diff --git a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
index f1c82cd51..afa0daf1f 100644
--- a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ import sectionRenderers, {
   RendererComponent,
 } from "@/components/config-form/sectionExtras/registry";
 import { ConfigForm } from "../ConfigForm";
-import type { FormValidation, RJSFSchema, UiSchema } from "@rjsf/utils";
+import type { FormValidation, UiSchema } from "@rjsf/utils";
+import {
+  modifySchemaForSection,
+  getEffectiveDefaultsForSection,
+} from "./section-special-cases";
 import { getSectionValidation } from "../section-validations";
 import {
   useConfigOverride,
@@ -225,6 +229,13 @@ export function ConfigSection({
   // Get section schema using cached hook
   const sectionSchema = useSectionSchema(sectionPath, level);
 
+  // Apply special case handling for sections with problematic schema defaults
+  const modifiedSchema = useMemo(
+    () =>
+      modifySchemaForSection(sectionPath, level, sectionSchema ?? undefined),
+    [sectionPath, level, sectionSchema],
+  );
+
   // Get override status
   const { isOverridden, globalValue, cameraValue } = useConfigOverride({
     config,
@@ -275,59 +286,31 @@ export function ConfigSection({
   );
 
   const formData = useMemo(() => {
-    const baseData = sectionSchema
-      ? applySchemaDefaults(sectionSchema, rawFormData)
+    const baseData = modifiedSchema
+      ? applySchemaDefaults(modifiedSchema, rawFormData)
       : rawFormData;
     return sanitizeSectionData(baseData);
-  }, [rawFormData, sectionSchema, sanitizeSectionData]);
+  }, [rawFormData, modifiedSchema, sanitizeSectionData]);
 
   const schemaDefaults = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!sectionSchema) {
+    if (!modifiedSchema) {
       return {};
     }
-    return applySchemaDefaults(sectionSchema, {});
-  }, [sectionSchema]);
+    return applySchemaDefaults(modifiedSchema, {});
+  }, [modifiedSchema]);
 
-  const effectiveSchemaDefaults = useMemo(() => {
-    // Special-case: the server JSON Schema for the top-level `motion` global
-    // value is expressed as `anyOf` including `null` (default: null). The
-    // backend intentionally allows `motion` to be omitted/`null` so that an
-    // absent global motion config does not get merged into every camera's
-    // config. However, the form renderer materializes schema defaults into
-    // an object for display. That object-vs-null mismatch would cause our
-    // override-detection to see a difference on first render and show the
-    // false "Modified" badge.
-    //
-    // To avoid changing backend semantics we derive the effective defaults
-    // from the non-null anyOf branch for the `motion` global section and
-    // use those defaults as the comparison baseline in the UI. This ensures
-    // the displayed form and the comparison baseline match while leaving
-    // server behavior unchanged.
-    if (sectionPath !== "motion" || level !== "global" || !sectionSchema) {
-      return schemaDefaults;
-    }
-
-    const defaultsKeys = Object.keys(schemaDefaults);
-    if (defaultsKeys.length > 0) {
-      return schemaDefaults;
-    }
-
-    const anyOfSchemas = (sectionSchema as { anyOf?: unknown[] }).anyOf;
-    if (!Array.isArray(anyOfSchemas)) {
-      return schemaDefaults;
-    }
-
-    const motionSchema = anyOfSchemas.find(
-      (schema) =>
-        typeof schema === "object" && schema !== null && "properties" in schema,
-    );
-
-    if (!motionSchema || typeof motionSchema !== "object") {
-      return schemaDefaults;
-    }
-
-    return applySchemaDefaults(motionSchema as RJSFSchema, {});
-  }, [level, schemaDefaults, sectionPath, sectionSchema]);
+  // Get effective defaults, handling special cases where schema defaults
+  // don't match semantic intent
+  const effectiveSchemaDefaults = useMemo(
+    () =>
+      getEffectiveDefaultsForSection(
+        sectionPath,
+        level,
+        modifiedSchema,
+        schemaDefaults,
+      ),
+    [level, schemaDefaults, sectionPath, modifiedSchema],
+  );
 
