diff --git a/agent/lmstudio_reasoning.py b/agent/lmstudio_reasoning.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..48ca667353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/lmstudio_reasoning.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+"""LM Studio reasoning-effort resolution shared by the chat-completions
+transport and run_agent's iteration-limit summary path.
+
+LM Studio publishes per-model ``capabilities.reasoning.allowed_options`` (e.g.
+``["off","on"]`` for toggle-style models, ``["off","minimal","low"]`` for
+graduated models). We map the user's ``reasoning_config`` onto LM Studio's
+OpenAI-compatible vocabulary, then clamp against the model's allowed set so
+the server doesn't 400 on an unsupported effort.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import List, Optional
+
+# LM Studio accepts these top-level reasoning_effort values via its
+# OpenAI-compatible chat.completions endpoint.
+_LM_VALID_EFFORTS = {"none", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh"}
+
+# Toggle-style models publish allowed_options as ["off","on"] in /api/v1/models.
+# Map them onto the OpenAI-compatible request vocabulary.
+_LM_EFFORT_ALIASES = {"off": "none", "on": "medium"}
+
+
+def resolve_lmstudio_effort(
+    reasoning_config: Optional[dict],
+    allowed_options: Optional[List[str]],
+) -> Optional[str]:
+    """Return the ``reasoning_effort`` string to send to LM Studio, or ``None``.
+
+    ``None`` means "omit the field": the user picked a level the model can't
+    honor, so let LM Studio fall back to the model's declared default rather
+    than silently substituting a different effort. When ``allowed_options`` is
+    falsy (probe failed), skip clamping and send the resolved effort anyway.
+    """
+    effort = "medium"
+    if reasoning_config and isinstance(reasoning_config, dict):
+        if reasoning_config.get("enabled") is False:
+            effort = "none"
+        else:
+            raw = (reasoning_config.get("effort") or "").strip().lower()
+            raw = _LM_EFFORT_ALIASES.get(raw, raw)
+            if raw in _LM_VALID_EFFORTS:
+                effort = raw
+    if allowed_options:
+        allowed = {_LM_EFFORT_ALIASES.get(opt, opt) for opt in allowed_options}
+        if effort not in allowed:
+            return None
+    return effort
diff --git a/agent/model_metadata.py b/agent/model_metadata.py
index 44135e2e65..d883263e62 100644
--- a/agent/model_metadata.py
+++ b/agent/model_metadata.py
@@ -1281,7 +1281,10 @@ def get_model_context_length(
     model = _strip_provider_prefix(model)
 
     # 1. Check persistent cache (model+provider)
-    if base_url:
+    # LM Studio is excluded — its loaded context length is transient (the
+    # user can reload the model with a different context_length at any time
+    # via /api/v1/models/load), so a stale cached value would mask reloads.
+    if base_url and provider != "lmstudio":
         cached = get_cached_context_length(model, base_url)
         if cached is not None:
             # Invalidate stale Codex OAuth cache entries: pre-PR #14935 builds
@@ -1334,7 +1337,8 @@ def get_model_context_length(
             if is_local_endpoint(base_url):
                 local_ctx = _query_local_context_length(model, base_url, api_key=api_key)
                 if local_ctx and local_ctx > 0:
-                    save_context_length(model, base_url, local_ctx)
+                    if provider != "lmstudio":
+                        save_context_length(model, base_url, local_ctx)
                     return local_ctx
             logger.info(
                 "Could not detect context length for model %r at %s — "
@@ -1424,7 +1428,8 @@ def get_model_context_length(
     if base_url and is_local_endpoint(base_url):
         local_ctx = _query_local_context_length(model, base_url, api_key=api_key)
         if local_ctx and local_ctx > 0:
-            save_context_length(model, base_url, local_ctx)
+            if provider != "lmstudio":
+                save_context_length(model, base_url, local_ctx)
             return local_ctx
 
     # 10. Default fallback — 128K
diff --git a/agent/transports/chat_completions.py b/agent/transports/chat_completions.py
index 480ba05d27..9c2db2c6c7 100644
--- a/agent/transports/chat_completions.py
+++ b/agent/transports/chat_completions.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ reasoning configuration, temperature handling, and extra_body assembly.
 import copy
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
+from agent.lmstudio_reasoning import resolve_lmstudio_effort
 from agent.moonshot_schema import is_moonshot_model, sanitize_moonshot_tools
 from agent.prompt_builder import DEVELOPER_ROLE_MODELS
 from agent.transports.base import ProviderTransport
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ class ChatCompletionsTransport(ProviderTransport):
             is_github_models: bool
             is_nvidia_nim: bool
             is_kimi: bool
+            is_tokenhub: bool
+            is_lmstudio: bool
             is_custom_provider: bool
             ollama_num_ctx: int | None
             # Provider routing
@@ -166,6 +169,7 @@ class ChatCompletionsTransport(ProviderTransport):
             # Reasoning
             supports_reasoning: bool
             github_reasoning_extra: dict | None
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options: list[str] | None  # raw allowed_options from /api/v1/models
             # Claude on OpenRouter/Nous max output
             anthropic_max_output: int | None
             # Extra
@@ -287,6 +291,18 @@ class ChatCompletionsTransport(ProviderTransport):
                         _tokenhub_effort = _e
                 api_kwargs["reasoning_effort"] = _tokenhub_effort
 
