diff --git a/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.schedule.test.tsx b/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.schedule.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f3acfa37b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.schedule.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+import { useImperativeHandle, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import type { AutopilotTrigger } from "@multica/core/types";
+import { renderWithI18n } from "../../test/i18n";
+
+// Regression cover for MUL-5649: editing a manual-only autopilot (no triggers)
+// showed the schedule panel seeded with the editor's default — 09:00 every day
+// — as if that were the autopilot's schedule. Saving compared that default
+// against itself, found no change, and wrote nothing, while the toast said the
+// autopilot was updated and the detail page still read "No triggers
+// configured". The panel now states what is true (no schedule) and asks for the
+// schedule to be added explicitly; adding one writes it, default or not.
+
+const mockUpdateAutopilot = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const mockCreateTrigger = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const mockUpdateTrigger = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+
+vi.mock("@multica/core/hooks", () => ({ useWorkspaceId: () => "ws-test" }));
+vi.mock("@multica/core/paths", () => ({ useCurrentWorkspace: () => ({ name: "Acme" }) }));
+
+vi.mock("@multica/core/workspace/queries", () => ({
+  agentListOptions: (wsId: string) => ({
+    queryKey: ["agents", wsId],
+    queryFn: async () => [
+      {
+        id: "agent-1",
+        name: "Scout",
+        description: "Researches things",
+        archived_at: null,
+        runtime_id: "runtime-1",
+      },
+    ],
+  }),
+  squadListOptions: (wsId: string) => ({
+    queryKey: ["squads", wsId],
+    queryFn: async () => [],
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@multica/core/projects/queries", () => ({
+  projectListOptions: (wsId: string) => ({
+    queryKey: ["projects", wsId],
+    queryFn: async () => [],
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@multica/core/autopilots/queries", () => ({
+  cronPreviewOptions: (wsId: string, expr: string, tz: string) => ({
+    queryKey: ["cron-preview", wsId, expr, tz],
+    queryFn: async () => ({ next_runs: ["2126-07-14T01:00:00Z"] }),
+    retry: false,
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@multica/core/autopilots/mutations", () => ({
+  useCreateAutopilot: () => ({ mutateAsync: vi.fn() }),
+  useCreateAutopilotTrigger: () => ({ mutateAsync: mockCreateTrigger }),
+  useUpdateAutopilot: () => ({ mutateAsync: mockUpdateAutopilot }),
+  useUpdateAutopilotTrigger: () => ({ mutateAsync: mockUpdateTrigger }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("sonner", () => ({ toast: { success: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() } }));
+
+vi.mock("../../editor", () => ({
+  TitleEditor: ({ ref, defaultValue, placeholder, onChange, onSubmit }: any) => {
+    const [value, setValue] = useState(defaultValue ?? "");
+    const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+    useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
+      getText: () => value,
+      focus: () => inputRef.current?.focus(),
+      focusAtCoords: () => inputRef.current?.focus(),
+    }));
+    return (
+      <input
+        ref={inputRef}
+        aria-label="title"
+        value={value}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
+        onChange={(e) => {
+          setValue(e.target.value);
+          onChange?.(e.target.value);
+        }}
+        onKeyDown={(e) => {
+          if (e.key === "Enter") onSubmit?.();
+        }}
+      />
+    );
+  },
+  ContentEditor: ({ placeholder }: any) => <textarea aria-label="runbook" placeholder={placeholder} />,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../common/actor-avatar", () => ({
+  ActorAvatar: ({ actorId }: { actorId: string }) => <span data-testid="actor-avatar">{actorId}</span>,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./subscriber-multi-select", () => ({
+  SubscriberMultiSelect: () => <div data-testid="subscriber-multi-select" />,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../projects/components/project-picker", () => ({
+  ProjectPicker: ({ triggerRender }: { triggerRender: React.ReactElement }) => triggerRender,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./pickers/timezone-picker", () => ({
+  TimezonePicker: ({ value }: { value: string }) => <div data-testid="timezone-picker">{value}</div>,
+}));
+
+import { AutopilotDialog } from "./autopilot-dialog";
+
+const AUTOPILOT_ID = "ap-1";
+
+function trigger(overrides: Partial<AutopilotTrigger> = {}): AutopilotTrigger {
+  return {
+    id: "trg-1",
+    autopilot_id: AUTOPILOT_ID,
+    kind: "schedule",
+    enabled: true,
+    cron_expression: "TZ=Asia/Shanghai 30 8 * * *",
+    timezone: "Asia/Shanghai",
+    next_run_at: null,
+    webhook_token: null,
+    label: null,
+    last_fired_at: null,
+    created_at: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+    updated_at: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function renderEditDialog(triggers: AutopilotTrigger[]) {
+  const qc = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+  return renderWithI18n(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={qc}>
+      <AutopilotDialog
+        mode="edit"
+        open
+        onOpenChange={vi.fn()}
+        autopilotId={AUTOPILOT_ID}
+        initial={{
+          title: "Issue title sweep",
+          description: "",
+          project_id: null,
+          assignee_type: "agent",
+          assignee_id: "agent-1",
