diff --git a/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.test.ts b/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.test.ts
index 8c03375d4bd..e41ee8b1296 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.test.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
+  createUserSecretDefinitionSchema,
   createUserSecretDeclarationSchema,
   createUserSecretValueSchema,
   createSecretProviderConfigSchema,
@@ -63,6 +64,16 @@ describe("secret validators", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("does not allow user secret definitions to be created as deleted", () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      createUserSecretDefinitionSchema.parse({
+        key: "github_api_token",
+        name: "GitHub API token",
+        status: "deleted",
+      }),
+    ).toThrow();
+  });
+
   it("requires secret rotation payloads to include rotation input", () => {
     expect(() => rotateSecretSchema.parse({})).toThrow(/requires value, externalRef/);
     expect(() => rotateUserSecretValueSchema.parse({})).toThrow(/requires value, externalRef/);
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.ts b/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.ts
index bb6bf4e04cf..164ea2b4006 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/validators/secret.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 
 const secretKeySchema = z.string().trim().min(1).max(120).regex(/^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+$/);
 const secretVersionSelectorSchema = z.union([z.literal("latest"), z.number().int().positive()]);
+const creatableSecretStatusSchema = z.enum(["active", "disabled", "archived"]);
 
 export const envBindingPlainSchema = z.object({
   type: z.literal("plain"),
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ export const createUserSecretDefinitionSchema = z.object({
   key: secretKeySchema,
   name: z.string().trim().min(1).max(160),
   description: z.string().trim().max(500).optional().nullable(),
-  status: z.enum(SECRET_STATUSES).optional(),
+  status: creatableSecretStatusSchema.optional(),
   provider: z.enum(SECRET_PROVIDERS).optional(),
   providerConfigId: z.string().uuid().optional().nullable(),
   managedMode: z.enum(SECRET_MANAGED_MODES).optional(),
diff --git a/ui/src/api/secrets.ts b/ui/src/api/secrets.ts
index 139d1afaf13..d0bdca591b7 100644
--- a/ui/src/api/secrets.ts
+++ b/ui/src/api/secrets.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export interface CreateUserSecretDefinitionInput {
   key: string;
   name: string;
   description?: string | null;
-  status?: SecretStatus;
+  status?: Exclude<SecretStatus, "deleted">;
   provider?: SecretProvider;
   managedMode?: SecretManagedMode;
   providerConfigId?: string | null;
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ export interface CreateUserSecretDefinitionInput {
 }
 
 export interface UpdateUserSecretDefinitionInput {
-  key?: string;
   name?: string;
   description?: string | null;
   status?: SecretStatus;
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/secrets/UserSecretDefinitionsTab.tsx b/ui/src/pages/secrets/UserSecretDefinitionsTab.tsx
index b0360bbd139..40129958826 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/secrets/UserSecretDefinitionsTab.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/secrets/UserSecretDefinitionsTab.tsx
@@ -107,14 +107,17 @@ export function UserSecretDefinitionsTab({ companyId }: { companyId: string }) {
         name: form.name.trim(),
         description: form.description.trim() || null,
         usageGuidance: form.usageGuidance.trim() || null,
-        status: form.status,
       };
       if (editing) {
-        return secretsApi.updateUserSecretDefinition(companyId, editing.id, sharedPayload);
+        return secretsApi.updateUserSecretDefinition(companyId, editing.id, {
+          ...sharedPayload,
+          status: form.status,
+        });
       }
       return secretsApi.createUserSecretDefinition(companyId, {
         ...sharedPayload,
         key: form.key.trim(),
+        status: form.status === "deleted" ? "active" : form.status,
       });
     },
     onSuccess: (definition) => {