diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.vue b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.vue
index f843897e3..be4d30e77 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.vue
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.vue
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
         :widget="widget.simplified"
         :model-value="widget.value"
         :node-id="nodeData?.id != null ? String(nodeData.id) : ''"
+        :node-type="nodeType"
         class="flex-1"
         @update:model-value="widget.updateHandler"
       />
@@ -162,7 +163,9 @@ const processedWidgets = computed((): ProcessedWidget[] => {
       // Update the widget value directly
       widget.value = value as WidgetValue
 
-      if (widget.callback) {
+      // Skip callback for asset widgets - their callback opens the modal,
+      // but Vue asset mode handles selection through the dropdown
+      if (widget.callback && widget.type !== 'asset') {
         widget.callback(value)
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue
index dc4d76dfa..bb9ad350e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@
     :asset-kind="assetKind"
     :allow-upload="allowUpload"
     :upload-folder="uploadFolder"
+    :is-asset-mode="isAssetMode"
+    :default-layout-mode="defaultLayoutMode"
     @update:model-value="handleUpdateModelValue"
   />
   <WidgetSelectDefault
     v-else
-    v-bind="props"
+    :widget="widget"
+    :model-value="modelValue"
     @update:model-value="handleUpdateModelValue"
   />
 </template>
@@ -17,18 +20,22 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { computed } from 'vue'
 
+import { assetService } from '@/platform/assets/services/assetService'
+import { isCloud } from '@/platform/distribution/types'
+import { useSettingStore } from '@/platform/settings/settingStore'
+import WidgetSelectDefault from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDefault.vue'
+import WidgetSelectDropdown from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue'
+import type { LayoutMode } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/types'
 import type { ResultItemType } from '@/schemas/apiSchema'
 import { isComboInputSpec } from '@/schemas/nodeDef/nodeDefSchemaV2'
 import type { ComboInputSpec } from '@/schemas/nodeDef/nodeDefSchemaV2'
 import type { SimplifiedWidget } from '@/types/simplifiedWidget'
 import type { AssetKind } from '@/types/widgetTypes'
 
-import WidgetSelectDefault from './WidgetSelectDefault.vue'
-import WidgetSelectDropdown from './WidgetSelectDropdown.vue'
-
 const props = defineProps<{
   widget: SimplifiedWidget<string | number | undefined>
   modelValue: string | number | undefined
+  nodeType?: string
 }>()
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
@@ -90,10 +97,30 @@ const specDescriptor = computed<{
   }
 })
 
+const isAssetMode = computed(() => {
+  if (isCloud) {
+    const settingStore = useSettingStore()
+    const isUsingAssetAPI = settingStore.get('Comfy.Assets.UseAssetAPI')
+    const isEligible = assetService.isAssetBrowserEligible(
+      props.nodeType,
+      props.widget.name
+    )
+
+    return isUsingAssetAPI && isEligible
+  }
+
+  return false
+})
+
 const assetKind = computed(() => specDescriptor.value.kind)
-const isDropdownUIWidget = computed(() => assetKind.value !== 'unknown')
+const isDropdownUIWidget = computed(
+  () => isAssetMode.value || assetKind.value !== 'unknown'
+)
 const allowUpload = computed(() => specDescriptor.value.allowUpload)
 const uploadFolder = computed<ResultItemType>(() => {
   return specDescriptor.value.folder ?? 'input'
 })
+const defaultLayoutMode = computed<LayoutMode>(() => {
+  return isAssetMode.value ? 'list' : 'grid'
+})
 </script>
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue
index edd5a0257..d46bcd0f0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue
@@ -1,10 +1,21 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { computed, provide, ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { capitalize } from 'es-toolkit'
+import { computed, provide, ref, toRef, watch } from 'vue'
 
 import { useWidgetValue } from '@/composables/graph/useWidgetValue'
 import { useTransformCompatOverlayProps } from '@/composables/useTransformCompatOverlayProps'
 import { t } from '@/i18n'
 import { useToastStore } from '@/platform/updates/common/toastStore'
+import FormDropdown from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/FormDropdown.vue'
+import { AssetKindKey } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/types'
+import type {
+  DropdownItem,
+  FilterOption,
+  LayoutMode,
+  SelectedKey
+} from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/types'
+import WidgetLayoutField from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/layout/WidgetLayoutField.vue'
+import { useAssetWidgetData } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData'
 import type { ResultItemType } from '@/schemas/apiSchema'
 import { api } from '@/scripts/api'
 import { useAssetsStore } from '@/stores/assetsStore'
@@ -16,21 +27,15 @@ import {
   filterWidgetProps
 } from '@/utils/widgetPropFilter'
 
-import FormDropdown from './form/dropdown/FormDropdown.vue'
-import { AssetKindKey } from './form/dropdown/types'
-import type {
-  DropdownItem,
-  FilterOption,
-  SelectedKey
-} from './form/dropdown/types'
-import WidgetLayoutField from './layout/WidgetLayoutField.vue'
-
 const props = defineProps<{
   widget: SimplifiedWidget<string | number | undefined>
   modelValue: string | number | undefined
+  nodeType?: string
   assetKind?: AssetKind
   allowUpload?: boolean
   uploadFolder?: ResultItemType
+  isAssetMode?: boolean
+  defaultLayoutMode?: LayoutMode
 }>()
 
 provide(
@@ -59,12 +64,26 @@ const combinedProps = computed(() => ({
   ...transformCompatProps.value
 }))
 