+          execution_mode: "run_only",
+          subscriber_user_ids: [],
+        }}
+        triggers={triggers}
+        collaborators={[]}
+        canManageAccess={false}
+      />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+const saveButton = () => screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Save" });
+const addScheduleButton = () => screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Add schedule" });
+
+describe("AutopilotDialog schedule section on an autopilot with no schedule", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockUpdateAutopilot.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: AUTOPILOT_ID });
+    mockCreateTrigger.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: "trg-new" });
+    mockUpdateTrigger.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: "trg-1" });
+  });
+
+  it("says the autopilot has no schedule instead of showing a fabricated one", () => {
+    renderEditDialog([]);
+
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText("No schedule — this autopilot only runs when triggered manually."),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(addScheduleButton()).toBeInTheDocument();
+    // The editor — and with it the next-run preview that reads as a promise —
+    // stays out of sight until the user asks for a schedule, and the footer
+    // stops promising automatic runs the autopilot will not make.
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("timezone-picker")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(
+      screen.queryByText("Once saved, runs automatically until paused."),
+    ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("restores the auto-run hint once a schedule is added", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderEditDialog([]);
+
+    await user.click(addScheduleButton());
+
+    expect(
+      await screen.findByText("Once saved, runs automatically until paused."),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("writes the schedule on save even when the user keeps the default 09:00", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderEditDialog([]);
+
+    await user.click(addScheduleButton());
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("timezone-picker")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    await user.click(saveButton());
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockCreateTrigger).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    expect(mockCreateTrigger.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toMatchObject({
+      autopilotId: AUTOPILOT_ID,
+      kind: "schedule",
+    });
+    expect(mockCreateTrigger.mock.calls[0]?.[0].cron_expression).toMatch(/(^|\s)0 9 \* \* \*$/);
+    expect(mockUpdateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("leaves the autopilot manual when the user only edits other fields", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderEditDialog([]);
+
+    await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("title"), " v2");
+    await user.click(saveButton());
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockUpdateAutopilot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    expect(mockCreateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockUpdateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("never patches a cron into a non-schedule trigger", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    // An api-kind trigger is not a schedule: the panel must offer to create one
+    // rather than treat that row as the schedule it is about to overwrite.
+    renderEditDialog([trigger({ kind: "api", cron_expression: null, timezone: null })]);
+
+    await user.click(addScheduleButton());
+    await user.click(saveButton());
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockCreateTrigger).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    expect(mockUpdateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("AutopilotDialog schedule section on an autopilot that has one", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockUpdateAutopilot.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: AUTOPILOT_ID });
+    mockCreateTrigger.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: "trg-new" });
+    mockUpdateTrigger.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ id: "trg-1" });
+  });
+
+  it("shows the stored schedule, not the empty state", () => {
+    renderEditDialog([trigger()]);
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Add schedule" })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("timezone-picker")).toHaveTextContent("Asia/Shanghai");
+  });
+
+  it("does not rewrite a schedule the user never changed", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderEditDialog([trigger()]);
+
+    await user.click(saveButton());
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockUpdateAutopilot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    expect(mockUpdateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockCreateTrigger).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.tsx b/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.tsx
index 00461c97d0..056945f6a4 100644
--- a/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.tsx
+++ b/packages/views/autopilots/components/autopilot-dialog.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   Maximize2,
   Minimize2,
   Play,
+  Plus,
   Rocket,
   Users,
   Webhook,
@@ -163,20 +164,35 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
     initial.subscriber_user_ids ?? [],
   );
 
+  // The schedule panel speaks for the autopilot's SCHEDULE trigger, not for
+  // `triggers[0]` — on a webhook- or api-triggered autopilot that row is one no
+  // cron may be written into.