+        # LM Studio: top-level reasoning_effort. Only emit when the model
+        # declares reasoning support via /api/v1/models capabilities (gated
+        # upstream by params["supports_reasoning"]). resolve_lmstudio_effort
+        # is shared with run_agent's summary path so both stay in sync.
+        if params.get("is_lmstudio", False) and params.get("supports_reasoning", False):
+            _lm_effort = resolve_lmstudio_effort(
+                reasoning_config,
+                params.get("lmstudio_reasoning_options"),
+            )
+            if _lm_effort is not None:
+                api_kwargs["reasoning_effort"] = _lm_effort
+
         # extra_body assembly
         extra_body: Dict[str, Any] = {}
 
@@ -309,8 +325,9 @@ class ChatCompletionsTransport(ProviderTransport):
                 "type": "enabled" if _kimi_thinking_enabled else "disabled",
             }
 
-        # Reasoning
-        if params.get("supports_reasoning", False):
+        # Reasoning. LM Studio is handled above via top-level reasoning_effort,
+        # so skip emitting extra_body.reasoning for it.
+        if params.get("supports_reasoning", False) and not params.get("is_lmstudio", False):
             if is_github_models:
                 gh_reasoning = params.get("github_reasoning_extra")
                 if gh_reasoning is not None:
diff --git a/cli-config.yaml.example b/cli-config.yaml.example
index d6cb0bcb46..56b925f8ff 100644
--- a/cli-config.yaml.example
+++ b/cli-config.yaml.example
@@ -30,14 +30,13 @@ model:
   #   "ollama-cloud" - Ollama Cloud (requires: OLLAMA_API_KEY — https://ollama.com/settings)
   #   "kilocode"     - KiloCode gateway (requires: KILOCODE_API_KEY)
   #   "ai-gateway"   - Vercel AI Gateway (requires: AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY)
+  #   "lmstudio"     - LM Studio local server (optional: LM_API_KEY, defaults to http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1)
   #
   # Local servers (LM Studio, Ollama, vLLM, llama.cpp):
-  #   "custom"       - Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Set base_url below.
-  #   Aliases: "lmstudio", "ollama", "vllm", "llamacpp" all map to "custom".
-  #   Example for LM Studio:
-  #     provider: "lmstudio"
-  #     base_url: "http://localhost:1234/v1"
-  #   No API key needed — local servers typically ignore auth.
+  #   "custom"       - Any other OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Set base_url below.
+  #   Aliases: "ollama", "vllm", "llamacpp" all map to "custom".
+  #   LM Studio is first-class and uses provider: "lmstudio".
+  #   It works with both no-auth and auth-enabled server modes.
   #
   # Can also be overridden with --provider flag or HERMES_INFERENCE_PROVIDER env var.
   provider: "auto"
diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index dc73c8f089..33a4f585e2 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -5459,6 +5459,8 @@ class HermesCLI:
             try:
                 providers = list_authenticated_providers(
                     current_provider=self.provider or "",
+                    current_base_url=self.base_url or "",
+                    current_model=self.model or "",
                     user_providers=user_provs,
                     custom_providers=custom_provs,
                     max_models=50,
diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 4d6f5b86ad..c759cb4d3f 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -6169,6 +6169,7 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                     providers = list_authenticated_providers(
                         current_provider=current_provider,
                         current_base_url=current_base_url,
+                        current_model=current_model,
                         user_providers=user_provs,
                         custom_providers=custom_provs,
                         max_models=50,
@@ -6290,6 +6291,7 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                 providers = list_authenticated_providers(
                     current_provider=current_provider,
                     current_base_url=current_base_url,
+                    current_model=current_model,
                     user_providers=user_provs,
                     custom_providers=custom_provs,
                     max_models=5,
diff --git a/hermes_cli/auth.py b/hermes_cli/auth.py
index 61a5760dcb..c5ff23e586 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/auth.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/auth.py
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ SERVICE_PROVIDER_NAMES: Dict[str, str] = {
 DEFAULT_GEMINI_CLOUDCODE_BASE_URL = "cloudcode-pa://google"
 GEMINI_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN_REFRESH_SKEW_SECONDS = 60  # refresh 60s before expiry
 
+# LM Studio's default no-auth mode still requires *some* non-empty bearer for
+# the API-key code paths (auxiliary_client, runtime resolver) to treat the
+# provider as configured. This sentinel is sent only to LM Studio, never to
+# any remote service.
+LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER = "dummy-lm-api-key"
+
 