+const getAssetData = () => {
+  if (props.isAssetMode && props.nodeType) {
+    return useAssetWidgetData(toRef(() => props.nodeType))
+  }
+  return null
+}
+const assetData = getAssetData()
+
 const filterSelected = ref('all')
-const filterOptions = ref<FilterOption[]>([
-  { id: 'all', name: 'All' },
-  { id: 'inputs', name: 'Inputs' },
-  { id: 'outputs', name: 'Outputs' }
-])
+const filterOptions = computed<FilterOption[]>(() => {
+  if (props.isAssetMode) {
+    const categoryName = assetData?.category.value ?? 'All'
+    return [{ id: 'all', name: capitalize(categoryName) }]
+  }
+  return [
+    { id: 'all', name: 'All' },
+    { id: 'inputs', name: 'Inputs' },
+    { id: 'outputs', name: 'Outputs' }
+  ]
+})
 
 const selectedSet = ref<Set<SelectedKey>>(new Set())
 
@@ -132,9 +151,16 @@ const outputItems = computed<DropdownItem[]>(() => {
 })
 
 const allItems = computed<DropdownItem[]>(() => {
+  if (props.isAssetMode && assetData) {
+    return assetData.dropdownItems.value
+  }
   return [...inputItems.value, ...outputItems.value]
 })
 const dropdownItems = computed<DropdownItem[]>(() => {
+  if (props.isAssetMode) {
+    return allItems.value
+  }
+
   switch (filterSelected.value) {
     case 'inputs':
       return inputItems.value
@@ -169,7 +195,10 @@ const mediaPlaceholder = computed(() => {
   return t('widgets.uploadSelect.placeholder')
 })
 
-const uploadable = computed(() => props.allowUpload === true)
+const uploadable = computed(() => {
+  if (props.isAssetMode) return false
+  return props.allowUpload === true
+})
 
 const acceptTypes = computed(() => {
   // Be permissive with accept types because backend uses libraries
@@ -186,6 +215,8 @@ const acceptTypes = computed(() => {
   }
 })
 