+  const existingSchedule = isCreate
+    ? null
+    : props.triggers.find((trig) => trig.kind === "schedule") ?? null;
+
   const initialCfg: ScheduleConfig = (() => {
     if (isCreate) {
       const tpl = props.initialSchedule;
       const fallback = getDefaultScheduleConfig(browserTimezone());
       return tpl ? { ...fallback, ...tpl } : fallback;
     }
-    const first = props.triggers[0];
-    if (first?.cron_expression) {
-      return parseCron(first.cron_expression, first.timezone ?? "UTC");
+    if (existingSchedule?.cron_expression) {
+      return parseCron(existingSchedule.cron_expression, existingSchedule.timezone ?? "UTC");
     }
     return getDefaultScheduleConfig(browserTimezone());
   })();
   const [schedule, setSchedule] = useState<ScheduleConfig>(initialCfg);
 
+  // Editing an autopilot that has no schedule: the panel has nothing to
+  // reflect, so anything it showed would be a proposal dressed as the
+  // autopilot's state — and `scheduleDirty` below, comparing that proposal
+  // against itself, then dropped the save on the floor under a success toast
+  // (MUL-5649). The schedule is asked for explicitly instead: until the user
+  // adds one, the panel says the autopilot is manual, and once they do, Save
+  // writes what it shows whether or not they touched the default.
+  const [scheduleAdded, setScheduleAdded] = useState(false);
+
   // Trigger kind selector. Only meaningful in create mode — edit mode does
   // not support converting between kinds inline (PLAN.md calls that
   // out as "delete old, create new" rather than ambiguous in-place
@@ -207,10 +223,19 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
   const firstTriggerIdRef = useRef(
     !isCreate && props.triggers[0] ? props.triggers[0].id : null,
   );
+  // The row the schedule write targets, snapshotted at mount like the one
+  // above. Null means there is none to patch, so the write creates one.
+  const scheduleTriggerIdRef = useRef(existingSchedule?.id ?? null);
 
   const triggerCount = isCreate ? 0 : props.triggers.length;
   const schedulePillDisabled = !isCreate && triggerCount >= 2;
 
+  // The manual-autopilot empty state, and the only path to a first schedule
+  // from this dialog. Skipped when the panel is locked (2+ triggers), which
+  // keeps that case rendering exactly the disabled editor it always has.
+  const showScheduleEmptyState =
+    !isCreate && existingSchedule === null && !scheduleAdded && !schedulePillDisabled;
+
   const selectedAssignee = useMemo(() => {
     if (!assigneeId) return null;
     if (assigneeType === "squad") {
@@ -245,12 +270,15 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
   const scheduleGate = useScheduleSubmitGate(wsId);
 
   // The schedule only gates submit when this save would actually write it. A
-  // locked schedule (2+ triggers) or one the user never touched is not sent, so
-  // a preview 400 on the stored expression — an expression the server accepted
-  // once and may now reject, e.g. a timezone its tzdata dropped — must not veto
-  // edits to the title, prompt or assignee.
+  // locked schedule (2+ triggers) or a stored one the user never touched is not
+  // sent, so a preview 400 on the stored expression — an expression the server
+  // accepted once and may now reject, e.g. a timezone its tzdata dropped — must
+  // not veto edits to the title, prompt or assignee. A schedule the user just
+  // added has no stored counterpart to differ from: adding it IS the change.
