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Enterprise managed model setting is received but not applied in the Copilot app and non-interactive CLI #4959
Description
Describe the bug
Enterprise managed settings (copilot/managed-settings.json in the .github-private configuration source) contain { "model": "auto" }. The runtime log shows the server policy is fetched with keys=[model,permissions], but immediately afterwards the model resolver picks the built-in default (gpt-5.6-sol) instead of Auto.
Interactive CLI sessions in a terminal do honor the setting (new sessions show Auto). Sessions started by the GitHub Copilot desktop app, and CLI runs with -p or piped stdin, do not.
Affected version
Copilot CLI 1.0.89-1; GitHub Copilot app 1.1.23; macOS (Darwin 25.6). No MDM or file-based managed settings on the device.
Steps to reproduce the behavior
- Set the enterprise configuration source to a
.github-privaterepo whosecopilot/managed-settings.jsonis{ "model": "auto" }. Confirm the AI controls "Configuration summary" shows it. - Wait for propagation (runtime log shows
server policy served ... keys=[model,permissions]). - Run
copilot -p "Reply with the model name you are running as"or start a new session in the Copilot app. - Observe the session runs on
gpt-5.6-sol. Same on a cleanCOPILOT_HOMEwith no user settings or remembered model.copilot --model autoworks, so Auto is available to the account.
Runtime log (~/.copilot/logs/process-*.log):
[managedSettings] device MDM: no policy present on this device
[managedSettings] server policy served from fresh cache (age 47512ms) for https://github.com: bypassDisabled=false, keys=[model,permissions]
[managedSettings] effective policy resolved: source=server, bypassDisabled=false, serverFetchFailed=false, policyHelperFailed=false, policyHelperFailClosed=false
[rust:model_bindings::api_resolver] Using default model: gpt-5.6-sol
Expected behavior
Per the enterprise managed settings reference, model "sets your preferred model as the default for new conversations" and is listed as supported for Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. New sessions should start on Auto in both, including non-interactive runs.
Additional context
Interactive terminal sessions apply it correctly, so the gap appears to be in the non-interactive / app session path of the runtime. Happy to share a full redacted runtime log.
Activity
rpstester commentedon Oct 1, 2026
Me, too. Using github private repo. The desktop app never switches to auto. On desktop app v1.1.25.
Tak2121 commentedon Oct 1, 2026
patniko commentedon Oct 26, 2026
Thanks for the detailed report and logs. As of Copilot CLI v1.0.102, prompt mode honors a managed Auto model selection for
-pand piped-stdin runs, and SDK-created sessions (used by apps such as the Copilot app) apply managed model defaults since v1.0.94; the model picker also marks the administrator-managed model as the default since v1.0.101. If new sessions still don't start on the managed model with the latest CLI, including in the Copilot app once it runs a current CLI version, please reopen with your versions.Triaged as part of a Copilot SDK backlog review, with help from GitHub Copilot.