+const layoutMode = ref<LayoutMode>(props.defaultLayoutMode ?? 'grid')
+
 watch(
   localValue,
   (currentValue) => {
@@ -313,6 +344,7 @@ function getMediaUrl(
     <FormDropdown
       v-model:selected="selectedSet"
       v-model:filter-selected="filterSelected"
+      v-model:layout-mode="layoutMode"
       :items="dropdownItems"
       :placeholder="mediaPlaceholder"
       :multiple="false"
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/FormDropdownMenuItem.vue b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/FormDropdownMenuItem.vue
index 793363af7..976315571 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/FormDropdownMenuItem.vue
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/FormDropdownMenuItem.vue
@@ -124,16 +124,17 @@ function handleVideoLoad(event: Event) {
       :class="
         cn('flex gap-1', {
           'flex-col': layout === 'grid',
-          'flex-col px-4 py-1 w-full justify-center': layout === 'list',
+          'flex-col px-4 py-1 w-full justify-center min-w-0': layout === 'list',
           'flex-row p-2 items-center justify-between w-full':
             layout === 'list-small'
         })
       "
     >
       <span
+        v-tooltip="layout === 'grid' ? (label ?? name) : undefined"
         :class="
           cn(
-            'block text-[15px] line-clamp-2 wrap-break-word',
+            'block text-[15px] line-clamp-2 break-words overflow-hidden',
             'transition-colors duration-150',
             // selection
             !!selected && 'text-blue-500'
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData.ts b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b03f1dac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { computed, toValue, watch } from 'vue'
+import type { MaybeRefOrGetter } from 'vue'
+
+import { isCloud } from '@/platform/distribution/types'
+import type { AssetItem } from '@/platform/assets/schemas/assetSchema'
+import type { DropdownItem } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/form/dropdown/types'
+import { useAssetsStore } from '@/stores/assetsStore'
+import { useModelToNodeStore } from '@/stores/modelToNodeStore'
+
+/**
+ * Composable for fetching and transforming asset data for Vue node widgets.
+ * Provides reactive asset data based on node type with automatic category detection.
+ * Uses store-based caching to avoid duplicate fetches across multiple instances.
+ *
+ * Cloud-only composable - returns empty data when not in cloud environment.
+ *
+ * @param nodeType - ComfyUI node type (ref, getter, or plain value). Can be undefined.
+ *   Accepts: ref('CheckpointLoaderSimple'), () => 'CheckpointLoaderSimple', or 'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+ * @returns Reactive data including category, assets, dropdown items, loading state, and errors
+ */
+export function useAssetWidgetData(
+  nodeType: MaybeRefOrGetter<string | undefined>
+) {
+  if (isCloud) {
+    const assetsStore = useAssetsStore()
+    const modelToNodeStore = useModelToNodeStore()
+
+    const category = computed(() => {
+      const resolvedType = toValue(nodeType)
+      return resolvedType
+        ? modelToNodeStore.getCategoryForNodeType(resolvedType)
+        : undefined
+    })
+
+    const assets = computed<AssetItem[]>(() => {
+      const resolvedType = toValue(nodeType)
+      return resolvedType
+        ? (assetsStore.modelAssetsByNodeType.get(resolvedType) ?? [])
+        : []
+    })
+
+    const isLoading = computed(() => {
+      const resolvedType = toValue(nodeType)
+      return resolvedType
+        ? (assetsStore.modelLoadingByNodeType.get(resolvedType) ?? false)
+        : false
+    })
+
+    const error = computed<Error | null>(() => {
+      const resolvedType = toValue(nodeType)
+      return resolvedType
+        ? (assetsStore.modelErrorByNodeType.get(resolvedType) ?? null)
+        : null
+    })
+
+    const dropdownItems = computed<DropdownItem[]>(() => {
+      return assets.value.map((asset) => ({
+        id: asset.id,
+        name:
+          (asset.user_metadata?.filename as string | undefined) ?? asset.name,
+        label: asset.name,
+        mediaSrc: asset.preview_url ?? '',
+        metadata: ''
+      }))
+    })
+
+    watch(
+      () => toValue(nodeType),
+      async (currentNodeType) => {
+        if (!currentNodeType) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        const hasData = assetsStore.modelAssetsByNodeType.has(currentNodeType)
+
+        if (!hasData) {
+          await assetsStore.updateModelsForNodeType(currentNodeType)
+        }
+      },
+      { immediate: true }
+    )
+
+    return {
+      category,
+      assets,
+      dropdownItems,
+      isLoading,
+      error
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    category: computed(() => undefined),
+    assets: computed(() => []),
+    dropdownItems: computed(() => []),
+    isLoading: computed(() => false),
+    error: computed(() => null)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/registry/widgetRegistry.ts b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/registry/widgetRegistry.ts
index 8de442a08..025b83bcd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/registry/widgetRegistry.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/registry/widgetRegistry.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ const coreWidgetDefinitions: Array<[string, WidgetDefinition]> = [
       essential: true
     }
   ],
-  ['combo', { component: WidgetSelect, aliases: ['COMBO'], essential: true }],
+  [
+    'combo',
+    { component: WidgetSelect, aliases: ['COMBO', 'asset'], essential: true }
+  ],
   [
     'color',
     { component: WidgetColorPicker, aliases: ['COLOR'], essential: false }
diff --git a/src/stores/assetsStore.ts b/src/stores/assetsStore.ts
index 1c23980cf..5b8a5aa70 100644
--- a/src/stores/assetsStore.ts
+++ b/src/stores/assetsStore.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useAsyncState } from '@vueuse/core'
 import { defineStore } from 'pinia'
-import { computed } from 'vue'
+import { computed, shallowReactive } from 'vue'
 
 import {
   mapInputFileToAssetItem,
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 import type { AssetItem } from '@/platform/assets/schemas/assetSchema'
 import { assetService } from '@/platform/assets/services/assetService'
 import { isCloud } from '@/platform/distribution/types'
+import type { HistoryTaskItem } from '@/schemas/apiSchema'
 import { api } from '@/scripts/api'
 
 import { TaskItemImpl } from './queueStore'
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ async function fetchInputFilesFromCloud(): Promise<AssetItem[]> {
 /**
  * Convert history task items to asset items
  */
-function mapHistoryToAssets(historyItems: any[]): AssetItem[] {
+function mapHistoryToAssets(historyItems: HistoryTaskItem[]): AssetItem[] {
   const assetItems: AssetItem[] = []
 
   for (const item of historyItems) {
@@ -87,9 +88,13 @@ function mapHistoryToAssets(historyItems: any[]): AssetItem[] {
 export const useAssetsStore = defineStore('assets', () => {
   const maxHistoryItems = 200
 
-  const fetchInputFiles = isCloud
-    ? fetchInputFilesFromCloud
-    : fetchInputFilesFromAPI
+  const getFetchInputFiles = () => {
+    if (isCloud) {
+      return fetchInputFilesFromCloud
+    }
+    return fetchInputFilesFromAPI
+  }
+  const fetchInputFiles = getFetchInputFiles()
 
