diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateEditRecipeModal.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateEditRecipeModal.tsx
index 5f342e06ece1..ee19d85fc06e 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateEditRecipeModal.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateEditRecipeModal.tsx
@@ -81,12 +81,8 @@ export default function CreateEditRecipeModal({
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);
   const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
 
-  // Initialize selected extensions for the recipe
-  const [recipeExtensions] = useState<ExtensionConfig[]>(() => {
-    if (recipe?.extensions) {
-      return recipe.extensions;
-    }
-    return [];
+  const [recipeExtensions] = useState<ExtensionConfig[] | undefined>(() => {
+    return recipe?.extensions ?? undefined;
   });
 
   // Reset form when recipe changes
@@ -132,6 +128,10 @@ export default function CreateEditRecipeModal({
       }
     }
 
+    const extensions = recipeExtensions?.map((extension) =>
+      'envs' in extension ? { ...extension, envs: undefined } : extension
+    ) as ExtensionConfig[] | undefined;
+
     return {
       ...recipe,
       title,
@@ -141,10 +141,7 @@ export default function CreateEditRecipeModal({
       prompt: prompt || undefined,
       parameters: formattedParameters,
       response: responseConfig,
-      // Strip envs to avoid leaking secrets
-      extensions: recipeExtensions.map((extension) =>
-        'envs' in extension ? { ...extension, envs: undefined } : extension
-      ) as ExtensionConfig[],
+      extensions,
     };
   }, [
     recipe,
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateRecipeFromSessionModal.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateRecipeFromSessionModal.tsx
index a16051a810d9..d035ad3e3dfc 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateRecipeFromSessionModal.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/CreateRecipeFromSessionModal.tsx
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ export default function CreateRecipeFromSessionModal({
 
     setIsCreating(true);
     try {
-      // Create the recipe object from form data
       const recipe: Recipe = {
         title: formData.title,
         description: formData.description,
@@ -181,7 +180,6 @@ export default function CreateRecipeFromSessionModal({
                 json_schema: JSON.parse(formData.jsonSchema),
               }
             : undefined,
-        extensions: [], // Will be populated based on current extensions
       };
 
       let recipeId = await saveRecipe(recipe, null);
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/RecipesView.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/RecipesView.tsx
index 64fe60f6d2c4..905efd17bcfa 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/RecipesView.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/recipes/RecipesView.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../api';
 import ImportRecipeForm, { ImportRecipeButton } from './ImportRecipeForm';
 import CreateEditRecipeModal from './CreateEditRecipeModal';
-import { generateDeepLink, Recipe } from '../../recipe';
+import { generateDeepLink, Recipe, stripEmptyExtensions } from '../../recipe';
 import { useNavigation } from '../../hooks/useNavigation';
 import { CronPicker } from '../schedule/CronPicker';
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from '../ui/dialog';
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ export default function RecipesView() {
     }
   };
 
-  const handleStartRecipeChat = async (recipe: Recipe, _recipeId: string) => {
+  const handleStartRecipeChat = async (recipe: Recipe) => {
     try {
       const newAgent = await startAgent({
         body: {
           working_dir: getInitialWorkingDir(),
-          recipe,
+          recipe: stripEmptyExtensions(recipe) as Recipe,
         },
         throwOnError: true,
       });
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ export default function RecipesView() {
           <Button
             onClick={(e) => {
               e.stopPropagation();
-              handleStartRecipeChat(recipe, recipeManifestResponse.id);
+              handleStartRecipeChat(recipe);
             }}
             size="sm"
             className="h-8 w-8 p-0"
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/recipe/index.ts b/ui/desktop/src/recipe/index.ts
index cabf9f185607..a4a0d95e6d45 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/recipe/index.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/recipe/index.ts
@@ -76,3 +76,11 @@ export async function generateDeepLink(recipe: Recipe): Promise<string> {
   const encoded = await encodeRecipe(recipe);
   return `goose://recipe?config=${encoded}`;
 }
+
+export function stripEmptyExtensions(recipe: Recipe): Recipe {
+  if (Array.isArray(recipe.extensions) && recipe.extensions.length === 0) {
+    const { extensions: _, ...rest } = recipe;
+    return rest as Recipe;
+  }
+  return recipe;
+}