diff --git a/maas-api/internal/handlers/models_test.go b/maas-api/internal/handlers/models_test.go
index bb95e5c30..66408af0e 100644
--- a/maas-api/internal/handlers/models_test.go
+++ b/maas-api/internal/handlers/models_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestListingModels(t *testing.T) {
+	strptr := func(s string) *string { return &s }
+
 	llmTestScenarios := []fixtures.LLMTestScenario{
 		{
 			Name:      "llama-7b",
@@ -48,6 +50,13 @@ func TestListingModels(t *testing.T) {
 			URL:       fixtures.PublicURL(""),
 			Ready:     false,
 		},
+		{
+			Name:          "fallback-model-name",
+			Namespace:     fixtures.TestNamespace,
+			URL:           fixtures.PublicURL("http://fallback-model-name." + fixtures.TestNamespace + ".acme.com/v1"),
+			Ready:         true,
+			SpecModelName: strptr("fallback-model-name"),
+		},
 	}
 	llmInferenceServices := fixtures.CreateLLMInferenceServices(llmTestScenarios...)
 
@@ -88,11 +97,17 @@ func TestListingModels(t *testing.T) {
 	var testCases []expectedModel
 
 	for _, llmTestScenario := range llmTestScenarios {
+		// expected ID mirrors toModels(): fallback to metadata.name unless spec.model.name is non-empty
+		expectedModelID := llmTestScenario.Name
+		if llmTestScenario.SpecModelName != nil && *llmTestScenario.SpecModelName != "" {
+			expectedModelID = *llmTestScenario.SpecModelName
+		}
+
 		testCases = append(testCases, expectedModel{
-			name: llmTestScenario.Name,
+			name: expectedModelID,
 			expectedModel: models.Model{
 				Model: openai.Model{
-					ID:      llmTestScenario.Name,
+					ID:      expectedModelID,
 					Object:  "model",
 					OwnedBy: llmTestScenario.Namespace,
 				},
diff --git a/maas-api/internal/models/kserve.go b/maas-api/internal/models/kserve.go
index 5a237b5c7..51286cf12 100644
--- a/maas-api/internal/models/kserve.go
+++ b/maas-api/internal/models/kserve.go
@@ -78,12 +78,24 @@ func toModels(list *unstructured.UnstructuredList) ([]Model, error) {
 	for _, item := range list.Items {
 		url, errURL := findURL(item)
 		if errURL != nil {
-			log.Printf("DEBUG: Failed to find URL for %s: %v", item.GetKind(), errURL)
+			log.Printf("DEBUG: Failed to find URL for %s %s/%s: %v",
+				item.GetKind(), item.GetNamespace(), item.GetName(), errURL)
+		}
+
+		// Default to metadata.name
+		modelID := item.GetName()
+
+		// Check if .spec.model.name exists
+		if name, found, err := unstructured.NestedString(item.Object, "spec", "model", "name"); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("DEBUG: Error reading spec.model.name for %s %s/%s: %v",
+				item.GetKind(), item.GetNamespace(), item.GetName(), err)
+		} else if found && name != "" {
+			modelID = name
 		}
 
 		models = append(models, Model{
 			Model: openai.Model{
-				ID:      item.GetName(),
+				ID:      modelID,
 				Object:  "model",
 				OwnedBy: item.GetNamespace(),
 				Created: item.GetCreationTimestamp().Unix(),
diff --git a/maas-api/test/fixtures/llm_models.go b/maas-api/test/fixtures/llm_models.go
index 98dbd06da..4dbc39892 100644
--- a/maas-api/test/fixtures/llm_models.go
+++ b/maas-api/test/fixtures/llm_models.go
@@ -42,8 +42,17 @@ func (i AddressEntry) AddTo(obj *unstructured.Unstructured) {
 	}, "status", "addresses")
 }
 
+type LLMInferenceServiceOption func(*unstructured.Unstructured)
+
+// WithSpecModelName sets .spec.model.name (can be an empty string "" to test fallback logic).
+func WithSpecModelName(name string) LLMInferenceServiceOption {
+	return func(obj *unstructured.Unstructured) {
+		_ = unstructured.SetNestedField(obj.Object, name, "spec", "model", "name")
+	}
+}
+
 // CreateLLMInferenceService creates a test LLMInferenceService unstructured object
-func CreateLLMInferenceService(name, namespace string, url ModelURL, ready bool) *unstructured.Unstructured {
+func CreateLLMInferenceService(name, namespace string, url ModelURL, ready bool, opts ...LLMInferenceServiceOption) *unstructured.Unstructured {
 	obj := &unstructured.Unstructured{}
 	obj.Object = map[string]any{}
 	obj.SetAPIVersion("serving.kserve.io/v1alpha1")
@@ -114,22 +123,40 @@ func CreateLLMInferenceService(name, namespace string, url ModelURL, ready bool)
 
 	_ = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(obj.Object, conditions, "status", "conditions")
 
+	// Apply options (e.g., WithSpecModelName)
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(obj)
+	}
+
 	return obj
 }
 
 // LLMTestScenario defines a test scenario for LLM models
 type LLMTestScenario struct {
-	Name      string
-	Namespace string
-	URL       ModelURL
-	Ready     bool
+	Name          string
+	Namespace     string
+	URL           ModelURL
+	Ready         bool
+	SpecModelName *string
 }
 
 // CreateLLMInferenceServices creates a set of test LLM objects for testing
 func CreateLLMInferenceServices(scenarios ...LLMTestScenario) []runtime.Object {
 	var objects []runtime.Object
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
-		obj := CreateLLMInferenceService(scenario.Name, scenario.Namespace, scenario.URL, scenario.Ready)
+		var opts []LLMInferenceServiceOption
+		if scenario.SpecModelName != nil {
+			opts = append(opts, WithSpecModelName(*scenario.SpecModelName))
+		}
+
+		obj := CreateLLMInferenceService(
+			scenario.Name,
+			scenario.Namespace,
+			scenario.URL,
+			scenario.Ready,
+			opts..., // apply any options (e.g., WithSpecModelName)
+		)
+
 		objects = append(objects, obj)
 	}