   const {
     state: inputAssets,
@@ -129,7 +134,6 @@ export const useAssetsStore = defineStore('assets', () => {
   const inputAssetsByFilename = computed(() => {
     const map = new Map<string, AssetItem>()
     for (const asset of inputAssets.value) {
-      // Use asset_hash as the key (hash-based filename)
       if (asset.asset_hash) {
         map.set(asset.asset_hash, asset)
       }
@@ -146,6 +150,96 @@ export const useAssetsStore = defineStore('assets', () => {
     return inputAssetsByFilename.value.get(filename)?.name ?? filename
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Model assets cached by node type (e.g., 'CheckpointLoaderSimple', 'LoraLoader')
+   * Used by multiple loader nodes to avoid duplicate fetches
+   * Cloud-only feature - empty Maps in desktop builds
+   */
+  const getModelState = () => {
+    if (isCloud) {
+      const modelAssetsByNodeType = shallowReactive(
+        new Map<string, AssetItem[]>()
+      )
+      const modelLoadingByNodeType = shallowReactive(new Map<string, boolean>())
+      const modelErrorByNodeType = shallowReactive(
+        new Map<string, Error | null>()
+      )
+
+      const stateByNodeType = shallowReactive(
+        new Map<string, ReturnType<typeof useAsyncState<AssetItem[]>>>()
+      )
+
+      /**
+       * Fetch and cache model assets for a specific node type
+       * Uses VueUse's useAsyncState for automatic loading/error tracking
+       * @param nodeType The node type to fetch assets for (e.g., 'CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+       * @returns Promise resolving to the fetched assets
+       */
+      async function updateModelsForNodeType(
+        nodeType: string
+      ): Promise<AssetItem[]> {
+        if (!stateByNodeType.has(nodeType)) {
+          stateByNodeType.set(
+            nodeType,
+            useAsyncState(
+              () => assetService.getAssetsForNodeType(nodeType),
+              [],
+              {
+                immediate: false,
+                resetOnExecute: false,
+                onError: (err) => {
+                  console.error(
+                    `Error fetching model assets for ${nodeType}:`,
+                    err
+                  )
+                }
+              }
+            )
+          )
+        }
+
+        const state = stateByNodeType.get(nodeType)!
+
+        modelLoadingByNodeType.set(nodeType, true)
+        modelErrorByNodeType.set(nodeType, null)
+
+        try {
+          await state.execute()
+          const assets = state.state.value
+          modelAssetsByNodeType.set(nodeType, assets)
+          modelErrorByNodeType.set(
+            nodeType,
+            state.error.value instanceof Error ? state.error.value : null
+          )
+          return assets
+        } finally {
+          modelLoadingByNodeType.set(nodeType, state.isLoading.value)
+        }
+      }
+
+      return {
+        modelAssetsByNodeType,
+        modelLoadingByNodeType,
+        modelErrorByNodeType,
+        updateModelsForNodeType
+      }
+    }
+
+    return {
+      modelAssetsByNodeType: shallowReactive(new Map<string, AssetItem[]>()),
+      modelLoadingByNodeType: shallowReactive(new Map<string, boolean>()),
+      modelErrorByNodeType: shallowReactive(new Map<string, Error | null>()),
+      updateModelsForNodeType: async () => []
+    }
+  }
+
+  const {
+    modelAssetsByNodeType,
+    modelLoadingByNodeType,
+    modelErrorByNodeType,
+    updateModelsForNodeType
+  } = getModelState()
+
   return {
     // States
     inputAssets,
@@ -161,6 +255,12 @@ export const useAssetsStore = defineStore('assets', () => {
 
     // Input mapping helpers
     inputAssetsByFilename,
-    getInputName
+    getInputName,
+
+    // Model assets
+    modelAssetsByNodeType,
+    modelLoadingByNodeType,
+    modelErrorByNodeType,
+    updateModelsForNodeType
   }
 })
diff --git a/tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.test.ts b/tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..78f6c370a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import { createTestingPinia } from '@pinia/testing'
+import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import type {
+  SafeWidgetData,
+  VueNodeData
+} from '@/composables/graph/useGraphNodeManager'
+
+import NodeWidgets from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/components/NodeWidgets.vue'
+
+describe('NodeWidgets', () => {
+  const createMockWidget = (
+    overrides: Partial<SafeWidgetData> = {}
+  ): SafeWidgetData => ({
+    name: 'test_widget',
+    type: 'combo',
+    value: 'test_value',
+    options: {
+      values: ['option1', 'option2']
+    },
+    callback: undefined,
+    spec: undefined,
+    label: undefined,
+    isDOMWidget: false,
+    slotMetadata: undefined,
+    ...overrides
+  })
+
+  const createMockNodeData = (
+    nodeType: string = 'TestNode',
+    widgets: SafeWidgetData[] = []
+  ): VueNodeData => ({
+    id: '1',
+    type: nodeType,
+    widgets,
+    title: 'Test Node',
+    mode: 0,
+    selected: false,
+    executing: false,
+    inputs: [],
+    outputs: []
+  })
+
+  const mountComponent = (nodeData?: VueNodeData) => {
+    return mount(NodeWidgets, {
+      props: {
+        nodeData
+      },
+      global: {
+        plugins: [createTestingPinia()],
+        stubs: {
+          // Stub InputSlot to avoid complex slot registration dependencies
+          InputSlot: true
+        },
+        mocks: {
+          $t: (key: string) => key
+        }
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
+  describe('node-type prop passing', () => {
+    it('passes node type to widget components', () => {
+      const widget = createMockWidget()
+      const nodeData = createMockNodeData('CheckpointLoaderSimple', [widget])
+      const wrapper = mountComponent(nodeData)
+
+      // Find the dynamically rendered widget component
+      const widgetComponent = wrapper.find('.lg-node-widget')
+      expect(widgetComponent.exists()).toBe(true)
+
+      // Verify node-type prop is passed
+      const component = widgetComponent.findComponent({ name: 'WidgetSelect' })
+      if (component.exists()) {
+        expect(component.props('nodeType')).toBe('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('passes empty string when nodeData is undefined', () => {
+      const wrapper = mountComponent(undefined)
+
+      // No widgets should be rendered
+      const widgetComponents = wrapper.findAll('.lg-node-widget')
+      expect(widgetComponents).toHaveLength(0)
+    })
+
+    it('passes empty string when nodeData.type is undefined', () => {
+      const widget = createMockWidget()
+      const nodeData = createMockNodeData('', [widget])
+      const wrapper = mountComponent(nodeData)
+
+      const widgetComponent = wrapper.find('.lg-node-widget')
+      if (widgetComponent.exists()) {
+        const component = widgetComponent.findComponent({
+          name: 'WidgetSelect'
+        })
+        if (component.exists()) {
+          expect(component.props('nodeType')).toBe('')
+        }
+      }
+    })
+
+    it.for(['CheckpointLoaderSimple', 'LoraLoader', 'VAELoader', 'KSampler'])(
+      'passes correct node type: %s',
+      (nodeType) => {
+        const widget = createMockWidget()
+        const nodeData = createMockNodeData(nodeType, [widget])
+        const wrapper = mountComponent(nodeData)
+
+        const widgetComponent = wrapper.find('.lg-node-widget')
+        expect(widgetComponent.exists()).toBe(true)
+
+        const component = widgetComponent.findComponent({
+          name: 'WidgetSelect'
+        })
+        if (component.exists()) {
+          expect(component.props('nodeType')).toBe(nodeType)
+        }
+      }
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts b/tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts
similarity index 65%
rename from src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts
rename to tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts
index 5aae57b01..de0791ee1 100644
--- a/src/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts
+++ b/tests-ui/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.test.ts
@@ -3,16 +3,47 @@ import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
 import PrimeVue from 'primevue/config'
 import Select from 'primevue/select'
 import type { SelectProps } from 'primevue/select'
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import type { ComboInputSpec } from '@/schemas/nodeDef/nodeDefSchemaV2'
 import type { SimplifiedWidget } from '@/types/simplifiedWidget'
 
