diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/actions/assistant-templates.actions.ts b/apps/rowboat/app/actions/assistant-templates.actions.ts
index 428738ac..5b163a2e 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/actions/assistant-templates.actions.ts
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/actions/assistant-templates.actions.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { authCheck } from "./auth.actions";
 import { MongoDBAssistantTemplatesRepository } from '@/src/infrastructure/repositories/mongodb.assistant-templates.repository';
-import { ensureLibraryTemplatesSeeded } from '@/app/lib/assistant_templates_seed';
+import { prebuiltTemplates } from '@/app/lib/prebuilt-cards';
 import { auth0 } from '@/app/lib/auth0';
 import { USE_AUTH } from '@/app/lib/feature_flags';
 
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ const CreateTemplateSchema = z.object({
 export async function listAssistantTemplates(request: z.infer<typeof ListTemplatesSchema>) {
     const user = await authCheck();
     
-    // Ensure library JSONs are seeded into the unified collection (idempotent)
-    await ensureLibraryTemplatesSeeded();
+    // No longer seeding all templates upfront - using lazy seeding instead
     
     const params = ListTemplatesSchema.parse(request);
 
@@ -81,6 +80,54 @@ export async function listAssistantTemplates(request: z.infer<typeof ListTemplat
     };
 }
 
+// Get a specific template by ID with model transformation
+export async function getAssistantTemplate(templateId: string) {
+    const user = await authCheck();
+    
+    const template = await repo.fetch(templateId);
+    if (!template) {
+        throw new Error('Template not found');
+    }
+    
+    // Check if this is a prebuilt template by looking at tags
+    const isPrebuiltTemplate = template.tags.some(tag => tag.startsWith('prebuilt:') || tag === '__library__');
+    
+    if (isPrebuiltTemplate) {
+        // For prebuilt templates, get the original JSON and apply fresh transformation
+        const prebuiltTag = template.tags.find(tag => tag.startsWith('prebuilt:'));
+        if (prebuiltTag) {
+            const prebuiltKey = prebuiltTag.replace('prebuilt:', '');
+            const originalTemplate = prebuiltTemplates[prebuiltKey as keyof typeof prebuiltTemplates];
+            
+            if (originalTemplate) {
+                // Apply model transformation to the original template
+                const defaultModel = process.env.PROVIDER_DEFAULT_MODEL || 'gpt-4.1';
+                const transformedWorkflow = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(originalTemplate));
+                
+                // Transform blank agent models to use the default model
+                if (transformedWorkflow.agents && Array.isArray(transformedWorkflow.agents)) {
+                    transformedWorkflow.agents.forEach((agent: any) => {
+                        if (agent.model === '') {
+                            agent.model = defaultModel;
+                            console.log(`[PrebuiltTemplate] Applied model ${defaultModel} to agent ${agent.name} in template ${prebuiltKey}`);
+                        }
+                    });
+                }
+                
+                // Return the transformed template with database metadata but fresh workflow
+                const result = {
+                    ...template,
+                    workflow: transformedWorkflow
+                };
+                
+                return serializeTemplate(result);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
+    return serializeTemplate(template);
+}
+
 export async function getAssistantTemplateCategories() {
     const user = await authCheck();
     
@@ -88,15 +135,6 @@ export async function getAssistantTemplateCategories() {
     return { items: categories };
 }
 
-export async function getAssistantTemplate(id: string) {
-    const user = await authCheck();
-    
-    const item = await repo.fetch(id);
-    if (!item) {
-        throw new Error('Template not found');
-    }
-    return serializeTemplate(item);
-}
 
 export async function createAssistantTemplate(data: z.infer<typeof CreateTemplateSchema>) {
     const user = await authCheck();
diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/lib/assistant_templates_seed.ts b/apps/rowboat/app/lib/assistant_templates_seed.ts
index d577f3a4..862a2380 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/lib/assistant_templates_seed.ts
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/lib/assistant_templates_seed.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 import { db } from "@/app/lib/mongodb";
 import { prebuiltTemplates } from "@/app/lib/prebuilt-cards";
 