   const scheduleWillBeWritten =
-    triggerKind === "schedule" && !schedulePillDisabled && (isCreate || scheduleDirty);
+    triggerKind === "schedule" &&
+    !schedulePillDisabled &&
+    (isCreate || (existingSchedule !== null ? scheduleDirty : scheduleAdded));
 
   // The FIRST empty required field in reading order — the user fills one, the
   // next surfaces. Only these two are answered here: a rejected schedule is
@@ -355,7 +383,7 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
         // webhook — there's no cron to update there, and the schedule
         // panel isn't even rendered for webhook autopilots.
         if (scheduleWillBeWritten) {
-          const snapshottedTriggerId = firstTriggerIdRef.current;
+          const snapshottedTriggerId = scheduleTriggerIdRef.current;
           try {
             if (snapshottedTriggerId) {
               await updateTrigger.mutateAsync({
@@ -615,27 +643,31 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
             {triggerKind === "schedule" ? (
               <div>
                 <SectionLabel>{t(($) => $.dialog.section_schedule)}</SectionLabel>
-                {/* No `onValidityChange` / `clearRejection` here, unlike the
-                    detail page's add-trigger dialog: nothing in this footer is
-                    gated on the schedule's validity any more, so the gate's
-                    `scheduleValid` would have no reader. The editor still shows
-                    its own inline rejection, and `ensureAccepted` re-asks the
-                    server on submit and toasts what it says. */}
-                <ScheduleEditor
-                  value={schedule}
-                  onChange={setSchedule}
-                  wsId={wsId}
-                  // Locked while the save is in flight: the submit path validates
-                  // over the network and then writes the schedule it read before
-                  // that round trip, so an edit made in between would be dropped
-                  // on the floor with a success toast over it.
-                  disabled={schedulePillDisabled || submitting}
-                  disabledReason={
-                    schedulePillDisabled
-                      ? t(($) => $.dialog.schedule_disabled_reason)
-                      : undefined
-                  }
-                />
+                {showScheduleEmptyState ? (
+                  <ScheduleEmptyState onAdd={() => setScheduleAdded(true)} />
+                ) : (
+                  /* No `onValidityChange` / `clearRejection` here, unlike the
+                     detail page's add-trigger dialog: nothing in this footer is
+                     gated on the schedule's validity any more, so the gate's
+                     `scheduleValid` would have no reader. The editor still shows
+                     its own inline rejection, and `ensureAccepted` re-asks the
+                     server on submit and toasts what it says. */
+                  <ScheduleEditor
+                    value={schedule}
+                    onChange={setSchedule}
+                    wsId={wsId}
+                    // Locked while the save is in flight: the submit path validates
+                    // over the network and then writes the schedule it read before
+                    // that round trip, so an edit made in between would be dropped
+                    // on the floor with a success toast over it.
+                    disabled={schedulePillDisabled || submitting}
+                    disabledReason={
+                      schedulePillDisabled
+                        ? t(($) => $.dialog.schedule_disabled_reason)
+                        : undefined
+                    }
+                  />
+                )}
               </div>
             ) : (
               <WebhookSection
@@ -649,9 +681,18 @@ export function AutopilotDialog(props: AutopilotDialogProps) {
 
         {/* Footer */}
         <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 px-5 py-3 border-t shrink-0 bg-background">
+          {/* The hint drops out while the schedule section states the autopilot
+              is manual — a footer promising automatic runs directly under that
+              is the same false promise the empty state exists to retire. The
+              slot itself stays, or `justify-between` would walk the buttons
+              over to the left edge. */}
           <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-caption text-muted-foreground min-w-0">
-            <Zap className="size-3.5 text-amber-500 shrink-0" />
-            <span className="truncate">{t(($) => $.dialog.auto_run_hint)}</span>
+            {!showScheduleEmptyState && (
+              <>
+                <Zap className="size-3.5 text-amber-500 shrink-0" />
+                <span className="truncate">{t(($) => $.dialog.auto_run_hint)}</span>
+              </>
+            )}
           </div>
           <div className="flex items-center gap-2 shrink-0">
             <Button size="sm" variant="outline" onClick={() => onOpenChange(false)}>
@@ -914,6 +955,26 @@ function SubscribersSection({
 }
 
 
+// The schedule section of an autopilot that has none. Mirrors the detail
+// page's trigger empty state — a dashed card that states the autopilot is
+// manual — so the two surfaces agree on what "no schedule" looks like instead
+// of one of them showing a filled-in editor and a next-run preview for a
+// schedule that does not exist.