-import WidgetSelect from './WidgetSelect.vue'
-import WidgetSelectDefault from './WidgetSelectDefault.vue'
-import WidgetSelectDropdown from './WidgetSelectDropdown.vue'
+import WidgetSelect from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue'
+import WidgetSelectDefault from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDefault.vue'
+import WidgetSelectDropdown from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelectDropdown.vue'
+
+// Mock state for distribution and settings
+const mockDistributionState = vi.hoisted(() => ({ isCloud: false }))
+const mockSettingStoreGet = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => false))
+const mockIsAssetBrowserEligible = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => false))
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/distribution/types', () => ({
+  get isCloud() {
+    return mockDistributionState.isCloud
+  }
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/settings/settingStore', () => ({
+  useSettingStore: vi.fn(() => ({
+    get: mockSettingStoreGet
+  }))
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/assets/services/assetService', () => ({
+  assetService: {
+    isAssetBrowserEligible: mockIsAssetBrowserEligible
+  }
+}))
 
 describe('WidgetSelect Value Binding', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Reset all mocks before each test
+    mockDistributionState.isCloud = false
+    mockSettingStoreGet.mockReturnValue(false)
+    mockIsAssetBrowserEligible.mockReturnValue(false)
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+  })
+
   const createMockWidget = (
     value: string = 'option1',
     options: Partial<
@@ -181,6 +212,92 @@ describe('WidgetSelect Value Binding', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('node-type prop passing', () => {
+    it('passes node-type prop to WidgetSelectDropdown', () => {
+      const spec: ComboInputSpec = {
+        type: 'COMBO',
+        name: 'test_select',
+        image_upload: true
+      }
+      const widget = createMockWidget('option1', {}, undefined, spec)
+      const wrapper = mount(WidgetSelect, {
+        props: {
+          widget,
+          modelValue: 'option1',
+          nodeType: 'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+        },
+        global: {
+          plugins: [PrimeVue, createTestingPinia()],
+          components: { Select }
+        }
+      })
+
+      const dropdown = wrapper.findComponent(WidgetSelectDropdown)
+      expect(dropdown.exists()).toBe(true)
+      expect(dropdown.props('nodeType')).toBe('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+    })
+
+    it('does not pass node-type prop to WidgetSelectDefault', () => {
+      const widget = createMockWidget('option1')
+      const wrapper = mount(WidgetSelect, {
+        props: {
+          widget,
+          modelValue: 'option1',
+          nodeType: 'KSampler'
+        },
+        global: {
+          plugins: [PrimeVue, createTestingPinia()],
+          components: { Select }
+        }
+      })
+
+      const defaultSelect = wrapper.findComponent(WidgetSelectDefault)
+      expect(defaultSelect.exists()).toBe(true)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('Asset mode detection', () => {
+    it('enables asset mode when all conditions are met', () => {
+      mockDistributionState.isCloud = true
+      mockSettingStoreGet.mockReturnValue(true)
+      mockIsAssetBrowserEligible.mockReturnValue(true)
+
+      const widget = createMockWidget('test.safetensors')
+      const wrapper = mount(WidgetSelect, {
+        props: {
+          widget,
+          modelValue: 'test.safetensors',
+          nodeType: 'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+        },
+        global: {
+          plugins: [PrimeVue, createTestingPinia()],
+          components: { Select }
+        }
+      })
+
+      expect(wrapper.findComponent(WidgetSelectDropdown).exists()).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('disables asset mode when conditions are not met', () => {
+      mockDistributionState.isCloud = false
+
+      const widget = createMockWidget('test.safetensors')
+      const wrapper = mount(WidgetSelect, {
+        props: {
+          widget,
+          modelValue: 'test.safetensors',
+          nodeType: 'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+        },
+        global: {
+          plugins: [PrimeVue, createTestingPinia()],
+          components: { Select }
+        }
+      })
+
+      expect(wrapper.findComponent(WidgetSelectDefault).exists()).toBe(true)
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('Spec-aware rendering', () => {
     it('uses dropdown variant when combo spec enables image uploads', () => {
       const spec: ComboInputSpec = {
diff --git a/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.desktop.test.ts b/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.desktop.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2410f0964
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.desktop.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { ref } from 'vue'
+
+import { useAssetWidgetData } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData'
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/distribution/types', () => ({
+  isCloud: false
+}))
+
+const mockUpdateModelsForNodeType = vi.fn()
+const mockGetCategoryForNodeType = vi.fn()
+
+vi.mock('@/stores/assetsStore', () => ({
+  useAssetsStore: () => ({
+    modelAssetsByNodeType: new Map(),
+    modelLoadingByNodeType: new Map(),
+    modelErrorByNodeType: new Map(),
+    updateModelsForNodeType: mockUpdateModelsForNodeType
+  })
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/stores/modelToNodeStore', () => ({
+  useModelToNodeStore: () => ({
+    getCategoryForNodeType: mockGetCategoryForNodeType
+  })
+}))
+
+describe('useAssetWidgetData (desktop/isCloud=false)', () => {
+  it('returns empty/default values without calling stores', () => {
+    const nodeType = ref('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+    const { category, assets, dropdownItems, isLoading, error } =
+      useAssetWidgetData(nodeType)
+
+    expect(category.value).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(assets.value).toEqual([])
+    expect(dropdownItems.value).toEqual([])
+    expect(isLoading.value).toBe(false)
+    expect(error.value).toBeNull()
