diff --git a/app/server/README.md b/app/server/README.md
index 17e78bf5d..8e89fbbeb 100644
--- a/app/server/README.md
+++ b/app/server/README.md
@@ -223,6 +223,30 @@ Always set `family`, `task`, and `mode` explicitly rather than relying on inferr
 names or defaults. Several entries can use the same family with different GGUFs,
 tasks, or modes, provided each entry has a unique `id`.
 
+### Default session options
+
+Top-level `"default_session_options"` sets session options for every model of a
+family, keyed `<family>.<option>`. A model gets the entries of its family that its
+own `session_options` do not set. This applies to the configured models and to
+models loaded later through `POST /v1/models/load`, which is how the WebUI loads
+a model with `--ui-management`. The WebUI sends the catalog's session options,
+not the config's, so without defaults such a load drops settings like memory
+options:
+
+```json
+{
+  "ui_management": true,
+  "default_session_options": {
+    "irodori_tts.mem_saver": true,
+    "irodori_tts.codec_decode_chunk_steps": 100
+  },
+  "models": []
+}
+```
+
+A key without a family prefix is rejected when the config loads. A value for a
+family that never loads is ignored.
+
 ### Paths and model specs
 
 Relative model and configured voice-library paths resolve against the config
@@ -267,6 +291,7 @@ endpoint, or `request.options` on generic task endpoints.
 | `--task tts --mode offline` | `models[].task` and `models[].mode` | Choose the matching entry; a request does not change its session mode. |
 | `--load-option key=value` | `models[].load_options` | Not an inference-request option. |
 | `--session-option family.key=value` | `models[].session_options` | Not an inference-request option. |
+| `--session-option family.key=value` for every model of that family | top-level [`default_session_options`](#default-session-options) | Not an inference-request option. |
 | `--request-option key=value` | `models[].default_request_options` | Speech `options`, or generic `request.options`. |
 | `--seed 1234`, `--max-tokens 512` | `default_request_options`: `seed`, `max_tokens` | Speech also accepts these as top-level fields. |
 | `--instruct "..."` | `default_request_options`: use the model's documented option, usually `instruct` | `options.instruct` for a model accepting `instruct`; see the speech endpoint for the distinct `instructions` field. |
diff --git a/app/server/config.cpp b/app/server/config.cpp
index 949de8b3a..ae7f169bc 100644
--- a/app/server/config.cpp
+++ b/app/server/config.cpp
@@ -255,6 +255,20 @@ ServerConfig load_server_config(const std::filesystem::path & path, bool paralle
         config.model_spec_override = selection == "embedded"
             ? std::filesystem::path(selection) : resolve_path(base, selection);
     }
+    if (const auto * value = root.find("default_session_options")) {
+        if (!value->is_object()) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("server default_session_options must be an object");
+        }
+        config.default_session_options = options_from_object(value);
+        for (const auto & [key, option] : config.default_session_options) {
+            (void) option;
+            const auto dot = key.find('.');
+            if (dot == std::string::npos || dot == 0 || dot + 1 == key.size()) {
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "server default_session_options key must be <family>.<option>: " + key);
+            }
+        }
+    }
     if (const auto * value = root.find("voice_dir")) {
         if (!value->is_string()) {
             throw std::runtime_error("server voice_dir must be a string");
@@ -385,7 +399,19 @@ ServerConfig load_server_config(const std::filesystem::path & path, bool paralle
         }
         config.models.push_back(std::move(model));
     }
+    for (auto & model : config.models) {
+        apply_default_session_options(config, model);
+    }
     return config;
 }
 
+void apply_default_session_options(const ServerConfig & config, ServerModelConfig & model) {
+    const std::string prefix = model.family + ".";
+    for (const auto & [key, value] : config.default_session_options) {
+        if (key.rfind(prefix, 0) == 0) {
+            model.session_options.emplace(key, value);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 }  // namespace minitts::server
diff --git a/app/server/config.h b/app/server/config.h
index 33d5cdd41..dbe444f99 100644
--- a/app/server/config.h
+++ b/app/server/config.h
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ struct ServerConfig {
     std::string frontend_listener;
     ServerFrontendOptions frontend_options;
     std::optional<std::filesystem::path> model_spec_override;
+    // Session options for every model of a family that does not set them itself:
+    // the configured models and the ones loaded later through POST /v1/models/load
+    // (the WebUI). Keys are family-qualified, e.g. "irodori_tts.mem_saver".
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string> default_session_options;
     // Voice library shared across all TTS models: *.wav files plus a `prompt_text`
     // mapping file (<basename>|<transcript>). A request `voice` name that is not a
     // model preset resolves to <voice_dir>/<name>.wav as the cloning reference.
@@ -120,5 +124,8 @@ struct ServerConfig {
 engine::core::BackendType parse_server_backend(const std::string & value);
 ServerConfig load_server_config(const std::filesystem::path & path);
 ServerConfig load_server_config(const std::filesystem::path & path, bool parallel_jobs);
+// Adds the config.default_session_options entries for model.family that the model's
+// own session_options do not set.
+void apply_default_session_options(const ServerConfig & config, ServerModelConfig & model);
 
