diff --git a/config/omarchy/shell.json b/config/omarchy/shell.json
index a3f4c329..c746eef3 100644
--- a/config/omarchy/shell.json
+++ b/config/omarchy/shell.json
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
         {
           "id": "omarchy.tray"
         },
+        {
+          "id": "omarchy.model-usage"
+        },
         {
           "id": "omarchy.bluetooth"
         },
diff --git a/migrations/1785344985.sh b/migrations/1785344985.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..96deab5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/1785344985.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+echo "Add the model usage widget to the bar"
+
+# The widget is now in the default layout. It draws nothing until a provider
+# reports usage — Panel.qml is `visible: providers.length > 0`, and Main.qml
+# only counts a provider that is enabled *and* has recorded prompts, sessions,
+# active days, or a rate limit. So adding it to every existing bar is free:
+# machines without Claude Code or Codex never see it.
+
+config_file="$HOME/.config/omarchy/shell.json"
+
+if [[ -s $config_file ]] && omarchy-cmd-present jq; then
+  tmp=$(mktemp)
+  jq '
+    def entry_id:
+      if type == "string" then
+        .
+      elif type == "object" then
+        (.id // "")
+      else
+        ""
+      end;
+
+    def has_widget($id):
+      [(.bar.layout // {}) | to_entries[] | .value | select(type == "array") | .[] | entry_id]
+        | any(. == $id);
+
+    def insert_after($anchor; $entry):
+      if type != "array" then
+        [$entry]
+      else
+        ([range(0; length) as $i | select((.[$i] | entry_id) == $anchor) | $i][0]) as $anchor_index |
+        if $anchor_index == null then
+          [$entry] + .
+        else
+          .[0:$anchor_index + 1] + [$entry] + .[$anchor_index + 1:]
+        end
+      end;
+
+    # Respect a bar the user already curated: only place the widget when it is
+    # absent from every section, never a second copy.
+    if has_widget("omarchy.model-usage") then
+      .
+    else
+      .bar.layout.right |= insert_after("omarchy.tray"; { id: "omarchy.model-usage" })
+    end
+  ' "$config_file" >"$tmp" && mv "$tmp" "$config_file" || rm -f "$tmp"
+fi
+
+omarchy-restart-shell
diff --git a/shell/plugins/model-usage/README.md b/shell/plugins/model-usage/README.md
index 59b224cf..09281b36 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/model-usage/README.md
+++ b/shell/plugins/model-usage/README.md
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ there is no switch row at all; with none, the module leaves the bar entirely
 rather than sitting there with nothing to say. A CLI installed mid-session
 shows up at the next refresh, so nothing polls the disk waiting for it.
 
+That self-hiding is why the widget ships in the default bar layout: a machine
+that has never run Claude Code or Codex draws nothing, and the icon arrives on
+its own the first time a scan finds usage. Drop it with
+`omarchy bar plugin remove omarchy.model-usage`.
+
 ## Providers
 
 | Provider | Limits | Local stats |
diff --git a/test/shell.d/model-usage-default-migration-test.sh b/test/shell.d/model-usage-default-migration-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..8250f3fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/model-usage-default-migration-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(dirname "$0")/base-test.sh"
+
+require_command jq
+
+migration="$ROOT/migrations/1785344985.sh"
+test_dir=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$test_dir"' EXIT
+
+mkdir -p "$test_dir/bin"
+
+cat >"$test_dir/bin/omarchy-cmd-present" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+
+command -v "$1" >/dev/null
+STUB
+
+cat >"$test_dir/bin/omarchy-restart-shell" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+
+echo restart >>"$SHELL_RESTARTS"
+STUB
+
+chmod +x "$test_dir/bin/"*
+
+export SHELL_RESTARTS="$test_dir/shell-restarts"
+
+home="$test_dir/home"
+config="$home/.config/omarchy/shell.json"
+
+run_migration() {
+  : >"$SHELL_RESTARTS"
+  HOME="$home" PATH="$test_dir/bin:$PATH" bash -euo pipefail "$migration" >/dev/null
+}
+
+# The shipped default minus the widget is what every machine installed before
+# this migration has on disk.