+    expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(mockGetCategoryForNodeType).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.test.ts b/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c54564f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ui/tests/composables/useAssetWidgetData.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { nextTick, ref } from 'vue'
+
+import type { AssetItem } from '@/platform/assets/schemas/assetSchema'
+import { useAssetWidgetData } from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/composables/useAssetWidgetData'
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/distribution/types', () => ({
+  isCloud: true
+}))
+
+const mockModelAssetsByNodeType = new Map<string, AssetItem[]>()
+const mockModelLoadingByNodeType = new Map<string, boolean>()
+const mockModelErrorByNodeType = new Map<string, Error | null>()
+const mockUpdateModelsForNodeType = vi.fn()
+const mockGetCategoryForNodeType = vi.fn()
+
+vi.mock('@/stores/assetsStore', () => ({
+  useAssetsStore: () => ({
+    modelAssetsByNodeType: mockModelAssetsByNodeType,
+    modelLoadingByNodeType: mockModelLoadingByNodeType,
+    modelErrorByNodeType: mockModelErrorByNodeType,
+    updateModelsForNodeType: mockUpdateModelsForNodeType
+  })
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/stores/modelToNodeStore', () => ({
+  useModelToNodeStore: () => ({
+    getCategoryForNodeType: mockGetCategoryForNodeType
+  })
+}))
+
+describe('useAssetWidgetData (cloud mode, isCloud=true)', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    mockModelAssetsByNodeType.clear()
+    mockModelLoadingByNodeType.clear()
+    mockModelErrorByNodeType.clear()
+    mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue(undefined)
+
+    mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+      async (): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+        return []
+      }
+    )
+  })
+
+  const createMockAsset = (
+    id: string,
+    name: string,
+    filename: string,
+    previewUrl?: string
+  ): AssetItem => ({
+    id,
+    name,
+    size: 1024,
+    tags: ['models', 'checkpoints'],
+    created_at: '2025-01-01T00:00:00Z',
+    preview_url: previewUrl,
+    user_metadata: {
+      filename
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('fetches assets and transforms to dropdown items', async () => {
+    const mockAssets: AssetItem[] = [
+      createMockAsset(
+        'asset-1',
+        'Beautiful Model',
+        'models/beautiful_model.safetensors',
+        '/api/preview/asset-1'
+      ),
+      createMockAsset('asset-2', 'Model B', 'model_b.safetensors', '/preview/2')
+    ]
+
+    mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue('checkpoints')
+
+    mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+      async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+        mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, mockAssets)
+        mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+        return mockAssets
+      }
+    )
+
+    const nodeType = ref('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+    const { category, assets, dropdownItems, isLoading } =
+      useAssetWidgetData(nodeType)
+
+    await nextTick()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => !isLoading.value)
+
+    expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+    )
+    expect(category.value).toBe('checkpoints')
+    expect(assets.value).toEqual(mockAssets)
+
+    expect(dropdownItems.value).toHaveLength(2)
+    const item = dropdownItems.value[0]
+    expect(item.id).toBe('asset-1')
+    expect(item.name).toBe('models/beautiful_model.safetensors')
+    expect(item.label).toBe('Beautiful Model')
+    expect(item.mediaSrc).toBe('/api/preview/asset-1')
+  })
+
+  it('handles API errors gracefully', async () => {
+    const mockError = new Error('Network error')
+
+    mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+      async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+        mockModelErrorByNodeType.set(_nodeType, mockError)
+        mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, [])
+        mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+        return []
+      }
+    )
+
+    const nodeType = ref('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+    const { assets, error, isLoading } = useAssetWidgetData(nodeType)
+
+    await nextTick()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => !isLoading.value)
+
+    expect(error.value).toBe(mockError)
+    expect(assets.value).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('returns empty for unknown node type', async () => {
+    mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue(undefined)
+
+    mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+      async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+        mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, [])
+        mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+        return []
+      }
+    )
+
+    const nodeType = ref('UnknownNodeType')
+    const { category, assets } = useAssetWidgetData(nodeType)
+
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(category.value).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(assets.value).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  describe('MaybeRefOrGetter parameter support', () => {
+    it('accepts plain string value', async () => {
+      const mockAssets: AssetItem[] = [
+        createMockAsset('asset-1', 'Model A', 'model_a.safetensors')
+      ]
+
+      mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue('checkpoints')
+      mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+        async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+          mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, mockAssets)
+          mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+          return mockAssets
+        }
+      )
+
+      const { category, assets, isLoading } = useAssetWidgetData(
+        'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+      )
+
+      await nextTick()
+      await vi.waitFor(() => !isLoading.value)
+
+      expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+      )
+      expect(category.value).toBe('checkpoints')
+      expect(assets.value).toEqual(mockAssets)
+    })
+
+    it('accepts getter function', async () => {
+      const mockAssets: AssetItem[] = [
+        createMockAsset('asset-1', 'Model A', 'model_a.safetensors')