 # =============================================================================
 # Provider Registry
@@ -160,6 +166,14 @@ PROVIDER_REGISTRY: Dict[str, ProviderConfig] = {
         auth_type="oauth_external",
         inference_base_url=DEFAULT_GEMINI_CLOUDCODE_BASE_URL,
     ),
+    "lmstudio": ProviderConfig(
+        id="lmstudio",
+        name="LM Studio",
+        auth_type="api_key",
+        inference_base_url="http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+        api_key_env_vars=("LM_API_KEY",),
+        base_url_env_var="LM_BASE_URL",
+    ),
     "copilot": ProviderConfig(
         id="copilot",
         name="GitHub Copilot",
@@ -1155,8 +1169,8 @@ def resolve_provider(
         "aws": "bedrock", "aws-bedrock": "bedrock", "amazon-bedrock": "bedrock", "amazon": "bedrock",
         "go": "opencode-go", "opencode-go-sub": "opencode-go",
         "kilo": "kilocode", "kilo-code": "kilocode", "kilo-gateway": "kilocode",
+        "lmstudio": "lmstudio", "lm-studio": "lmstudio", "lm_studio": "lmstudio",
         # Local server aliases — route through the generic custom provider
-        "lmstudio": "custom", "lm-studio": "custom", "lm_studio": "custom",
         "ollama": "custom", "ollama_cloud": "ollama-cloud",
         "vllm": "custom", "llamacpp": "custom",
         "llama.cpp": "custom", "llama-cpp": "custom",
@@ -1203,8 +1217,11 @@ def resolve_provider(
             continue
         # GitHub tokens are commonly present for repo/tool access but should not
         # hijack inference auto-selection unless the user explicitly chooses
-        # Copilot/GitHub Models as the provider.
-        if pid == "copilot":
+        # Copilot/GitHub Models as the provider. LM Studio is a local server
+        # whose availability isn't implied by LM_API_KEY presence (it may be
+        # offline, and the no-auth setup uses a placeholder value), so it
+        # also requires explicit selection.
+        if pid in ("copilot", "lmstudio"):
             continue
         for env_var in pconfig.api_key_env_vars:
             if has_usable_secret(os.getenv(env_var, "")):
@@ -3482,6 +3499,13 @@ def resolve_api_key_provider_credentials(provider_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     key_source = ""
     api_key, key_source = _resolve_api_key_provider_secret(provider_id, pconfig)
 
+    # No-auth LM Studio: substitute a placeholder so runtime / auxiliary_client
+    # see the local server as configured. doctor still reports unconfigured
+    # because get_api_key_provider_status uses the raw secret resolver.
+    if not api_key and provider_id == "lmstudio":
+        api_key = LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER
+        key_source = key_source or "default"
+
     env_url = ""
     if pconfig.base_url_env_var:
         env_url = os.getenv(pconfig.base_url_env_var, "").strip()
diff --git a/hermes_cli/commands.py b/hermes_cli/commands.py
index d83f2ac9eb..5c732720e5 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/commands.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/commands.py
@@ -946,6 +946,42 @@ def slack_subcommand_map() -> dict[str, str]:
 # Autocomplete
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+
+# Per-process cache for /model<space> LM Studio autocomplete. Probing on
+# every keystroke would block the UI; a short TTL keeps it live without
+# hammering the server.
+_LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE: tuple[float, list[str]] | None = None
+
+
+def _lmstudio_completion_models() -> list[str]:
+    """Locally-loaded LM Studio models for /model autocomplete (cached, gated)."""
+    global _LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE
+    # Gate: don't probe 127.0.0.1 on every keystroke for users who don't use LM Studio.
+    if not (os.environ.get("LM_API_KEY") or os.environ.get("LM_BASE_URL")):
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.auth import _load_auth_store
+            store = _load_auth_store() or {}
+            if "lmstudio" not in (store.get("providers") or {}) \
+               and "lmstudio" not in (store.get("credential_pool") or {}):
+                return []
+        except Exception:
+            return []
+    now = time.time()
+    if _LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE and (now - _LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE[0]) < 30.0:
+        return _LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE[1]
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.models import fetch_lmstudio_models
+        models = fetch_lmstudio_models(
+            api_key=os.environ.get("LM_API_KEY", ""),
+            base_url=os.environ.get("LM_BASE_URL") or "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+            timeout=0.8,
+        )
+    except Exception:
+        models = []
+    _LMSTUDIO_COMPLETION_CACHE = (now, models)
+    return models
+
+
 class SlashCommandCompleter(Completer):
     """Autocomplete for built-in slash commands, subcommands, and skill commands."""
 
@@ -1369,6 +1405,19 @@ class SlashCommandCompleter(Completer):
                     )
         except Exception:
             pass
+        # LM Studio: surface locally-loaded models. Gated on the user actually
+        # having LM Studio configured (env var or auth-store entry) so we
+        # don't probe 127.0.0.1 on every keystroke for users who don't use it.
+        for name in _lmstudio_completion_models():
+            if name in seen:
+                continue
+            if name.startswith(sub_lower) and name != sub_lower:
+                yield Completion(
+                    name,
+                    start_position=-len(sub_text),
+                    display=name,
+                    display_meta="LM Studio",
+                )
 
     def get_completions(self, document, complete_event):
         text = document.text_before_cursor
diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index 7291bfe330..0c3b39393c 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     },
 
     # Config schema version - bump this when adding new required fields
-    "_config_version": 22,
+    "_config_version": 23,
 }
 
