diff --git a/invokeai/backend/model_manager/configs/main.py b/invokeai/backend/model_manager/configs/main.py
index 3e4aeaac9bf..bd297396714 100644
--- a/invokeai/backend/model_manager/configs/main.py
+++ b/invokeai/backend/model_manager/configs/main.py
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
 from invokeai.app.util.path_safety import is_plain_filename
+from invokeai.backend.flux.controlnet.state_dict_utils import (
+    is_state_dict_xlabs_controlnet,
+)
 from invokeai.backend.ltx2 import checkpoint_layout as ltx2_layout
 from invokeai.backend.model_manager.checkpoint_prefix import COMFYUI_KEY_PREFIXES
 from invokeai.backend.model_manager.configs.base import (
@@ -592,6 +595,9 @@ def _validate_is_flux(cls, mod: ModelOnDisk) -> None:
         ):
             raise NotAMatchError("state dict does not look like a FLUX checkpoint")
 
+        if is_state_dict_xlabs_controlnet(state_dict):
+            raise NotAMatchError("state dict is a FLUX ControlNet, not a main model")
+
         # Exclude FLUX.2 models - they have their own config class
         if _is_flux2_model(state_dict):
             raise NotAMatchError("model is a FLUX.2 model, not FLUX.1")
diff --git a/tests/backend/model_manager/configs/test_flux_controlnet_not_main_config.py b/tests/backend/model_manager/configs/test_flux_controlnet_not_main_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4cc12001dfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/backend/model_manager/configs/test_flux_controlnet_not_main_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+"""Regression test for XLabs FLUX ControlNet checkpoints being identified as FLUX main models.
+
+An XLabs FLUX ControlNet checkpoint (e.g. flux-canny-controlnet-v3.safetensors) contains two FLUX
+double blocks, so it carries the `double_blocks.0.img_attn.norm.key_norm.scale` key that
+`Main_Checkpoint_FLUX_Config` keys off. It also matches `is_state_dict_xlabs_controlnet`. Both config
+classes used to match, and the factory tie-break ranks main models first, so the file was installed as
+a main model and could not be used as a ControlNet (invoke-ai/InvokeAI#9832).
+"""
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from invokeai.backend.model_manager.configs.controlnet import ControlNet_Checkpoint_FLUX_Config
+from invokeai.backend.model_manager.configs.identification_utils import NotAMatchError
+from invokeai.backend.model_manager.configs.main import Main_Checkpoint_FLUX_Config
+from invokeai.backend.model_manager.taxonomy import BaseModelType, ModelFormat, ModelType
+
+_OVERRIDE_FIELDS: dict[str, object] = {
+    "hash": "blake3:fakehash",
+    "path": "/fake/models/flux-canny-controlnet-v3.safetensors",
+    "file_size": 1000,
+    "name": "flux-canny-controlnet-v3",
+    "description": "test",
+    "source": "test",
+    "source_type": "path",
+    "key": "test-key",
+}
+
+# Keys mirroring an XLabs FLUX ControlNet checkpoint: the controlnet-specific keys that
+# is_state_dict_xlabs_controlnet looks for, plus the two FLUX double blocks (and img_in / guidance_in)
+# the file actually contains. There are no single_blocks or final_layer keys.
+XLABS_CONTROLNET_KEYS = {
+    "controlnet_blocks.0.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 3072)),
+    "controlnet_blocks.0.bias": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072,)),
+    "input_hint_block.0.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(16, 3, 3, 3)),
+    "input_hint_block.0.bias": SimpleNamespace(shape=(16,)),
+    "pos_embed_input.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 64)),
+    "pos_embed_input.bias": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072,)),
+    "double_blocks.0.img_attn.norm.key_norm.scale": SimpleNamespace(shape=(128,)),
+    "double_blocks.0.img_attn.qkv.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(9216, 3072)),
+    "img_in.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 64)),
+    "guidance_in.out_layer.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 3072)),
+    "time_in.in_layer.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 256)),
+    "txt_in.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 4096)),
+    "vector_in.in_layer.weight": SimpleNamespace(shape=(3072, 768)),
+}
+
+
+def _make_mod(state_dict: dict[str, object]) -> MagicMock:
+    mod = MagicMock()
+    mod.load_state_dict.return_value = state_dict
+    mod.metadata.return_value = {}
+    return mod
+
+
+def test_xlabs_controlnet_does_not_match_flux_main():
+    mod = _make_mod(dict(XLABS_CONTROLNET_KEYS))
+
+    with pytest.raises(NotAMatchError, match="FLUX ControlNet"):
+        Main_Checkpoint_FLUX_Config.from_model_on_disk(mod, dict(_OVERRIDE_FIELDS))
+
+
+def test_xlabs_controlnet_matches_flux_controlnet():
+    mod = _make_mod(dict(XLABS_CONTROLNET_KEYS))
+
+    config = ControlNet_Checkpoint_FLUX_Config.from_model_on_disk(mod, dict(_OVERRIDE_FIELDS))
+
+    assert config.base is BaseModelType.Flux
+    assert config.type is ModelType.ControlNet
+    assert config.format is ModelFormat.Checkpoint