diff --git a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/account_processor.rs b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/account_processor.rs
index f0e1ebfc3d..1a01a7a7a5 100644
--- a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/account_processor.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/account_processor.rs
@@ -193,11 +193,18 @@ impl AccountRequestProcessor {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn load_latest_config(&self) -> Result<Config, JSONRPCErrorError> {
-        self.config_manager
+    async fn load_latest_config(&self) -> Config {
+        match self
+            .config_manager
             .load_latest_config(/*fallback_cwd*/ None)
             .await
-            .map_err(|err| internal_error(format!("failed to reload config: {err}")))
+        {
+            Ok(config) => config,
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::warn!("failed to reload config, using startup config: {err}");
+                self.config.as_ref().clone()
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     async fn maybe_refresh_plugin_caches_for_current_config(
@@ -906,7 +913,7 @@ impl AccountRequestProcessor {
         // Determine whether auth is required based on the active model provider.
         // If a custom provider is configured with `requires_openai_auth == false`,
         // then no auth step is required; otherwise, default to requiring auth.
-        let config = self.load_latest_config().await?;
+        let config = self.load_latest_config().await;
         let requires_openai_auth = config.model_provider.requires_openai_auth;
 
         let response = if !requires_openai_auth {
@@ -975,7 +982,7 @@ impl AccountRequestProcessor {
 
         self.refresh_token_if_requested(do_refresh).await;
 
-        let config = self.load_latest_config().await?;
+        let config = self.load_latest_config().await;
         let provider =
             create_model_provider(config.model_provider, Some(self.auth_manager.clone()));
         let account_state = match provider.account_state() {
diff --git a/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/account.rs b/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/account.rs
index 5f2e161919..8c03690bf3 100644
--- a/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/account.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/account.rs
@@ -2377,6 +2377,66 @@ region = "us-west-2"
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn account_reads_use_startup_config_when_config_reload_fails() -> Result<()> {
+    let codex_home = TempDir::new()?;
+    create_config_toml(
+        codex_home.path(),
+        CreateConfigTomlParams {
+            model_provider_id: Some("amazon-bedrock".to_string()),
+            extra_provider_config: Some(
+                r#"[model_providers.amazon-bedrock.aws]
+profile = "codex-bedrock"
+region = "us-west-2"
+"#
+                .to_string(),
+            ),
+            ..Default::default()
+        },
+    )?;
+
+    let mut mcp = TestAppServer::builder()
+        .with_codex_home(codex_home.path())
+        .without_auto_env()
+        .build()
+        .await?;
+    timeout(DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT, mcp.initialize()).await??;
+
+    std::fs::write(codex_home.path().join("config.toml"), "invalid = [")?;
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        read_account(&mut mcp).await?,
+        GetAccountResponse {
+            account: Some(Account::AmazonBedrock {
+                credential_source: AmazonBedrockCredentialSource::AwsManaged,
+            }),
+            requires_openai_auth: false,
+        }
+    );
+
+    let request_id = mcp
+        .send_get_auth_status_request(GetAuthStatusParams {
+            include_token: Some(false),
+            refresh_token: Some(false),
+        })
+        .await?;
+    let response = timeout(
+        DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT,
+        mcp.read_stream_until_response_message(RequestId::Integer(request_id)),
+    )
+    .await??;
+    assert_eq!(
+        to_response::<GetAuthStatusResponse>(response)?,
+        GetAuthStatusResponse {
+            auth_method: None,
+            auth_token: None,
+            requires_openai_auth: Some(false),
+        }
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn get_account_with_managed_bedrock_provider() -> Result<()> {
     let codex_home = TempDir::new()?;