+// Cache to track which templates have been seeded
+const seededTemplates = new Set<string>();
+
 // idempotent seed: creates library (prebuilt) templates in DB if missing
 // Uses name+authorName match to avoid duplicates; tags include a stable prebuilt key
 export async function ensureLibraryTemplatesSeeded(): Promise<void> {
     try {
         const collection = db.collection("assistant_templates");
         const now = new Date().toISOString();
+        
+        console.log('[PrebuiltTemplates] Starting template seeding...');
 
         const entries = Object.entries(prebuiltTemplates);
         for (const [prebuiltKey, tpl] of entries) {
@@ -17,7 +22,10 @@ export async function ensureLibraryTemplatesSeeded(): Promise<void> {
 
             // check if already present (by name + authorName Rowboat and special tag)
             const existing = await collection.findOne({ name, authorName: "Rowboat", tags: { $in: [ `prebuilt:${prebuiltKey}`, "__library__" ] } });
-            if (existing) continue;
+            if (existing) {
+                // Skip updating existing templates - we use original JSON at runtime
+                continue;
+            }
 
             const doc = {
                 name,
@@ -49,4 +57,98 @@ export async function ensureLibraryTemplatesSeeded(): Promise<void> {
     }
 }
 
+// Lazy seed: only seed a specific template when it's requested
+export async function ensureTemplateSeeded(prebuiltKey: string): Promise<void> {
+    if (seededTemplates.has(prebuiltKey)) {
+        return; // Already seeded
+    }
+
+    const tpl = prebuiltTemplates[prebuiltKey as keyof typeof prebuiltTemplates];
+    if (!tpl) {
+        console.warn(`[PrebuiltTemplates] Template not found: ${prebuiltKey}`);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    try {
+        const collection = db.collection("assistant_templates");
+        const now = new Date().toISOString();
+        const name = (tpl as any).name || prebuiltKey;
+
+        // Check if already exists
+        const existing = await collection.findOne({ 
+            name, 
+            authorName: "Rowboat", 
+            tags: { $in: [ `prebuilt:${prebuiltKey}`, "__library__" ] } 
+        });
+
+        if (existing) {
+            // Update existing template with current model configuration
+            const defaultModel = process.env.PROVIDER_DEFAULT_MODEL || 'gpt-4.1';
+            const updatedWorkflow = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(tpl));
+            
+            // Apply model transformation
+            if (updatedWorkflow.agents && Array.isArray(updatedWorkflow.agents)) {
+                updatedWorkflow.agents.forEach((agent: any) => {
+                    if (agent.model === '') {
+                        agent.model = defaultModel;
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
+            await collection.updateOne(
+                { _id: existing._id },
+                { 
+                    $set: {
+                        workflow: updatedWorkflow,
+                        lastUpdatedAt: now,
+                    }
+                }
+            );
+            console.log(`[PrebuiltTemplates] Updated template: ${name}`);
+        } else {
+            // Create new template with model transformation
+            const defaultModel = process.env.PROVIDER_DEFAULT_MODEL || 'gpt-4.1';
+            const transformedWorkflow = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(tpl));
+            
+            // Apply model transformation
+            if (transformedWorkflow.agents && Array.isArray(transformedWorkflow.agents)) {
+                transformedWorkflow.agents.forEach((agent: any) => {
+                    if (agent.model === '') {
+                        agent.model = defaultModel;
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
+            const doc = {
+                name,
+                description: (tpl as any).description || "",
+                category: (tpl as any).category || "Other",
+                authorId: "rowboat-system",
+                authorName: "Rowboat",
+                authorEmail: undefined,
+                isAnonymous: false,
+                workflow: transformedWorkflow,
+                tags: ["__library__", `prebuilt:${prebuiltKey}`].filter(Boolean),
+                publishedAt: now,
+                lastUpdatedAt: now,
+                downloadCount: 0,
+                likeCount: 0,
+                featured: false,
+                isPublic: true,
+                likes: [] as string[],
+                copilotPrompt: (tpl as any).copilotPrompt || undefined,
+                thumbnailUrl: undefined,
+                source: 'library' as const,
+            } as const;
+
+            await collection.insertOne(doc as any);
+            console.log(`[PrebuiltTemplates] Created template: ${name}`);
+        }
+
+        seededTemplates.add(prebuiltKey);
+    } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`[PrebuiltTemplates] Error seeding template ${prebuiltKey}:`, err);
+    }
+}
+