+write_config() {
+  rm -rf "$home"
+  mkdir -p "$home/.config/omarchy"
+  jq "${1:-.}" "$ROOT/config/omarchy/shell.json" >"$config"
+}
+
+without_widget='del(.bar.layout[][] | select((if type == "object" then .id else . end) == "omarchy.model-usage"))'
+
+ids() {
+  jq -c --arg section "$1" '[.bar.layout[$section][]? | if type == "object" then .id else . end]' "$config"
+}
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ shipped default
+
+jq -e '[.bar.layout.right[].id] | index("omarchy.model-usage")' "$ROOT/config/omarchy/shell.json" >/dev/null ||
+  fail "shipped config puts model usage in the bar"
+pass "shipped config puts model usage in the bar"
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ placement
+
+write_config "$without_widget"
+run_migration
+
+[[ $(ids right) == '["omarchy.tray","omarchy.model-usage","omarchy.bluetooth","omarchy.network","omarchy.audio","omarchy.monitor","omarchy.power"]' ]] ||
+  fail "migration inserts model usage after the tray" "$(ids right)"
+pass "migration inserts model usage after the tray"
+
+(($(wc -l <"$SHELL_RESTARTS") == 1)) || fail "migration restarts the shell"
+pass "migration restarts the shell"
+
+before=$(sha256sum "$config")
+run_migration
+[[ $before == $(sha256sum "$config") ]] || fail "migration is idempotent" "$(ids right)"
+pass "migration is idempotent"
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ curated bars
+
+# A user who already placed the widget keeps it exactly where they put it, in
+# whichever section, and never gets a second copy.
+write_config "$without_widget | .bar.layout.center += [{ id: \"omarchy.model-usage\" }]"
+run_migration
+
+[[ $(ids center) == *'"omarchy.model-usage"'* ]] || fail "migration leaves a user-placed widget alone" "$(ids center)"
+[[ $(ids right) != *'"omarchy.model-usage"'* ]] || fail "migration does not add a second copy" "$(ids right)"
+pass "migration respects a widget the user already placed"
+
+# Layouts written before entries grew options are bare id strings.
+write_config "$without_widget | .bar.layout.right = [\"omarchy.tray\", \"omarchy.model-usage\", \"omarchy.power\"]"
+run_migration
+
+[[ $(ids right) == '["omarchy.tray","omarchy.model-usage","omarchy.power"]' ]] ||
+  fail "migration reads string-form entries" "$(ids right)"
+pass "migration reads string-form entries"
+
+# A tray dropped from the right section must not strand the widget or drop it.
+write_config "$without_widget | del(.bar.layout.right[] | select(.id == \"omarchy.tray\"))"
+run_migration
+
+[[ $(ids right) == '["omarchy.model-usage",'* ]] || fail "migration places the widget without a tray" "$(ids right)"
+pass "migration places the widget without a tray"
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ everything else
+
+write_config "$without_widget"
+cp "$config" "$test_dir/before.json"
+run_migration
+
+diff <(jq -S 'del(.bar.layout.right)' "$test_dir/before.json") <(jq -S 'del(.bar.layout.right)' "$config") >/dev/null ||
+  fail "migration touches nothing but the right section" "$(diff <(jq -S . "$test_dir/before.json") <(jq -S . "$config"))"
+pass "migration touches nothing but the right section"
+
+# A config the migration cannot parse is left alone rather than truncated.
+rm -rf "$home"
+mkdir -p "$home/.config/omarchy"
+printf '{ not json' >"$config"
+run_migration
+
+[[ $(cat "$config") == '{ not json' ]] || fail "migration leaves an unparsable config untouched" "$(cat "$config")"
+pass "migration leaves an unparsable config untouched"