 }  // namespace minitts::server
diff --git a/app/server/parallel_runtime.cpp b/app/server/parallel_runtime.cpp
index 11fe10edd..247fe5258 100644
--- a/app/server/parallel_runtime.cpp
+++ b/app/server/parallel_runtime.cpp
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ HttpResponse ParallelServerState::handle_model_load(const std::string & body_tex
         requested.slots = static_cast<int>(slots->as_number());
     }
     requested.path = resolve_ui_model_path(engine::io::json::require_string(body, "path"));
+    apply_default_session_options(config_, requested);
 
     // Validate metadata/presets before replacing any live state. A failed
     // validation leaves the existing configuration and sessions intact.
diff --git a/app/server/runtime.cpp b/app/server/runtime.cpp
index 01d2737fb..1ffbf7f34 100644
--- a/app/server/runtime.cpp
+++ b/app/server/runtime.cpp
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ HttpResponse ServerState::handle_model_load(const std::string & body_text) {
     }
     auto requested = model_config_from_json(body, request_base_, false);
     requested.path = resolve_ui_model_path(engine::io::json::require_string(body, "path"));
+    apply_default_session_options(config_, requested);
 
     LoadedModel * existing = nullptr;
     {
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_server_config.cpp b/tests/unittests/test_server_config.cpp
index 603f85d2b..d059fefd0 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_server_config.cpp
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_server_config.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,66 @@ void test_default_request_options() {
     require(options.at("do_sample") == "false", "bool default request option parsed");
 }
 
+void test_default_session_options() {
+    const auto root = make_temp_root();
+    const auto config_path = write_config(
+        root,
+        "server_default_session_options.json",
+        R"JSON({
+  "default_session_options": {
+    "irodori_tts.mem_saver": true,
+    "irodori_tts.codec_decode_chunk_steps": 100,
+    "qwen3_asr.max_tokens": 256
+  },
+  "models": [
+    {
+      "id": "tts",
+      "family": "irodori_tts",
+      "path": "models/irodori.gguf",
+      "session_options": {
+        "irodori_tts.codec_decode_chunk_steps": "50"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "other",
+      "family": "omnivoice",
+      "path": "models/OmniVoice"
+    }
+  ]
+})JSON");
+
+    const auto config = minitts::server::load_server_config(config_path);
+    require(config.default_session_options.size() == 3, "default session options parsed");
+    const auto & tts = config.models.at(0).session_options;
+    require(tts.at("irodori_tts.mem_saver") == "true", "default fills an unset session option");
+    require(tts.at("irodori_tts.codec_decode_chunk_steps") == "50", "the model's own session option wins");
+    require(tts.count("qwen3_asr.max_tokens") == 0, "defaults of another family are not applied");
+    require(config.models.at(1).session_options.empty(), "a family without defaults is unchanged");
+
+    // Models loaded later (POST /v1/models/load) get the same treatment.
+    minitts::server::ServerModelConfig loaded;
+    loaded.family = "irodori_tts";
+    loaded.session_options["irodori_tts.mem_saver"] = "false";
+    minitts::server::apply_default_session_options(config, loaded);
+    require(loaded.session_options.at("irodori_tts.mem_saver") == "false", "a loaded model's own value wins");
+    require(loaded.session_options.at("irodori_tts.codec_decode_chunk_steps") == "100",
+            "a loaded model gets the family default");
+
+    for (const std::string bad : {R"({"default_session_options": {"mem_saver": true}, "models": []})",
+                                  R"({"default_session_options": {".mem_saver": true}, "models": []})",
+                                  R"({"default_session_options": {"irodori_tts.": true}, "models": []})",
+                                  R"({"default_session_options": ["irodori_tts.mem_saver"], "models": []})"}) {
+        const auto bad_path = write_config(root, "server_bad_default_session_options.json", bad);
+        bool rejected = false;
+        try {
+            (void) minitts::server::load_server_config(bad_path);
+        } catch (const std::runtime_error & error) {
+            rejected = std::string(error.what()).find("default_session_options") != std::string::npos;
+        }
+        require(rejected, "malformed default_session_options is rejected: " + bad);
+    }
+}
+
 void test_missing_default_preset_name_is_rejected() {
     const auto root = make_temp_root();
     const auto config_path = write_config(
@@ -680,6 +740,7 @@ int main() {
         test_builtin_utility_model_paths();
         test_default_preset_name();
         test_default_request_options();
+        test_default_session_options();
         test_missing_default_preset_name_is_rejected();
         test_duplicate_json_keys_are_rejected();
         test_busy_timeout_defaults_and_overrides();