diff --git a/hermes_cli/auth.py b/hermes_cli/auth.py
index 929d2de4c..021905c3e 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/auth.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/auth.py
@@ -2037,6 +2037,25 @@ def _refresh_qwen_cli_tokens(tokens: Dict[str, Any], timeout_seconds: float = 20
     return refreshed
 
 
+def _mark_qwen_oauth_active(creds: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    """Set active_provider to qwen-oauth in auth.json.
+
+    Qwen OAuth tokens live in the Qwen CLI credential file managed by
+    _save_qwen_cli_tokens / resolve_qwen_runtime_credentials. This function
+    only writes a minimal provider-state entry (base_url for display) and
+    sets active_provider so that get_active_provider() and
+    _model_section_has_credentials() detect the provider for the setup wizard
+    and status commands.
+    """
+    with _auth_store_lock():
+        auth_store = _load_auth_store()
+        state: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+        if creds.get("base_url"):
+            state["base_url"] = str(creds["base_url"])
+        _save_provider_state(auth_store, "qwen-oauth", state)
+        _save_auth_store(auth_store)
+
+
 def resolve_qwen_runtime_credentials(
     *,
     force_refresh: bool = False,
diff --git a/hermes_cli/auth_commands.py b/hermes_cli/auth_commands.py
index d692a5c1e..ff03e8440 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/auth_commands.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/auth_commands.py
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ def auth_add_command(args) -> None:
 
     if provider == "qwen-oauth":
         creds = auth_mod.resolve_qwen_runtime_credentials(refresh_if_expiring=False)
+        auth_mod._mark_qwen_oauth_active(creds)
         label = (getattr(args, "label", None) or "").strip() or label_from_token(
             creds["api_key"],
             _oauth_default_label(provider, len(pool.entries()) + 1),
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_auth_commands.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_auth_commands.py
index 660ea368b..b53e73737 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_auth_commands.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_auth_commands.py
@@ -142,6 +142,55 @@ def test_auth_add_google_gemini_cli_sets_active_provider(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert entry["access_token"] == "ya29.test-token"
 
 
+def test_auth_add_qwen_oauth_sets_active_provider(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """hermes auth add qwen-oauth must set active_provider in auth.json.
+
+    Tokens are managed by the Qwen CLI credential file via
+    resolve_qwen_runtime_credentials(). The auth.json entry must record
+    active_provider — without storing tokens that would become stale.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "hermes"))
+    _write_auth_store(tmp_path, {"version": 1, "providers": {}})
+    _fake_creds = {
+        "provider": "qwen-oauth",
+        "base_url": "https://portal.qwen.ai/v1",
+        "api_key": "qwen-test-token",
+        "source": "qwen-cli",
+        "expires_at_ms": None,
+        "auth_file": "/home/user/.qwen/oauth_creds.json",
+    }
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hermes_cli.auth.resolve_qwen_runtime_credentials",
+        lambda **kw: _fake_creds,
+    )
+    # Prevent _seed_from_singletons from calling the real Qwen CLI file path
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "agent.credential_pool._seed_from_singletons",
+        lambda provider, entries: (False, set()),
+    )
+
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_add_command
+
+    class _Args:
+        provider = "qwen-oauth"
+        auth_type = "oauth"
+        api_key = None
+        label = None
+
+    auth_add_command(_Args())
+
+    payload = json.loads((tmp_path / "hermes" / "auth.json").read_text())
+    assert payload["active_provider"] == "qwen-oauth"
+    state = payload["providers"]["qwen-oauth"]
+    # Only base_url stored — no api_key (that lives in the Qwen CLI file).
+    assert state.get("base_url") == "https://portal.qwen.ai/v1"
+    assert "api_key" not in state
+    # pool entry from pool.add_entry() still present for hermes auth list
+    entries = payload["credential_pool"]["qwen-oauth"]
+    entry = next(item for item in entries if item["source"] == "manual:qwen_cli")
+    assert entry["access_token"] == "qwen-test-token"
+
+
 def test_auth_add_nous_oauth_persists_pool_entry(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "hermes"))
     _write_auth_store(tmp_path, {"version": 1, "providers": {}})