 # =============================================================================
@@ -1223,6 +1223,22 @@ OPTIONAL_ENV_VARS = {
         "category": "provider",
         "advanced": True,
     },
+    "LM_API_KEY": {
+        "description": "LM Studio bearer token for auth-enabled local servers",
+        "prompt": "LM Studio API key / bearer token",
+        "url": None,
+        "password": True,
+        "category": "provider",
+        "advanced": True,
+    },
+    "LM_BASE_URL": {
+        "description": "LM Studio base URL override",
+        "prompt": "LM Studio base URL (leave empty for default)",
+        "url": None,
+        "password": False,
+        "category": "provider",
+        "advanced": True,
+    },
     "GLM_API_KEY": {
         "description": "Z.AI / GLM API key (also recognized as ZAI_API_KEY / Z_AI_API_KEY)",
         "prompt": "Z.AI / GLM API key",
@@ -3107,6 +3123,28 @@ def migrate_config(interactive: bool = True, quiet: bool = False) -> Dict[str, A
                         "Use `hermes plugins enable <name>` to activate."
                     )
 
+    # ── Version 22 → 23: ensure LM_API_KEY is set when provider is lmstudio ──
+    # LM Studio's documented default is no-auth, but our API-key registry
+    # path needs *some* non-empty value to satisfy auxiliary_client and
+    # runtime resolution. Self-heal users whose config.yaml has
+    # provider:lmstudio but no LM_API_KEY in .env (cross-machine sync,
+    # manual edit, profile move).
+    if current_ver < 23:
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.auth import LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER
+            config = load_config()
+            model_cfg = config.get("model")
+            if isinstance(model_cfg, dict) and str(model_cfg.get("provider") or "").strip().lower() == "lmstudio":
+                if not get_env_value("LM_API_KEY"):
+                    save_env_value("LM_API_KEY", LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER)
+                    results["env_added"].append(
+                        f"LM_API_KEY={LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER} (placeholder for no-auth LM Studio)"
+                    )
+                    if not quiet:
+                        print("  ✓ Added placeholder LM_API_KEY for LM Studio (no-auth default)")
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
     if current_ver < latest_ver and not quiet:
         print(f"Config version: {current_ver} → {latest_ver}")
     
@@ -3806,7 +3844,7 @@ def save_env_value(key: str, value: str):
     value = _check_non_ascii_credential(key, value)
     ensure_hermes_home()
     env_path = get_env_path()
-    
+
     # On Windows, open() defaults to the system locale (cp1252) which can
     # cause OSError errno 22 on UTF-8 .env files.
     read_kw = {"encoding": "utf-8", "errors": "replace"} if _IS_WINDOWS else {}
@@ -3818,7 +3856,7 @@ def save_env_value(key: str, value: str):
             lines = f.readlines()
         # Sanitize on every read: split concatenated keys, drop stale placeholders
         lines = _sanitize_env_lines(lines)
-    
+
     # Find and update or append
     found = False
     for i, line in enumerate(lines):
@@ -3826,7 +3864,7 @@ def save_env_value(key: str, value: str):
             lines[i] = f"{key}={value}\n"
             found = True
             break
-    
+
     if not found:
         # Ensure there's a newline at the end of the file before appending
         if lines and not lines[-1].endswith("\n"):
diff --git a/hermes_cli/doctor.py b/hermes_cli/doctor.py
index dd9d2d164a..e49844bac2 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/doctor.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/doctor.py
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ def run_doctor(args):
                     )
 
             # Warn if model is set to a provider-prefixed name on a provider that doesn't use them
-            if default_model and "/" in default_model and canonical_provider and canonical_provider not in ("openrouter", "custom", "auto", "ai-gateway", "kilocode", "opencode-zen", "huggingface", "nous"):
+            if default_model and "/" in default_model and canonical_provider and canonical_provider not in ("openrouter", "custom", "auto", "ai-gateway", "kilocode", "opencode-zen", "huggingface", "nous", "lmstudio"):
                 check_warn(
                     f"model.default '{default_model}' uses a vendor/model slug but provider is '{provider_raw}'",
                     "(vendor-prefixed slugs belong to aggregators like openrouter)",
diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 2ec8e44481..607883d596 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -1821,6 +1821,7 @@ def select_provider_and_model(args=None):
         "nvidia",
         "ollama-cloud",
         "tencent-tokenhub",
+        "lmstudio",
     ):
         _model_flow_api_key_provider(config, selected_provider, current_model)
 
@@ -2047,7 +2048,11 @@ def _aux_select_for_task(task: str) -> None:
 
     # Gather authenticated providers (has credentials + curated model list)
     try:
-        providers = list_authenticated_providers(current_provider=current_provider)
+        providers = list_authenticated_providers(
+            current_provider=current_provider,
+            current_model=current_model,
+            current_base_url=current_base_url,
+        )
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"Could not detect authenticated providers: {exc}")
         providers = []
@@ -4377,6 +4382,7 @@ def _model_flow_bedrock(config, current_model=""):
 def _model_flow_api_key_provider(config, provider_id, current_model=""):
     """Generic flow for API-key providers (z.ai, MiniMax, OpenCode, etc.)."""
     from hermes_cli.auth import (
+        LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER,
         PROVIDER_REGISTRY,
         _prompt_model_selection,
         _save_model_choice,
@@ -4411,13 +4417,20 @@ def _model_flow_api_key_provider(config, provider_id, current_model=""):
             try:
                 import getpass
 
