diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/files-handlers.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/files-handlers.ts
index 6f5b55d..095956c 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/files-handlers.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/files-handlers.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ export function createFilesHandlers() {
       }
     },
 
+    "files.ensureDir": async ({ path: dirPath }: { path: string }) => {
+      try {
+        const resolved = path.resolve(dirPath.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME ?? ""));
+        fs.mkdirSync(resolved, { recursive: true });
+        return { ok: true, path: resolved };
+      } catch (err) {
+        return { ok: false, error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err) };
+      }
+    },
+
     "files.write": async ({ path: filePath, content }: { path: string; content: string }) => {
       const guard = guardPath(filePath);
       if (!guard.valid) {
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/misc-handlers.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/misc-handlers.ts
index 683dc62..073c6d1 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/misc-handlers.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/misc-handlers.ts
@@ -56,16 +56,30 @@ export function createMiscHandlers(deps: MiscDeps) {
 
   return {
     // ── Files: picker + homeDir ─────────────────────────────────────────
-    "files.pickDirectory": async ({ startingFolder }: { startingFolder?: string }) => {
+    "files.pickDirectory": async ({ startingFolder, createIfMissing }: { startingFolder?: string; createIfMissing?: boolean }) => {
       try {
         const { execSync } = await import("child_process");
-        const start = startingFolder?.replace(/^~/, process.env.HOME || "/home") || process.env.HOME || "/home";
+        const fs = await import("fs");
+        const home = process.env.HOME || "/home";
+        let start = (startingFolder || "~/").replace(/^~/, home);
+        // Resolve to nearest existing parent
+        while (start && start !== "/" && !fs.existsSync(start)) {
+          start = start.replace(/\/[^/]+\/?$/, "") || home;
+        }
+        if (!start || !fs.existsSync(start)) start = home;
         const result = execSync(
           `zenity --file-selection --directory --title="Select Project Folder" --filename="${start}/"`,
           { encoding: "utf-8", timeout: 120_000 },
         ).trim();
+        if (result && createIfMissing) {
+          fs.mkdirSync(result, { recursive: true });
+        }
         return { path: result || null };
-      } catch {
+      } catch (err: unknown) {
+        // Exit code 1 = user cancelled — not an error
+        if (err && typeof err === "object" && "status" in err && (err as {status:number}).status === 1) {
+          return { path: null };
+        }
         return { path: null };
       }
     },
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/model-fetcher.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/model-fetcher.ts
index 3259987..58e9aab 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/model-fetcher.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/model-fetcher.ts
@@ -13,24 +13,35 @@ export interface ModelInfo {
 
 const TIMEOUT = 8000;
 
+// Known Claude models as fallback when API key is not available
+const KNOWN_CLAUDE_MODELS: ModelInfo[] = [
+  { id: 'claude-opus-4-6', name: 'Claude Opus 4.6', provider: 'claude' },
+  { id: 'claude-sonnet-4-6', name: 'Claude Sonnet 4.6', provider: 'claude' },
+  { id: 'claude-opus-4-5-20250514', name: 'Claude Opus 4.5', provider: 'claude' },
+  { id: 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514', name: 'Claude Sonnet 4', provider: 'claude' },
+  { id: 'claude-haiku-4-5-20251001', name: 'Claude Haiku 4.5', provider: 'claude' },
+  { id: 'claude-sonnet-3-7-20250219', name: 'Claude Sonnet 3.7', provider: 'claude' },
+];
+
 export async function fetchClaudeModels(): Promise<ModelInfo[]> {
   const apiKey = process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY;
-  if (!apiKey) return [];
+  if (!apiKey) return KNOWN_CLAUDE_MODELS;
   try {
-    const res = await fetch('https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models', {
+    const res = await fetch('https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models?limit=100', {
       headers: {
         'x-api-key': apiKey,
         'anthropic-version': '2023-06-01',
       },
       signal: AbortSignal.timeout(TIMEOUT),
     });
-    if (!res.ok) return [];
+    if (!res.ok) return KNOWN_CLAUDE_MODELS;
     const data = await res.json() as { data?: Array<{ id: string; display_name?: string }> };
-    return (data.data ?? [])
+    const live = (data.data ?? [])
       .map(m => ({ id: m.id, name: m.display_name ?? m.id, provider: 'claude' }))
       .sort((a, b) => a.id.localeCompare(b.id));
+    return live.length > 0 ? live : KNOWN_CLAUDE_MODELS;
   } catch {
-    return [];
+    return KNOWN_CLAUDE_MODELS;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/PathBrowser.svelte b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/PathBrowser.svelte
index 96d5adc..29893a4 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/PathBrowser.svelte
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/PathBrowser.svelte
@@ -125,10 +125,14 @@
 </script>
 
