diff --git a/ui/src/api/domain/agentTemplates.ts b/ui/src/api/domain/agentTemplates.ts
index 29257121fc..b0a0bfd4a2 100644
--- a/ui/src/api/domain/agentTemplates.ts
+++ b/ui/src/api/domain/agentTemplates.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,13 @@ export interface AgentTemplateLocalRef {
   name: string;
 }
 
-/** A model or MCP reference, local when namespace is omitted. */
+/**
+ * A model or MCP reference, local when namespace is omitted. Omitted `group` and
+ * `kind` mean the default kind; the form keeps them so an edit cannot repoint a reference.
+ */
 export interface ObjectReference {
+  group?: string;
+  kind?: string;
   name: string;
   namespace?: string;
 }
@@ -31,7 +36,8 @@ export interface ConfigMapKeyRef {
  * non-empty list limits the binding to those names.
  */
 export interface McpToolBinding {
-  server: ObjectReference & { kind: "RemoteMCPServer" };
+  /** The API server stores `kind: RemoteMCPServer` when it is omitted. */
+  server: ObjectReference;
   tools?: string[];
   requireApproval?: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.test.ts b/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.test.ts
index 3b23406ae2..4556806894 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.test.ts
@@ -333,7 +333,20 @@ describe("cross-namespace references", () => {
     };
     const draft = draftFromSpec(spec, "team-a");
     expect(draft.modelConfig).toEqual({ name: "default", namespace: "shared" });
-    expect(draft.mcpTools[0].serverRef).toEqual({ name: "tools", namespace: "shared" });
+    expect(draft.mcpTools[0].serverRef).toEqual({ kind: "RemoteMCPServer", name: "tools", namespace: "shared" });
+    const saved = specFromDraft(draft, spec);
+    expect(saved.modelConfig).toEqual(spec.modelConfig);
+    expect(saved.tools).toEqual(spec.tools);
+  });
+
+  // Dropping group or kind would point the reference at a same-named default object.
+  it("keeps the group and kind of model and MCP references through an edit", () => {
+    const spec = {
+      modelConfig: { group: "example.com", kind: "Foo", name: "default" },
+      tools: [{ mcp: { server: { group: "example.com", kind: "Foo", name: "tools" } } }],
+    };
+    const draft = draftFromSpec(spec, "team-a");
+    draft.description = "edited";
     const saved = specFromDraft(draft, spec);
     expect(saved.modelConfig).toEqual(spec.modelConfig);
     expect(saved.tools).toEqual(spec.tools);
diff --git a/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.ts b/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.ts
index c090370beb..998c9f70a2 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/agent-template-form/agentTemplateDraft.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export function draftFromSpec(spec: AgentTemplateSpec, namespace: string): Agent
     mcpTools: tools
       .filter((binding) => binding.mcp)
       .map((binding) => ({
-        serverRef: { name: binding.mcp?.server.name ?? "", namespace: binding.mcp?.server.namespace },
+        serverRef: { ...binding.mcp?.server, name: binding.mcp?.server.name ?? "" },
         tools: [...(binding.mcp?.tools ?? [])],
         requireApproval: binding.mcp?.requireApproval,
       })),
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ export function specFromDraft(
       .filter((tool) => tool.serverRef.name.trim() !== "")
       .map((tool) => ({
         mcp: {
-          // The form only selects RemoteMCPServers.
-          server: { kind: "RemoteMCPServer" as const, ...normalizedReference(tool.serverRef, draft.namespace) },
+          // A new pick is a RemoteMCPServer; a loaded reference keeps its own group and kind.
+          server: { kind: "RemoteMCPServer", ...normalizedReference(tool.serverRef, draft.namespace) },
           ...(tool.tools.length > 0 ? { tools: [...tool.tools] } : {}),
           // omitempty on the CRD: false is the default, so only true is sent.
           ...(tool.requireApproval ? { requireApproval: true } : {}),
@@ -313,11 +313,16 @@ export function draftProblems(
   return problems;
 }
 
-/** Keep local manifests concise while preserving shared resource identity. */
+/** Keep local manifests concise while preserving shared resource identity, group and kind. */
 function normalizedReference(ref: ObjectReference, ownerNamespace: string): ObjectReference {
   const name = ref.name.trim();
   const namespace = ref.namespace?.trim();
-  return !namespace || namespace === ownerNamespace ? { name } : { name, namespace };
+  return {
+    ...(ref.group ? { group: ref.group } : {}),
+    ...(ref.kind ? { kind: ref.kind } : {}),
+    name,
+    ...(namespace && namespace !== ownerNamespace ? { namespace } : {}),
+  };
 }
 
 /** Parses only the object-valued JSON shape the public API accepts. */