diff --git a/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/bridge.rs b/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/bridge.rs
index ab5efbef8a..d426971d37 100644
--- a/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/bridge.rs
+++ b/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/bridge.rs
@@ -721,7 +721,10 @@ pub struct SettingsSnapshot {
 
 #[tauri::command]
 pub fn get_bootstrap_state() -> BootstrapState {
-    let settings = Settings::load();
+    bootstrap_state_for(Settings::load())
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn bootstrap_state_for(settings: Settings) -> BootstrapState {
     BootstrapState {
         contract_version: "v1",
         providers: provider_catalog_for(&settings),
diff --git a/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/tests.rs b/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/tests.rs
index d25a0a064a..b2439a066d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/tests.rs
+++ b/apps/desktop-tauri/src-tauri/src/commands/tests.rs
@@ -1905,7 +1905,10 @@ fn external_url_validator_rejects_non_web_and_control_urls() {
 
 #[test]
 fn bootstrap_payload_exposes_every_provider_variant() {
-    let payload = super::get_bootstrap_state();
+    // Built from default settings instead of `Settings::load()` so a retired
+    // provider enabled in the developer's real settings.json cannot change
+    // the catalog size.
+    let payload = super::bootstrap_state_for(Settings::default());
 
     let catalog_ids: std::collections::HashSet<String> = payload
         .providers
@@ -1952,3 +1955,46 @@ fn bootstrap_payload_exposes_every_provider_variant() {
     assert!(encoded.contains("\"providers\""));
     assert!(encoded.contains("\"settings\""));
 }
+
+// Issue #684: the catalog size depends only on the settings passed in. A
+// deprecated provider that is still enabled (the state that made the old
+// test read 79 entries on a developer machine) is listed exactly once, and
+// building the payload twice from the same settings gives the same catalog.
+#[test]
+fn bootstrap_catalog_depends_only_on_supplied_settings() {
+    let active_count = ProviderId::all()
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|provider| !provider.is_deprecated())
+        .count();
+
+    let mut settings = Settings::default();
+    settings
+        .enabled_providers
+        .insert(ProviderId::KimiK2.cli_name().to_string());
+
+    let first = super::bootstrap_state_for(settings.clone());
+    let second = super::bootstrap_state_for(settings);
+
+    let ids = |payload: &super::BootstrapState| -> Vec<String> {
+        payload
+            .providers
+            .iter()
+            .map(|entry| entry.id.clone())
+            .collect()
+    };
+    assert_eq!(ids(&first), ids(&second));
+    assert_eq!(first.providers.len(), active_count + 1);
+    assert_eq!(
+        ids(&first)
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|id| id.as_str() == ProviderId::KimiK2.cli_name())
+            .count(),
+        1
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !ids(&first)
+            .iter()
+            .any(|id| id.as_str() == ProviderId::CrossModel.cli_name()),
+        "a deprecated provider that is not enabled stays hidden"
+    );
+}