diff --git a/server/pkg/agent/models.go b/server/pkg/agent/models.go
index bba0701fc..e47168e67 100644
--- a/server/pkg/agent/models.go
+++ b/server/pkg/agent/models.go
@@ -830,10 +830,14 @@ func discoverOpenclawAgents(ctx context.Context, executablePath string) ([]Model
 }
 
 // openclawAgentEntry is the shape parseOpenclawAgentsJSON expects
-// from `openclaw agents list --json`. Both `name` and `id` are
-// accepted as the identifier (different openclaw versions ship
-// different field names); `model` is optional and only used to
-// enrich the dropdown label.
+// from `openclaw agents list --json`. `id` is the routing key
+// passed to `openclaw agent --agent <id>`; `name` is the human
+// display label set via `openclaw agents set-identity --name` and
+// is only used to enrich the dropdown label. The two are not
+// interchangeable — see openclawEntriesToModels for the mapping.
+// Older openclaw versions may emit only `name`; in that case we
+// fall back to using it as the id for backward compatibility.
+// `model` is optional and only used to enrich the dropdown label.
 type openclawAgentEntry struct {
 	Name  string `json:"name"`
 	ID    string `json:"id"`
diff --git a/server/pkg/agent/openclaw.go b/server/pkg/agent/openclaw.go
index b489681f2..7b341d1f9 100644
--- a/server/pkg/agent/openclaw.go
+++ b/server/pkg/agent/openclaw.go
@@ -178,10 +178,12 @@ func buildOpenclawArgs(prompt, sessionID string, opts ExecOptions, logger *slog.
 	}
 	// OpenClaw binds models to pre-registered agents at `openclaw agents
 	// add/update --model` time; the daemon selects one at runtime by
-	// passing --agent <name>. The model dropdown populates its list from
-	// `openclaw agents list`, so opts.Model here is an agent name. Only
-	// inject when the user hasn't already set --agent via custom_args —
-	// custom_args wins for backward compatibility with existing configs.
+	// passing --agent <id>. The model dropdown populates its list from
+	// `openclaw agents list`, so opts.Model here is an agent id (see
+	// openclawEntriesToModels — the agent's display name lives in the
+	// dropdown label, not in opts.Model). Only inject when the user
+	// hasn't already set --agent via custom_args — custom_args wins for
+	// backward compatibility with existing configs.
 	customArgs := filterCustomArgs(opts.CustomArgs, openclawBlockedArgs, logger)
 	if opts.Model != "" && !customArgsContains(customArgs, "--agent") {
 		args = append(args, "--agent", opts.Model)