-                new_key = getpass.getpass(f"{key_env} (or Enter to cancel): ").strip()
+                if provider_id == "lmstudio":
+                    prompt = f"{key_env} (Enter for no-auth default {LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER!r}): "
+                else:
+                    prompt = f"{key_env} (or Enter to cancel): "
+                new_key = getpass.getpass(prompt).strip()
             except (KeyboardInterrupt, EOFError):
                 print()
                 return
             if not new_key:
-                print("Cancelled.")
-                return
+                if provider_id == "lmstudio":
+                    new_key = LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER
+                else:
+                    print("Cancelled.")
+                    return
             save_env_value(key_env, new_key)
             existing_key = new_key
             print("API key saved.")
@@ -4484,10 +4497,21 @@ def _model_flow_api_key_provider(config, provider_id, current_model=""):
                 print("  Tier check: could not verify (proceeding anyway).")
             print()
 
-    # Optional base URL override
+    # Optional base URL override.
+    # Precedence: env var → config.yaml model.base_url → registry default.
+    # Reading config.yaml prevents silently overwriting a saved remote URL
+    # (e.g. a remote LM Studio endpoint) with localhost when the user just
+    # presses Enter at the prompt below.
     current_base = ""
     if base_url_env:
         current_base = get_env_value(base_url_env) or os.getenv(base_url_env, "")
+    if not current_base:
+        try:
+            _m = load_config().get("model") or {}
+            if str(_m.get("provider") or "").strip().lower() == provider_id:
+                current_base = str(_m.get("base_url") or "").strip()
+        except Exception:
+            pass
     effective_base = current_base or pconfig.inference_base_url
 
     try:
@@ -4509,8 +4533,22 @@ def _model_flow_api_key_provider(config, provider_id, current_model=""):
     #   2. Curated static fallback list (offline insurance)
     #   3. Live /models endpoint probe (small providers without models.dev data)
     #
-    # Ollama Cloud: dedicated merged discovery (live API + models.dev + disk cache)
-    if provider_id == "ollama-cloud":
+    # LM Studio: live /api/v1/models probe (no models.dev catalog).
+    # Ollama Cloud: merged discovery (live API + models.dev + disk cache).
+    if provider_id == "lmstudio":
+        from hermes_cli.auth import AuthError
+        from hermes_cli.models import fetch_lmstudio_models
+
+        api_key_for_probe = existing_key or (get_env_value(key_env) if key_env else "")
+        try:
+            model_list = fetch_lmstudio_models(api_key=api_key_for_probe, base_url=effective_base)
+        except AuthError as exc:
+            print(f"  LM Studio rejected the request: {exc}")
+            print("  Set LM_API_KEY (or update it) to match the server's bearer token.")
+            model_list = []
+        if model_list:
+            print(f"  Found {len(model_list)} model(s) from LM Studio")
+    elif provider_id == "ollama-cloud":
         from hermes_cli.models import fetch_ollama_cloud_models
 
         api_key_for_probe = existing_key or (get_env_value(key_env) if key_env else "")
diff --git a/hermes_cli/model_switch.py b/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
index d5a118f2db..869d82bf6d 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/model_switch.py
@@ -984,6 +984,7 @@ def list_authenticated_providers(
     user_providers: dict = None,
     custom_providers: list | None = None,
     max_models: int = 8,
+    current_model: str = "",
 ) -> List[dict]:
     """Detect which providers have credentials and list their curated models.
 
@@ -1030,6 +1031,34 @@ def list_authenticated_providers(
     if "ollama-cloud" not in curated:
         from hermes_cli.models import fetch_ollama_cloud_models
         curated["ollama-cloud"] = fetch_ollama_cloud_models()
+    # LM Studio has no static catalog — probe its native /api/v1/models
+    # endpoint live so the picker reflects whatever the user has loaded.
+    # Base URL precedence: LM_BASE_URL env var > active config's base_url
+    # (when current provider is lmstudio) > 127.0.0.1 default.
+    # On auth rejection or unreachable server, fall back to the caller-supplied
+    # current model so the picker still shows something when offline / mis-keyed.
+    if "lmstudio" not in curated and (
+        os.environ.get("LM_API_KEY") or os.environ.get("LM_BASE_URL") or current_provider.strip().lower() == "lmstudio"
+    ):
+        from hermes_cli.models import fetch_lmstudio_models
+        from hermes_cli.auth import AuthError
+        is_current_lmstudio = current_provider.strip().lower() == "lmstudio"
+        lm_base = (
+            os.environ.get("LM_BASE_URL")
+            or (current_base_url if is_current_lmstudio and current_base_url else None)
+            or "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1"
+        )
+        try:
+            live = fetch_lmstudio_models(
+                api_key=os.environ.get("LM_API_KEY", ""),
+                base_url=lm_base,
+                timeout=1.5, # Smaller timeout for picker
+            )
+        except AuthError:
+            live = []
+        if not live and is_current_lmstudio and current_model:
+            live = [current_model]
+        curated["lmstudio"] = live
 
