )
-  const [isGithubActive, setIsGithubActive] = React.useState(() =>
-    isEnvTruthy(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB),
+    () => initialGithubCredentialSource,
   )
+  const [isGithubActive, setIsGithubActive] = React.useState(() => initialIsGithubActive)
+  const [isGithubCredentialSourceResolved, setIsGithubCredentialSourceResolved] =
+    React.useState(() => initialHasGithubCredential || initialIsGithubActive)
+  const githubRefreshEpochRef = React.useRef(0)
   const [screen, setScreen] = React.useState<Screen>(
     mode === 'first-run' ? 'select-preset' : 'menu',
   )
@@ -196,13 +215,48 @@ export function ProviderManager({ mode, onDone }: Props): React.ReactNode {
   const currentStepKey = currentStep.key
   const currentValue = draft[currentStepKey]
 
+  const refreshGithubProviderState = React.useCallback((): void => {
+    const envCredentialSource = getGithubCredentialSourceFromEnv()
+    const githubActive = isEnvTruthy(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB)
+    const canResolveFromEnv = githubActive || envCredentialSource !== 'none'
+
+    if (canResolveFromEnv) {
+      githubRefreshEpochRef.current += 1
+      setGithubCredentialSource(envCredentialSource)
+      setGithubProviderAvailable(isGithubProviderAvailable(envCredentialSource))
+      setIsGithubActive(githubActive)
+      setIsGithubCredentialSourceResolved(true)
+      return
+    }
+
+    setIsGithubCredentialSourceResolved(false)
+    const refreshEpoch = ++githubRefreshEpochRef.current
+    void (async () => {
+      const credentialSource = await resolveGithubCredentialSource()
+      if (refreshEpoch !== githubRefreshEpochRef.current) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      setGithubCredentialSource(credentialSource)
+      setGithubProviderAvailable(isGithubProviderAvailable(credentialSource))
+      setIsGithubActive(isEnvTruthy(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB))
+      setIsGithubCredentialSourceResolved(true)
+    })()
+  }, [])
+
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    refreshGithubProviderState()
+
+    return () => {
+      githubRefreshEpochRef.current += 1
+    }
+  }, [refreshGithubProviderState])
+
   function refreshProfiles(): void {
     const nextProfiles = getProviderProfiles()
     setProfiles(nextProfiles)
     setActiveProfileId(getActiveProviderProfile()?.id)
-    setGithubProviderAvailable(isGithubProviderAvailable())
-    setGithubCredentialSource(getGithubCredentialSource())
-    setIsGithubActive(isEnvTruthy(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GITHUB))
+    refreshGithubProviderState()
   }
 
   function clearStartupProviderOverrideFromUserSettings(): string | null {
@@ -640,7 +694,11 @@ export function ProviderManager({ mode, onDone }: Props): React.ReactNode {
         {statusMessage && <Text>{statusMessage}</Text>}
         <Box flexDirection="column">
           {profiles.length === 0 && !githubProviderAvailable ? (
-            <Text dimColor>No provider profiles configured yet.</Text>
+            isGithubCredentialSourceResolved ? (
+              <Text dimColor>No provider profiles configured yet.</Text>
+            ) : (
+              <Text dimColor>Checking GitHub Models credentials...</Text>
+            )
           ) : (
             <>
               {profiles.map(profile => (
diff --git a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.hydrate.test.ts b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.hydrate.test.ts
index 4602bc65..fd0d257d 100644
--- a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.hydrate.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.hydrate.test.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ describe('hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage', () => {
     }))
 
     const { hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage } = await import(
-      './githubModelsCredentials.js'
+      './githubModelsCredentials.js?hydrate=sets-token'
     )
     hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage()
     expect(process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN).toBe('stored-secret')
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe('hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage', () => {
     }))
 
     const { hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage } = await import(
-      './githubModelsCredentials.js'
+      './githubModelsCredentials.js?hydrate=preserve-existing'
     )
     hydrateGithubModelsTokenFromSecureStorage()
     expect(process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN).toBe('already')
diff --git a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.test.ts b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.test.ts
index 81c3cdcc..c31926e5 100644
--- a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.test.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test'
 
-import {
-  clearGithubModelsToken,
-  readGithubModelsToken,
-  saveGithubModelsToken,
-} from './githubModelsCredentials.js'
-
 describe('readGithubModelsToken', () => {
-  test('returns undefined in bare mode', () => {
+  test('returns undefined in bare mode', async () => {
+    const { readGithubModelsToken } = await import(
+      './githubModelsCredentials.js?read-bare-mode'
+    )
+
     const prev = process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE
     process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE = '1'
     expect(readGithubModelsToken()).toBeUndefined()
@@ -20,7 +18,11 @@ describe('readGithubModelsToken', () => {
 })
 
 describe('saveGithubModelsToken / clearGithubModelsToken', () => {
-  test('save returns failure in bare mode', () => {
+  test('save returns failure in bare mode', async () => {
+    const { saveGithubModelsToken } = await import(
+      './githubModelsCredentials.js?save-bare-mode'
+    )
+
     const prev = process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE
     process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE = '1'
     const r = saveGithubModelsToken('abc')
@@ -33,7 +35,11 @@ describe('saveGithubModelsToken / clearGithubModelsToken', () => {
     }
   })
 
-  test('clear succeeds in bare mode', () => {
+  test('clear succeeds in bare mode', async () => {
+    const { clearGithubModelsToken } = await import(
+      './githubModelsCredentials.js?clear-bare-mode'
+    )
+
     const prev = process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE
     process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE = '1'
     expect(clearGithubModelsToken().success).toBe(true)
diff --git a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.ts b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.ts
index 61b07db5..9ddc483d 100644
--- a/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.ts
+++ b/src/utils/githubModelsCredentials.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,19 @@ export function readGithubModelsToken(): string | undefined {
   }
 }
 
+export async function readGithubModelsTokenAsync(): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  if (isBareMode()) return undefined
+  try {
+    const data = (await getSecureStorage().readAsync()) as
+      | ({ githubModels?: GithubModelsCredentialBlob } & Record<string, unknown>)
+      | null
+    const t = data?.githubModels?.accessToken?.trim()
+    return t || undefined
+  } catch {
+    return undefined
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * If GitHub Models mode is on and no token is in the environment, copy the
  * stored token into process.env so the OpenAI shim and validation see it.