   // Clear pendingData whenever formData changes (e.g., from server refresh)
   // This prevents RJSF's initial onChange call from being treated as a user edit
@@ -705,7 +688,7 @@ export function ConfigSection({
       );
   }, [sectionConfig.customValidate, sectionValidation]);
 
-  if (!sectionSchema) {
+  if (!modifiedSchema) {
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -734,7 +717,7 @@ export function ConfigSection({
     <div className="space-y-6">
       <ConfigForm
         key={formKey}
-        schema={sectionSchema}
+        schema={modifiedSchema}
         formData={pendingData || formData}
         onChange={handleChange}
         fieldOrder={sectionConfig.fieldOrder}
diff --git a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba771d5c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/**
+ * Special case handling for config sections with schema/default issues.
+ *
+ * Some sections have schema patterns that cause false "Modified" indicators
+ * when navigating to them due to how defaults are applied. This utility
+ * centralizes the logic for detecting and handling these cases.
+ */
+
+import { RJSFSchema } from "@rjsf/utils";
+import { applySchemaDefaults } from "@/lib/config-schema";
+
+/**
+ * Sections that require special handling at the global level.
+ * Add new section paths here as needed.
+ */
+const SPECIAL_CASE_SECTIONS = ["motion", "detectors"] as const;
+
+/**
+ * Check if a section requires special case handling.
+ */
+export function isSpecialCaseSection(
+  sectionPath: string,
+  level: string,
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    level === "global" &&
+    SPECIAL_CASE_SECTIONS.includes(
+      sectionPath as (typeof SPECIAL_CASE_SECTIONS)[number],
+    )
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Modify schema for sections that need defaults stripped or other modifications.
+ *
+ * - detectors: Strip the "default" field to prevent RJSF from merging the
+ *   default {"cpu": {"type": "cpu"}} with stored detector keys.
+ */
+export function modifySchemaForSection(
+  sectionPath: string,
+  level: string,
+  schema: RJSFSchema | undefined,
+): RJSFSchema | undefined {
+  if (!schema || !isSpecialCaseSection(sectionPath, level)) {
+    return schema;
+  }
+
+  // detectors: Remove default to prevent merging with stored keys
+  if (sectionPath === "detectors" && "default" in schema) {
+    const { default: _, ...schemaWithoutDefault } = schema;
+    return schemaWithoutDefault;
+  }
+
+  return schema;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get effective defaults for sections with special schema patterns.
+ *
+ * - motion: Has anyOf schema with [null, MotionConfig]. When stored value is
+ *   null, derive defaults from the non-null anyOf branch to avoid showing
+ *   changes when navigating to the page.
+ * - detectors: Return empty object since the schema default would add unwanted
+ *   keys to the stored configuration.
+ */
+export function getEffectiveDefaultsForSection(
+  sectionPath: string,
+  level: string,
+  schema: RJSFSchema | undefined,
+  schemaDefaults: unknown,
+): unknown {
+  if (!isSpecialCaseSection(sectionPath, level) || !schema) {
+    return schemaDefaults;
+  }
+
+  // motion: Derive defaults from non-null anyOf branch
+  if (sectionPath === "motion") {
+    const anyOfSchemas = (schema as { anyOf?: unknown[] }).anyOf;
+    if (!anyOfSchemas || !Array.isArray(anyOfSchemas)) {
+      return schemaDefaults;
+    }
+
+    // Find the non-null motion config schema
+    const motionSchema = anyOfSchemas.find(
+      (s) =>
+        typeof s === "object" &&
+        s !== null &&
+        (s as { type?: string }).type !== "null",
+    );
+
+    if (!motionSchema) {
+      return schemaDefaults;
+    }
+
+    return applySchemaDefaults(motionSchema as RJSFSchema, {});
+  }
+
+  // detectors: Return empty object to avoid adding default keys
+  if (sectionPath === "detectors") {
+    return {};
+  }
+
+  return schemaDefaults;
+}