+      ]
+
+      mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue('loras')
+      mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+        async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+          mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, mockAssets)
+          mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+          return mockAssets
+        }
+      )
+
+      const nodeType = ref('LoraLoader')
+      const { category, assets, isLoading } = useAssetWidgetData(
+        () => nodeType.value
+      )
+
+      await nextTick()
+      await vi.waitFor(() => !isLoading.value)
+
+      expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).toHaveBeenCalledWith('LoraLoader')
+      expect(category.value).toBe('loras')
+      expect(assets.value).toEqual(mockAssets)
+    })
+
+    it('accepts ref (backward compatibility)', async () => {
+      const mockAssets: AssetItem[] = [
+        createMockAsset('asset-1', 'Model A', 'model_a.safetensors')
+      ]
+
+      mockGetCategoryForNodeType.mockReturnValue('checkpoints')
+      mockUpdateModelsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+        async (_nodeType: string): Promise<AssetItem[]> => {
+          mockModelAssetsByNodeType.set(_nodeType, mockAssets)
+          mockModelLoadingByNodeType.set(_nodeType, false)
+          return mockAssets
+        }
+      )
+
+      const nodeTypeRef = ref('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+      const { category, assets, isLoading } = useAssetWidgetData(nodeTypeRef)
+
+      await nextTick()
+      await vi.waitFor(() => !isLoading.value)
+
+      expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+      )
+      expect(category.value).toBe('checkpoints')
+      expect(assets.value).toEqual(mockAssets)
+    })
+
+    it('handles undefined node type gracefully', async () => {
+      const { category, assets, dropdownItems, isLoading, error } =
+        useAssetWidgetData(undefined)
+
+      await nextTick()
+
+      expect(mockUpdateModelsForNodeType).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(category.value).toBeUndefined()
+      expect(assets.value).toEqual([])
+      expect(dropdownItems.value).toEqual([])
+      expect(isLoading.value).toBe(false)
+      expect(error.value).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests-ui/tests/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.asset-mode.test.ts b/tests-ui/tests/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.asset-mode.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d21515af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ui/tests/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.asset-mode.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { createTestingPinia } from '@pinia/testing'
+import { flushPromises, mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import PrimeVue from 'primevue/config'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { SimplifiedWidget } from '@/types/simplifiedWidget'
+
+import WidgetSelect from '@/renderer/extensions/vueNodes/widgets/components/WidgetSelect.vue'
+
+// Mock modules
+vi.mock('@/platform/distribution/types', () => ({
+  isCloud: true
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/assets/services/assetService', () => ({
+  assetService: {
+    isAssetBrowserEligible: vi.fn(() => true)
+  }
+}))
+
+const mockSettingStoreGet = vi.fn()
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/settings/settingStore', () => ({
+  useSettingStore: vi.fn(() => ({
+    get: mockSettingStoreGet
+  }))
+}))
+
+// Import after mocks are defined
+import { assetService } from '@/platform/assets/services/assetService'
+const mockAssetServiceEligible = vi.mocked(assetService.isAssetBrowserEligible)
+
+describe('WidgetSelect asset mode', () => {
+  const createWidget = (): SimplifiedWidget<string | number | undefined> => ({
+    name: 'ckpt_name',
+    type: 'combo',
+    value: undefined,
+    options: {
+      values: []
+    }
+  })
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    mockAssetServiceEligible.mockReturnValue(true)
+    mockSettingStoreGet.mockReturnValue(true) // Default to true for UseAssetAPI
+  })
+
+  // Helper to mount with common setup
+  const mountWidget = () => {
+    return mount(WidgetSelect, {
+      props: {
+        widget: createWidget(),
+        modelValue: undefined,
+        nodeType: 'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+      },
+      global: {
+        plugins: [PrimeVue, createTestingPinia()]
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
+  it('uses dropdown when isCloud && UseAssetAPI && isEligible', async () => {
+    const wrapper = mountWidget()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(
+      wrapper.findComponent({ name: 'WidgetSelectDropdown' }).exists()
+    ).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('uses default widget when UseAssetAPI setting is false', () => {
+    mockSettingStoreGet.mockReturnValue(false)
+    const wrapper = mountWidget()
+
+    expect(
+      wrapper.findComponent({ name: 'WidgetSelectDefault' }).exists()
+    ).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('uses default widget when node is not eligible', () => {
+    mockAssetServiceEligible.mockReturnValue(false)
+    const wrapper = mountWidget()
+
+    expect(
+      wrapper.findComponent({ name: 'WidgetSelectDefault' }).exists()
+    ).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests-ui/tests/store/assetsStore.test.ts b/tests-ui/tests/store/assetsStore.test.ts
index 300efe02f..3ec8a9d20 100644
--- a/tests-ui/tests/store/assetsStore.test.ts
+++ b/tests-ui/tests/store/assetsStore.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
 import { createPinia, setActivePinia } from 'pinia'
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import type { AssetItem } from '@/platform/assets/schemas/assetSchema'
 import { useAssetsStore } from '@/stores/assetsStore'
+import { useModelToNodeStore } from '@/stores/modelToNodeStore'
+
+// Mock isCloud to be true for these tests
+vi.mock('@/platform/distribution/types', () => ({
+  isCloud: true
+}))
+
+// Mock assetService
+const mockGetAssetsForNodeType = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn())
+
+vi.mock('@/platform/assets/services/assetService', () => ({
+  assetService: {
+    getAssetsForNodeType: mockGetAssetsForNodeType
+  }
+}))
 
