diff --git a/server/src/services/settingsService.ts b/server/src/services/settingsService.ts
index 7f0580021..52a47c251 100644
--- a/server/src/services/settingsService.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/settingsService.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,17 @@ export function getUserSettings(userId: number): Record<string, unknown> {
   // an empty string would otherwise shadow the admin/system-wide default and the
   // user could never fall back to it — even after clearing their own value
   // (#1634). Non-defaultable keys keep their exact stored value.
-  const merged: Record<string, unknown> = { ...adminDefaults };
+  //
+  // Seed from the admin defaults, but mask any encrypted secret (e.g. a shared
+  // llm_api_key) exactly like the per-user path above: getUserSettings is the
+  // client-facing accessor and must never hand back a secret in cleartext — not
+  // even one inherited from an admin default (the fall-through above widened the
+  // set of users who inherit it). The server reads the real value via
+  // getAdminUserDefaults / getDecryptedUserSetting, which don't mask.
+  const merged: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(adminDefaults)) {
+    merged[key] = MASKED_SETTING_KEYS.has(key) ? (value ? '••••••••' : '') : value;
+  }
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(userSettings)) {
     if (
       DEFAULTABLE_USER_SETTING_KEY_SET.has(key) &&
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/services/settingsService.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/services/settingsService.test.ts
index 92f92d2a7..6395fec31 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/services/settingsService.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/services/settingsService.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,21 @@ describe('getUserSettings', () => {
     testDb.prepare("INSERT INTO settings (user_id, key, value) VALUES (?, 'theme', '')").run(user.id);
     expect(getUserSettings(user.id).theme).toBe('');
   });
+
+  it('SET-SVC-025 — an inherited admin llm_api_key is masked, never returned in cleartext', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    setAdminDefault('llm_api_key', 'sk-admin-secret');
+    // No user row → the value is inherited from the admin default; it is a secret
+    // and must reach the client masked, not in cleartext.
+    expect(getUserSettings(user.id).llm_api_key).toBe('••••••••');
+  });
+
+  it('SET-SVC-026 — an empty user llm_api_key falls back to the admin key, still masked', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    setAdminDefault('llm_api_key', 'sk-admin-secret');
+    testDb.prepare("INSERT INTO settings (user_id, key, value) VALUES (?, 'llm_api_key', '')").run(user.id);
+    expect(getUserSettings(user.id).llm_api_key).toBe('••••••••');
+  });
 });
 
 // ── upsertSetting ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────