 <div class="path-browser">
-  <!-- Header -->
+  <!-- Header with Select always visible -->
   <div class="pb-header">
     <span class="pb-title">{t('wizard.step1.browse' as any)}</span>
-    <button class="pb-close" onclick={onClose} aria-label={t('common.close' as any)}>✕</button>
+    <div class="pb-header-actions">
+      <span class="pb-current-compact" title={currentPath}>{currentPath}</span>
+      <button class="pb-select-btn" onclick={confirmSelect}>Select</button>
+      <button class="pb-close" onclick={onClose} aria-label={t('common.close' as any)}>✕</button>
+    </div>
   </div>
 
   <!-- Shortcuts -->
@@ -172,10 +176,9 @@
     {/if}
   </div>
 
-  <!-- Footer: current path + select -->
+  <!-- Footer: current path (Select moved to header) -->
   <div class="pb-footer">
     <span class="pb-current" title={currentPath}>{currentPath}</span>
-    <button class="pb-select-btn" onclick={confirmSelect}>Select</button>
   </div>
 </div>
 
@@ -199,6 +202,25 @@
     justify-content: space-between;
     padding: 0.375rem 0.5rem;
     border-bottom: 1px solid var(--ctp-surface0);
+    position: sticky;
+    top: 0;
+    z-index: 2;
+    background: var(--ctp-mantle);
+  }
+  .pb-header-actions {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 0.375rem;
+  }
+  .pb-current-compact {
+    font-size: 0.6875rem;
+    color: var(--ctp-subtext0);
+    max-width: 12rem;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    direction: rtl;
+    text-align: left;
   }
 
   .pb-title { font-size: 0.75rem; font-weight: 600; color: var(--ctp-text); }
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/ProjectWizard.svelte b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/ProjectWizard.svelte
index f171254..53c8981 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/ProjectWizard.svelte
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/ProjectWizard.svelte
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@
 
   async function createProject() {
     const cwd = sourceType === 'remote' ? `ssh://${sanitize(remoteUser)}@${sanitize(remoteHost)}:${sanitize(remotePath)}` : (sanitizePath(localPath) || localPath.trim());
+    // Ensure directory exists for local paths
+    if (sourceType !== 'remote' && cwd) {
+      try { await appRpc.request['files.ensureDir']({ path: cwd }); } catch { /* best effort */ }
+    }
     onCreated({ id: `p-${Date.now()}`, name: sanitize(projectName) || 'Untitled', cwd, provider, model: model || undefined, systemPrompt: systemPrompt || undefined, autoStart, groupId: selectedGroupId, useWorktrees: useWorktrees || undefined, shell: shellChoice, icon: projectIcon, color: projectColor, modelConfig: Object.keys(modelConfig).length > 0 ? modelConfig : undefined });
     resetState();
   }
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
index 44375a9..f47fbbc 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ export type PtyRPCRequests = {
       error?: string;
     };
   };
+  "files.ensureDir": {
+    params: { path: string };
+    response: { ok: boolean; path?: string; error?: string };
+  };
   /** Unguarded directory listing for PathBrowser (dirs only, no file content) */
   "files.browse": {
     params: { path: string };