 const HASH_FILENAME =
   '72e786ff2a44d682c4294db0b7098e569832bc394efc6dad644e6ec85a78efb7.png'
@@ -24,6 +39,7 @@ function createMockAssetItem(overrides: Partial<AssetItem> = {}): AssetItem {
 describe('assetsStore', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     setActivePinia(createPinia())
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
   })
 
   describe('input asset mapping helpers', () => {
@@ -154,4 +170,56 @@ describe('assetsStore', () => {
       expect(store.inputAssetsByFilename.size).toBe(0)
     })
   })
+
+  describe('model assets caching', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      const modelToNodeStore = useModelToNodeStore()
+      modelToNodeStore.registerDefaults()
+    })
+
+    it('should cache assets by node type', async () => {
+      const store = useAssetsStore()
+      const mockAssets: AssetItem[] = [
+        createMockAssetItem({ id: '1', name: 'model_a.safetensors' }),
+        createMockAssetItem({ id: '2', name: 'model_b.safetensors' })
+      ]
+      mockGetAssetsForNodeType.mockResolvedValue(mockAssets)
+
+      await store.updateModelsForNodeType('CheckpointLoaderSimple')
+
+      expect(mockGetAssetsForNodeType).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'CheckpointLoaderSimple'
+      )
+      expect(store.modelAssetsByNodeType.get('CheckpointLoaderSimple')).toEqual(
+        mockAssets
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should track loading state', async () => {
+      const store = useAssetsStore()
+      mockGetAssetsForNodeType.mockImplementation(
+        () => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve([]), 100))
+      )
+
+      const promise = store.updateModelsForNodeType('LoraLoader')
+
+      expect(store.modelLoadingByNodeType.get('LoraLoader')).toBe(true)
+
+      await promise
+
+      expect(store.modelLoadingByNodeType.get('LoraLoader')).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('should handle errors gracefully', async () => {
+      const store = useAssetsStore()
+      const mockError = new Error('Network error')
+      mockGetAssetsForNodeType.mockRejectedValue(mockError)
+
+      await store.updateModelsForNodeType('VAELoader')
+
+      expect(store.modelErrorByNodeType.get('VAELoader')).toBe(mockError)
+      expect(store.modelAssetsByNodeType.get('VAELoader')).toEqual([])
+      expect(store.modelLoadingByNodeType.get('VAELoader')).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
 })