     # --- 1. Check Hermes-mapped providers ---
     for hermes_id, mdev_id in PROVIDER_TO_MODELS_DEV.items():
diff --git a/hermes_cli/models.py b/hermes_cli/models.py
index 320c8f97f4..bd590a5576 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/models.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/models.py
@@ -768,6 +768,7 @@ class ProviderEntry(NamedTuple):
 CANONICAL_PROVIDERS: list[ProviderEntry] = [
     ProviderEntry("nous",           "Nous Portal",              "Nous Portal (Nous Research subscription)"),
     ProviderEntry("openrouter",     "OpenRouter",               "OpenRouter (100+ models, pay-per-use)"),
+    ProviderEntry("lmstudio",       "LM Studio",                "LM Studio (local desktop app with built-in model server)"),
     ProviderEntry("ai-gateway",     "Vercel AI Gateway",        "Vercel AI Gateway (200+ models, $5 free credit, no markup)"),
     ProviderEntry("anthropic",      "Anthropic",                "Anthropic (Claude models — API key or Claude Code)"),
     ProviderEntry("openai-codex",   "OpenAI Codex",             "OpenAI Codex"),
@@ -870,6 +871,9 @@ _PROVIDER_ALIASES = {
     "nvidia-nim": "nvidia",
     "build-nvidia": "nvidia",
     "nemotron": "nvidia",
+    "lmstudio": "lmstudio",
+    "lm-studio": "lmstudio",
+    "lm_studio": "lmstudio",
     "ollama": "custom",  # bare "ollama" = local; use "ollama-cloud" for cloud
     "ollama_cloud": "ollama-cloud",
 }
@@ -2195,6 +2199,225 @@ def _is_github_models_base_url(base_url: Optional[str]) -> bool:
     )
 
