diff --git a/coderd/database/lock.go b/coderd/database/lock.go
index 8d0894abc87..d2ec69293dc 100644
--- a/coderd/database/lock.go
+++ b/coderd/database/lock.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const (
 	LockIDReconcileSystemRoles
 	LockIDBoundaryUsageStats
 	LockIDAIProvidersEnvSeed
+	LockIDChatModelConfigWrites
 )
 
 // GenLockID generates a unique and consistent lock ID from a given string.
diff --git a/coderd/exp_chats.go b/coderd/exp_chats.go
index fa4407f880e..e5f350fa34c 100644
--- a/coderd/exp_chats.go
+++ b/coderd/exp_chats.go
@@ -7039,6 +7039,20 @@ func validateChatModelConfigProviderModel(aiProvider database.AIProvider, model
 	return nil
 }
 
+// inChatModelConfigWriteTx runs fn in a transaction that holds the advisory
+// lock serializing chat model config writes. All writes to the table must go
+// through this helper so concurrent writers cannot act on stale reads, e.g.
+// two creates on an empty deployment both self-promoting to default and
+// violating the idx_chat_model_configs_single_default unique index.
+func (api *API) inChatModelConfigWriteTx(ctx context.Context, fn func(tx database.Store) error) error {
+	return api.Database.InTx(func(tx database.Store) error {
+		if err := tx.AcquireLock(ctx, database.LockIDChatModelConfigWrites); err != nil {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("acquire chat model config write lock: %w", err)
+		}
+		return fn(tx)
+	}, nil)
+}
+
 func (api *API) createChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	ctx := r.Context()
 	apiKey := httpmw.APIKey(r)
@@ -7141,7 +7155,7 @@ func (api *API) createChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	var inserted database.ChatModelConfig
-	err = api.Database.InTx(func(tx database.Store) error {
+	err = api.inChatModelConfigWriteTx(ctx, func(tx database.Store) error {
 		//nolint:gocritic // The route already authorized chat model config updates.
 		lockedAIProvider, err := tx.GetAIProviderByIDForReferenceLock(dbauthz.AsChatd(ctx), insertParams.AIProviderID.UUID)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -7193,7 +7207,7 @@ func (api *API) createChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 		inserted = refreshedConfig
 		return nil
-	}, nil)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		var providerModelErr *chatModelConfigProviderModelError
 		switch {
@@ -7350,7 +7364,7 @@ func (api *API) updateChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	// Re-derive the provider type under lock when the model or provider changes.
 	revalidateProviderModel := updateParams.AIProviderID.Valid && (req.AIProviderID != nil || strings.TrimSpace(req.Model) != "")
 	var updated database.ChatModelConfig
-	err = api.Database.InTx(func(tx database.Store) error {
+	err = api.inChatModelConfigWriteTx(ctx, func(tx database.Store) error {
 		if revalidateProviderModel {
 			//nolint:gocritic // The route already authorized chat model config updates.
 			aiProvider, err := tx.GetAIProviderByIDForReferenceLock(dbauthz.AsChatd(ctx), updateParams.AIProviderID.UUID)
@@ -7406,7 +7420,7 @@ func (api *API) updateChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 		updated = refreshedConfig
 		return nil
-	}, nil)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		var providerModelErr *chatModelConfigProviderModelError
 		switch {
@@ -7466,12 +7480,12 @@ func (api *API) deleteChatModelConfig(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if err := api.Database.InTx(func(tx database.Store) error {
+	if err := api.inChatModelConfigWriteTx(ctx, func(tx database.Store) error {
 		if err := tx.DeleteChatModelConfigByID(ctx, modelConfigID); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		return ensureDefaultChatModelConfig(ctx, tx)
-	}, nil); err != nil {
+	}); err != nil {
 		httpapi.Write(ctx, rw, http.StatusInternalServerError, codersdk.Response{
 			Message: "Failed to delete chat model config.",
 			Detail:  err.Error(),
diff --git a/coderd/exp_chats_test.go b/coderd/exp_chats_test.go
index 4b93cfa1b8a..f40c155e476 100644
--- a/coderd/exp_chats_test.go
+++ b/coderd/exp_chats_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/shopspring/decimal"
 	"github.com/sqlc-dev/pqtype"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 
 	"cdr.dev/slog/v3/sloggers/slogtest"
@@ -3789,6 +3790,63 @@ func TestCreateChatModelConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		requireChatModelPricing(t, configs[0].ModelConfig, pricing)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("ConcurrentCreatesElectSingleDefault", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		ctx := testutil.Context(t, testutil.WaitLong)
+		client := newChatClient(t)
+		_ = coderdtest.CreateFirstUser(t, client.Client)
+
+		aiProvider := createAIProviderForTest(t, client, "openai", "test-api-key")
+
+		// Concurrent creators race to self-elect a default while one claims
+		// it via a follow-up update, mirroring a terraform apply. Unserialized,
+		// the losers 409 on the single-default unique index.
+		const creators = 10
+		contextLimit := int64(4096)
+		var claimed codersdk.ChatModelConfig
+		var eg errgroup.Group
+		for i := range creators - 1 {
+			eg.Go(func() error {
+				_, err := client.CreateChatModelConfig(ctx, codersdk.CreateChatModelConfigRequest{
+					AIProviderID: &aiProvider.ID,
+					Model:        fmt.Sprintf("gpt-4o-mini-%d", i),
+					ContextLimit: &contextLimit,
+				})
+				return err
+			})
+		}
+		eg.Go(func() error {
+			created, err := client.CreateChatModelConfig(ctx, codersdk.CreateChatModelConfigRequest{
+				AIProviderID: &aiProvider.ID,
+				Model:        "gpt-4o",
+				ContextLimit: &contextLimit,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("create claimed config: %w", err)
+			}
+			claimed, err = client.UpdateChatModelConfig(ctx, created.ID, codersdk.UpdateChatModelConfigRequest{
+				IsDefault: ptr.Ref(true),
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("promote claimed config: %w", err)
+			}
+			return nil
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, eg.Wait())
+
+		configs, err := client.ListChatModelConfigs(ctx)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Len(t, configs, creators)
+		var defaults []uuid.UUID
+		for _, cfg := range configs {
+			if cfg.IsDefault {
+				defaults = append(defaults, cfg.ID)
+			}
+		}
+		require.Equal(t, []uuid.UUID{claimed.ID}, defaults)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("RejectsNegativePricing", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()