diff --git a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/config/app_config.py b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/config/app_config.py
index 842b49d7a..7352d0af7 100644
--- a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/config/app_config.py
+++ b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/config/app_config.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from typing import Any, Self
 
 import yaml
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
-from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field, field_validator
 
 from deerflow.config.acp_config import ACPAgentConfig, load_acp_config_from_dict
 from deerflow.config.agents_api_config import AgentsApiConfig, load_agents_api_config_from_dict
@@ -148,6 +148,21 @@ class AppConfig(BaseModel):
         ),
     )
 
+    @field_validator("models", "tools", "tool_groups", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def _coerce_null_list_sections(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        """Treat a present-but-empty config section as an empty list.
+
+        Commenting out every entry under a top-level YAML key — e.g. ``models:``
+        with only comments beneath it, exactly as shipped in
+        ``config.example.yaml`` — makes PyYAML parse the value as ``None``.
+        Without this, the documented ``cp config.example.yaml config.yaml``
+        first-run flow crashes with an opaque ``Input should be a valid list``
+        pydantic error. Coercing ``None`` to ``[]`` keeps that flow working and
+        matches the field's own ``default_factory=list``.
+        """
+        return [] if value is None else value
+
     @classmethod
     def resolve_config_path(cls, config_path: str | None = None) -> Path:
         """Resolve the config file path.
@@ -209,6 +224,11 @@ class AppConfig(BaseModel):
         config_data["extensions"] = extensions_config.model_dump()
 
         result = cls.model_validate(config_data)
+        if not result.models:
+            logger.warning(
+                "No models are configured in %s. Add at least one entry under `models:` (see the commented examples in config.example.yaml) or run `make setup`.",
+                resolved_path,
+            )
         acp_agents = cls._validate_acp_agents(config_data.get("acp_agents", {}))
         cls._apply_singleton_configs(result, acp_agents)
         return result
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_app_config_reload.py b/backend/tests/test_app_config_reload.py
index 3f744aee2..c0bc00bff 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_app_config_reload.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_app_config_reload.py
@@ -140,6 +140,57 @@ def test_app_config_defaults_empty_database_to_sqlite(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert config.database.sqlite_dir == ".deer-flow/data"
 
 
+def test_app_config_coerces_commented_out_list_sections(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Commenting out every entry under a list key makes PyYAML parse it as None.
+
+    Regression for the documented ``cp config.example.yaml config.yaml`` flow
+    (issue #1444): such a config must load with empty lists instead of raising
+    ``Input should be a valid list``.
+    """
+    config_path = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+    extensions_path = tmp_path / "extensions_config.json"
+    _write_extensions_config(extensions_path)
+    config_path.write_text(
+        yaml.safe_dump(
+            {
+                "sandbox": {"use": "deerflow.sandbox.local:LocalSandboxProvider"},
+                "models": None,
+                "tools": None,
+                "tool_groups": None,
+            }
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DEER_FLOW_EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_PATH", str(extensions_path))
+
+    config = AppConfig.from_file(str(config_path))
+
+    assert config.models == []
+    assert config.tools == []
+    assert config.tool_groups == []
+
+
+def test_app_config_warns_when_no_models_configured(tmp_path, monkeypatch, caplog):
+    config_path = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+    extensions_path = tmp_path / "extensions_config.json"
+    _write_extensions_config(extensions_path)
+    config_path.write_text(
+        yaml.safe_dump(
+            {
+                "sandbox": {"use": "deerflow.sandbox.local:LocalSandboxProvider"},
+                "models": None,
+            }
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DEER_FLOW_EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_PATH", str(extensions_path))
+
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING", logger="deerflow.config.app_config"):
+        AppConfig.from_file(str(config_path))
+
+    assert "No models are configured" in caplog.text
+
+
 def test_get_app_config_reloads_when_file_changes(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     config_path = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
     extensions_path = tmp_path / "extensions_config.json"