 
+def probe_lmstudio_models(
+    api_key: Optional[str] = None,
+    base_url: Optional[str] = None,
+    timeout: float = 5.0,
+) -> Optional[list[str]]:
+    """Probe LM Studio's model listing.
+
+    Returns chat-capable model keys on success, including the valid empty-list
+    case when the server is reachable but has no non-embedding models.
+    Returns ``None`` on network errors, malformed responses, or empty/invalid
+    base URLs.
+
+    Raises ``AuthError`` on HTTP 401/403 so callers can surface token issues
+    separately from reachability problems.
+    """
+    server_root = (base_url or "").strip().rstrip("/")
+    if server_root.endswith("/v1"):
+        server_root = server_root[:-3].rstrip("/")
+    if not server_root:
+        return None
+
+    headers = {"User-Agent": _HERMES_USER_AGENT}
+    token = str(api_key or "").strip()
+    if token:
+        headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {token}"
+    request = urllib.request.Request(server_root + "/api/v1/models", headers=headers)
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=timeout) as resp:
+            payload = json.loads(resp.read().decode())
+    except urllib.error.HTTPError as exc:
+        if exc.code in (401, 403):
+            from hermes_cli.auth import AuthError
+            raise AuthError(
+                f"LM Studio rejected the request with HTTP {exc.code}.",
+                provider="lmstudio",
+                code="auth_rejected",
+            ) from exc
+        import logging
+        logging.getLogger(__name__).debug(
+            "LM Studio probe at %s failed with HTTP %s", server_root, exc.code,
+        )
+        return None
+    except Exception as exc:
+        import logging
+        logging.getLogger(__name__).debug(
+            "LM Studio probe at %s failed: %s", server_root, exc,
+        )
+        return None
+
+    raw_models = payload.get("models") if isinstance(payload, dict) else None
+    if not isinstance(raw_models, list):
+        import logging
+        logging.getLogger(__name__).debug(
+            "LM Studio probe at %s returned malformed payload (no `models` list)",
+            server_root,
+        )
+        return None
+
+    keys: list[str] = []
+    for raw in raw_models:
+        if not isinstance(raw, dict):
+            continue
+        if str(raw.get("type") or "").strip().lower() == "embedding":
+            continue
+        key = str(raw.get("key") or raw.get("id") or "").strip()
+        if key and key not in keys:
+            keys.append(key)
+    return keys
+
+
+def fetch_lmstudio_models(
+    api_key: Optional[str] = None,
+    base_url: Optional[str] = None,
+    timeout: float = 5.0,
+) -> list[str]:
+    """Fetch LM Studio chat-capable model keys from native ``/api/v1/models``.
+
+    Returns a list of model keys (e.g. ``publisher/model-name``) with embedding
+    models filtered out. Returns an empty list on network errors, malformed
+    responses, or empty/invalid base URLs.
+
+    Raises ``AuthError`` on HTTP 401/403 so callers can distinguish a missing
+    or wrong ``LM_API_KEY`` from an unreachable server — the most common
+    LM Studio support case once auth-enabled mode is turned on.
+    """
+    models = probe_lmstudio_models(api_key=api_key, base_url=base_url, timeout=timeout)
+    return models or []
+
+
+def ensure_lmstudio_model_loaded(
+    model: str,
+    base_url: Optional[str],
+    api_key: Optional[str],
+    target_context_length: int,
+    timeout: float = 120.0,
+) -> Optional[int]:
+    """Ensure LM Studio has ``model`` loaded with at least ``target_context_length``.
+
+    No-op when an instance is already loaded with sufficient context. Otherwise
+    POSTs ``/api/v1/models/load`` to (re)load with the target context, capped
+    at the model's ``max_context_length``. Returns the resolved loaded context
+    length, or ``None`` when the probe / load failed.
+    """
+    server_root = (base_url or "").strip().rstrip("/")
+    if server_root.endswith("/v1"):
+        server_root = server_root[:-3].rstrip("/")
+    if not server_root:
+        return None
+
+    headers = {"User-Agent": _HERMES_USER_AGENT}
+    token = str(api_key or "").strip()
+    if token:
+        headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {token}"
+
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(
+            urllib.request.Request(server_root + "/api/v1/models", headers=headers),
+            timeout=10,
+        ) as resp:
+            payload = json.loads(resp.read().decode())
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+    raw_models = payload.get("models") if isinstance(payload, dict) else None
+    if not isinstance(raw_models, list):
+        return None
+
+    target_entry = None
+    for raw in raw_models:
+        if not isinstance(raw, dict):
+            continue
+        if raw.get("key") == model or raw.get("id") == model:
+            target_entry = raw
+            break
+    if target_entry is None:
+        return None
+
+    max_ctx = target_entry.get("max_context_length")
+    if isinstance(max_ctx, int) and max_ctx > 0:
+        target_context_length = min(target_context_length, max_ctx)
+
+    for inst in target_entry.get("loaded_instances") or []:
+        cfg = inst.get("config") if isinstance(inst, dict) else None
+        loaded_ctx = cfg.get("context_length") if isinstance(cfg, dict) else None
+        if isinstance(loaded_ctx, int) and loaded_ctx >= target_context_length:
+            return loaded_ctx
+
+    body = json.dumps({
+        "model": model,
+        "context_length": target_context_length,
+    }).encode()
+    load_headers = dict(headers)
+    load_headers["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(
+            urllib.request.Request(
+                server_root + "/api/v1/models/load",
+                data=body,
+                headers=load_headers,
+                method="POST",
+            ),
+            timeout=timeout,
+        ) as resp:
+            resp.read()
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+    return target_context_length
+
+
+def lmstudio_model_reasoning_options(
+    model: str,
+    base_url: Optional[str],
+    api_key: Optional[str] = None,
+    timeout: float = 5.0,
+) -> list[str]:
+    """Return the reasoning ``allowed_options`` LM Studio publishes for ``model``.
+
+    Pulls ``capabilities.reasoning.allowed_options`` from ``/api/v1/models``.
+    Returns ``[]`` when the model is unknown, the endpoint is unreachable,
+    or the model does not declare a reasoning capability.
+    """
+    server_root = (base_url or "").strip().rstrip("/")
+    if server_root.endswith("/v1"):
+        server_root = server_root[:-3].rstrip("/")
+    if not server_root:
+        return []
+
+    headers = {"User-Agent": _HERMES_USER_AGENT}
+    token = str(api_key or "").strip()
+    if token:
+        headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {token}"
+
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(
+            urllib.request.Request(server_root + "/api/v1/models", headers=headers),
+            timeout=timeout,
+        ) as resp:
+            payload = json.loads(resp.read().decode())
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+    raw_models = payload.get("models") if isinstance(payload, dict) else None
+    if not isinstance(raw_models, list):
+        return []
+
+    for raw in raw_models:
+        if not isinstance(raw, dict):
+            continue
+        if raw.get("key") != model and raw.get("id") != model:
+            continue
+        caps = raw.get("capabilities")
+        reasoning = caps.get("reasoning") if isinstance(caps, dict) else None
+        opts = reasoning.get("allowed_options") if isinstance(reasoning, dict) else None
+        if isinstance(opts, list):
+            return [str(o).strip().lower() for o in opts if isinstance(o, str)]
+        return []
+    return []
+
+
 def _fetch_github_models(api_key: Optional[str] = None, timeout: float = 5.0) -> Optional[list[str]]:
     catalog = fetch_github_model_catalog(api_key=api_key, timeout=timeout)
     if not catalog:
@@ -2790,6 +3013,40 @@ def validate_requested_model(
             "message": "Model names cannot contain spaces.",
         }
 
