diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/download.cpp b/gpt4all-chat/download.cpp
index d04fdb71..3d08475d 100644
--- a/gpt4all-chat/download.cpp
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/download.cpp
@@ -343,6 +343,15 @@ void Download::parseModelsJsonFile(const QByteArray &jsonData)
         ModelList::globalInstance()->updateData(modelFilename, ModelList::QuantRole, "NA");
         ModelList::globalInstance()->updateData(modelFilename, ModelList::TypeRole, "GPT");
     }
+
+    if (ModelList::globalInstance()->installedModels()->count()) {
+        const QString firstModel =
+            ModelList::globalInstance()->installedModels()->firstFilename();
+        QSettings settings;
+        settings.sync();
+        settings.setValue("defaultModel", firstModel);
+        settings.sync();
+    }
 }
 
 void Download::handleReleaseJsonDownloadFinished()
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/modellist.cpp b/gpt4all-chat/modellist.cpp
index 1ed55f61..5fe8735b 100644
--- a/gpt4all-chat/modellist.cpp
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/modellist.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ int InstalledModels::count() const
     return rowCount();
 }
 
+QString InstalledModels::firstFilename() const
+{
+    if (rowCount() > 0) {
+        QModelIndex firstIndex = index(0, 0);
+        return sourceModel()->data(firstIndex, ModelList::FilenameRole).toString();
+    } else {
+        return QString();
+    }
+}
+
 DownloadableModels::DownloadableModels(QObject *parent)
     : QSortFilterProxyModel(parent)
     , m_expanded(false)
@@ -141,15 +151,28 @@ ModelInfo ModelList::defaultModelInfo() const
     // The user default model can be set by the user in the settings dialog. The "default" user
     // default model is "Application default" which signals we should use the default model that was
     // specified by the models.json file.
-    const QString defaultModelName = settings.value("userDefaultModel").toString();
-    const bool hasDefaultName = !defaultModelName.isEmpty() && defaultModelName != "Application default";
+    const QString userDefaultModelName = settings.value("userDefaultModel").toString();
+    const bool hasUserDefaultName = !userDefaultModelName.isEmpty() && userDefaultModelName != "Application default";
+    const QString defaultModelName = settings.value("defaultModel").toString();
+    const bool hasDefaultName = hasUserDefaultName ? false : !defaultModelName.isEmpty();
+
     ModelInfo *defaultModel = nullptr;
     for (ModelInfo *info : m_models) {
         if (!info->installed)
             continue;
         defaultModel = info;
-        if (!hasDefaultName) break;
-        if (hasDefaultName && (defaultModel->name == defaultModelName || defaultModel->filename == defaultModelName)) break;
+
+        // If we don't have either setting, then just use the first model that is installed
+        if (!hasUserDefaultName && !hasDefaultName)
+            break;
+
+        // If we don't have a user specified default, but *do* have a default setting and match, then use it
+        if (!hasUserDefaultName && hasDefaultName && (defaultModel->name == defaultModelName || defaultModel->filename == defaultModelName))
+            break;
+
+        // If we have a user specified default and match, then use it
+        if (hasUserDefaultName && (defaultModel->name == userDefaultModelName || defaultModel->filename == userDefaultModelName))
+            break;
     }
     if (defaultModel)
         return *defaultModel;
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/modellist.h b/gpt4all-chat/modellist.h
index de42014d..ea8fb82b 100644
--- a/gpt4all-chat/modellist.h
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/modellist.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ class InstalledModels : public QSortFilterProxyModel
 public:
     explicit InstalledModels(QObject *parent);
     int count() const;
+    QString firstFilename() const;
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void countChanged();