diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ab4a7d04..c93986fc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # aicodeman
 
+## 0.5.7
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- feat: support "Default (CLI default)" option for model selection. Adds a new empty-value option to the model dropdown that defers to the CLI's own default model instead of forcing a specific model. Ensures empty defaultModel values are treated as undefined when passed to session creation and Ralph loop start, preventing empty strings from being sent as model flags.
+
 ## 0.5.6
 
 ### Patch Changes
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 373b5189..aec5ae0c 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ When user says "COM":
 4. **Sync CLAUDE.md version**: Update the `**Version**` line below to match the new version from `package.json`
 5. **Commit and deploy**: `git add -A && git commit -m "chore: version packages" && git push && npm run build && systemctl --user restart codeman-web`
 
-**Version**: 0.5.6 (must match `package.json`)
+**Version**: 0.5.7 (must match `package.json`)
 
 ## Project Overview
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e7f048bc..a26a16b9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aicodeman",
-  "version": "0.5.6",
+  "version": "0.5.7",
   "description": "The missing control plane for AI coding agents - run 20 autonomous agents with real-time monitoring and session persistence",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",