diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/controllers/selector-controller.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/controllers/selector-controller.ts
index 9d56ad2c0..37983afe8 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/controllers/selector-controller.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/controllers/selector-controller.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ import {
 import { AUTO_THINKING, type ConfiguredThinkingLevel } from "../../thinking";
 import {
 	isImageProviderPreference,
+	isSearchProviderId,
 	isSearchProviderPreference,
+	setExcludedSearchProviders,
 	setPreferredImageProvider,
 	setPreferredSearchProvider,
 } from "../../tools";
@@ -419,6 +421,11 @@ export class SelectorController {
 					setPreferredSearchProvider(value);
 				}
 				break;
+			case "providers.webSearchExclude":
+				if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+					setExcludedSearchProviders(value.filter(isSearchProviderId));
+				}
+				break;
 			case "providers.image":
 				if (isImageProviderPreference(value)) {
 					setPreferredImageProvider(value);
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/web/search/provider-chain.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/web/search/provider-chain.test.ts
index b887ec174..2aa3d6248 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/web/search/provider-chain.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/web/search/provider-chain.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "bun:test";
 import type { AuthStorage } from "@oh-my-pi/pi-ai";
+import { SelectorController } from "@oh-my-pi/pi-coding-agent/modes/controllers/selector-controller";
 import {
 	resolveProviderChain,
 	setExcludedSearchProviders,
@@ -37,15 +38,6 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe("resolveProviderChain", () => {
-	it("keeps the preferred provider first when it is available and not excluded", async () => {
-		enableKeyBackedProviders();
-		setExcludedSearchProviders(SEARCH_PROVIDER_ORDER.filter(id => id !== "brave" && id !== "jina"));
-
-		const providers = await resolveProviderChain(authStorage, "brave");
-
-		expect(providers.map(provider => provider.id)).toEqual(["brave", "jina"]);
-	});
-
 	it("omits excluded providers from the fallback chain", async () => {
 		enableKeyBackedProviders();
 		setExcludedSearchProviders(SEARCH_PROVIDER_ORDER.filter(id => id !== "jina"));
@@ -63,4 +55,18 @@ describe("resolveProviderChain", () => {
 
 		expect(providers.map(provider => provider.id)).toEqual(["jina"]);
 	});
+
+	it("applies live settings edits to the exclusion chain", async () => {
+		enableKeyBackedProviders();
+		const controller = new SelectorController({} as unknown as ConstructorParameters<typeof SelectorController>[0]);
+
+		controller.handleSettingChange(
+			"providers.webSearchExclude",
+			SEARCH_PROVIDER_ORDER.filter(id => id !== "jina"),
+		);
+
+		const providers = await resolveProviderChain(authStorage, "auto");
+
+		expect(providers.map(provider => provider.id)).toEqual(["jina"]);
+	});
 });