+function ScheduleEmptyState({ onAdd }: { onAdd: () => void }) {
+  const { t } = useT("autopilots");
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-md border border-dashed p-3 text-center">
+      <p className="text-caption text-muted-foreground">
+        {t(($) => $.dialog.schedule_empty)}
+      </p>
+      <Button size="sm" variant="outline" className="mt-2.5" onClick={onAdd}>
+        <Plus className="size-3.5 mr-1" />
+        {t(($) => $.dialog.schedule_add)}
+      </Button>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Trigger kind segmented control + webhook help section
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/packages/views/locales/en/autopilots.json b/packages/views/locales/en/autopilots.json
index 4f04415bd9..dc9ca595af 100644
--- a/packages/views/locales/en/autopilots.json
+++ b/packages/views/locales/en/autopilots.json
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@
     "event_filter_actions_placeholder": "completed, failed",
     "event_filter_hint": "Only process webhooks matching these events. Leave empty to accept all.",
     "schedule_disabled_reason": "This autopilot has multiple schedules — edit them in the detail page.",
+    "schedule_empty": "No schedule — this autopilot only runs when triggered manually.",
+    "schedule_add": "Add schedule",
     "error_title_required": "Enter a name for this autopilot.",
     "error_assignee_required": "Choose the agent or squad that will run this autopilot.",
     "output_modes": {
diff --git a/packages/views/locales/ja/autopilots.json b/packages/views/locales/ja/autopilots.json
index c8a9727e96..f07d45ab70 100644
--- a/packages/views/locales/ja/autopilots.json
+++ b/packages/views/locales/ja/autopilots.json
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@
     "event_filter_actions_placeholder": "completed, failed",
     "event_filter_hint": "これらのイベントに一致する Webhook のみを処理します。空にするとすべて許可します。",
     "schedule_disabled_reason": "このオートパイロットには複数のスケジュールがあります。詳細ページで編集してください。",
+    "schedule_empty": "スケジュールはありません。このオートパイロットは手動で実行したときだけ動きます。",
+    "schedule_add": "スケジュールを追加",
     "error_title_required": "オートパイロット名を入力してください。",
     "error_assignee_required": "実行するエージェントまたはスクワッドを選択してください。",
     "output_modes": {
diff --git a/packages/views/locales/ko/autopilots.json b/packages/views/locales/ko/autopilots.json
index 008d339c7d..9270c7fae1 100644
--- a/packages/views/locales/ko/autopilots.json
+++ b/packages/views/locales/ko/autopilots.json
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@
     "event_filter_actions_placeholder": "completed, failed",
     "event_filter_hint": "이 이벤트와 일치하는 Webhook만 처리합니다. 비워 두면 모두 허용합니다.",
     "schedule_disabled_reason": "이 오토파일럿에는 여러 일정이 있습니다. 상세 페이지에서 수정하세요.",
+    "schedule_empty": "일정이 없습니다. 이 오토파일럿은 수동으로 실행할 때만 동작합니다.",
+    "schedule_add": "일정 추가",
     "error_title_required": "오토파일럿 이름을 입력하세요.",
     "error_assignee_required": "실행할 에이전트 또는 스쿼드를 선택하세요.",
     "output_modes": {
diff --git a/packages/views/locales/zh-Hans/autopilots.json b/packages/views/locales/zh-Hans/autopilots.json
index 26abb72edf..66293b20d1 100644
--- a/packages/views/locales/zh-Hans/autopilots.json
+++ b/packages/views/locales/zh-Hans/autopilots.json
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@
     "event_filter_actions_placeholder": "completed, failed",
     "event_filter_hint": "只处理匹配这些事件的 webhook。留空则接受所有事件。",
     "schedule_disabled_reason": "该自动化有多个时间表——请到详情页编辑。",
+    "schedule_empty": "还没有时间表——这个自动化只在手动触发时运行。",
+    "schedule_add": "添加时间表",
     "error_title_required": "请填写自动化名称。",
     "error_assignee_required": "请选择运行该自动化的智能体或小队。",
     "output_modes": {