+    if normalized == "lmstudio":
+        from hermes_cli.auth import AuthError
+        # Use probe_lmstudio_models so we can distinguish None (unreachable
+        # / malformed response) from [] (reachable, but no chat-capable models
+        # are loaded). fetch_lmstudio_models collapses both to [].
+        try:
+            models = probe_lmstudio_models(api_key=api_key, base_url=base_url)
+        except AuthError as exc:
+            return {
+                "accepted": False, "persist": False, "recognized": False,
+                "message": (
+                    f"{exc} Set `LM_API_KEY` (or update it) to match the server's bearer token."
+                ),
+            }
+        if models is None:
+            return {
+                "accepted": False, "persist": False, "recognized": False,
+                "message": f"Could not reach LM Studio's `/api/v1/models` to validate `{requested}`.",
+            }
+        if not models:
+            return {
+                "accepted": False, "persist": False, "recognized": False,
+                "message": (
+                    f"LM Studio is reachable but no chat-capable models are loaded. "
+                    f"Load `{requested}` in LM Studio (Developer tab → Load Model) and try again."
+                ),
+            }
+        if requested_for_lookup in set(models):
+            return {"accepted": True, "persist": True, "recognized": True, "message": None}
+        return {
+            "accepted": False, "persist": False, "recognized": False,
+            "message": f"Model `{requested}` was not found in LM Studio's model listing.",
+        }
+
     if normalized == "custom":
         # Try probing with correct auth for the api_mode.
         if api_mode == "anthropic_messages":
diff --git a/hermes_cli/providers.py b/hermes_cli/providers.py
index 5620250e0f..60f8dd8eaa 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/providers.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/providers.py
@@ -71,6 +71,13 @@ HERMES_OVERLAYS: Dict[str, HermesOverlay] = {
         auth_type="oauth_external",
         base_url_override="cloudcode-pa://google",
     ),
+    "lmstudio": HermesOverlay(
+        transport="openai_chat",
+        auth_type="api_key",
+        extra_env_vars=("LM_API_KEY",),
+        base_url_override="http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+        base_url_env_var="LM_BASE_URL",
+    ),
     "copilot-acp": HermesOverlay(
         transport="codex_responses",
         auth_type="external_process",
@@ -345,6 +352,7 @@ _LABEL_OVERRIDES: Dict[str, str] = {
     "xiaomi": "Xiaomi MiMo",
     "gmi": "GMI Cloud",
     "tencent-tokenhub": "Tencent TokenHub",
+    "lmstudio": "LM Studio",
     "local": "Local endpoint",
     "bedrock": "AWS Bedrock",
     "ollama-cloud": "Ollama Cloud",
diff --git a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
index e2883c883f..a64be10b11 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
@@ -1245,14 +1245,20 @@ def resolve_runtime_provider(
     if pconfig and pconfig.auth_type == "api_key":
         creds = resolve_api_key_provider_credentials(provider)
         # Honour model.base_url from config.yaml when the configured provider
-        # matches this provider — mirrors the Anthropic path above.  Without
-        # this, users who set model.base_url to e.g. api.minimaxi.com/anthropic
-        # (China endpoint) still get the hardcoded api.minimax.io default (#6039).
+        # matches this provider, unless the provider-specific BASE_URL env var
+        # is set. That keeps temporary env overrides (e.g. LM_BASE_URL) in sync
+        # with picker-time probing while still preserving saved config URLs when
+        # no override is present.
         cfg_provider = str(model_cfg.get("provider") or "").strip().lower()
         cfg_base_url = ""
         if cfg_provider == provider:
             cfg_base_url = (model_cfg.get("base_url") or "").strip().rstrip("/")
-        base_url = cfg_base_url or creds.get("base_url", "").rstrip("/")
+        env_base_url = ""
+        if pconfig.base_url_env_var:
+            env_base_url = os.getenv(pconfig.base_url_env_var, "").strip().rstrip("/")
+        base_url = creds.get("base_url", "").rstrip("/")
+        if cfg_base_url and not env_base_url:
+            base_url = cfg_base_url
         api_mode = "chat_completions"
         if provider == "copilot":
             api_mode = _copilot_runtime_api_mode(model_cfg, creds.get("api_key", ""))
diff --git a/hermes_cli/status.py b/hermes_cli/status.py
index b4a6101885..f02f5f2672 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/status.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/status.py
@@ -274,6 +274,23 @@ def show_status(args):
         label = "configured" if configured else "not configured (run: hermes model)"
         print(f"  {pname:<16} {check_mark(configured)} {label}")
 
+    # LM Studio reachability — only probe when it's the active provider so
+    # users with foreign configs don't see noise. Auth rejection vs. silent
+    # empty list is the most common LM Studio support case.
+    if _effective_provider_label() == "LM Studio":
+        from hermes_cli.models import probe_lmstudio_models
+        model_cfg = config.get("model")
+        base = (model_cfg.get("base_url") if isinstance(model_cfg, dict) else None) or get_env_value("LM_BASE_URL") or "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1"
+        try:
+            models = probe_lmstudio_models(api_key=get_env_value("LM_API_KEY") or "", base_url=base, timeout=1.5)
+            if models is None:
+                ok, msg = False, f"unreachable at {base}"
+            else:
+                ok, msg = True, f"reachable ({len(models)} model(s)) at {base}"
+        except AuthError:
+            ok, msg = False, "auth rejected — set LM_API_KEY"
+        print(f"  {'LM Studio':<16} {check_mark(ok)} {msg}")
+
     # =========================================================================
     # Terminal Configuration
     # =========================================================================
diff --git a/run_agent.py b/run_agent.py
index 802a1a4099..65be5add9a 100644
--- a/run_agent.py
+++ b/run_agent.py
@@ -1826,9 +1826,6 @@ class AIAgent:
                 )
                 _config_context_length = None
 
-        # Store for reuse in switch_model (so config override persists across model switches)
-        self._config_context_length = _config_context_length
-
         # Resolve custom_providers list once for reuse below (startup
         # context-length override and plugin context-engine init).
         try:
@@ -1887,7 +1884,14 @@ class AIAgent:
                                             file=sys.stderr,
                                         )
                         break
-        
+
+        # Persist for reuse on switch_model / fallback activation. Must come
+        # AFTER the custom_providers branch so per-model overrides aren't lost.
+        self._config_context_length = _config_context_length
+
+        self._ensure_lmstudio_runtime_loaded(_config_context_length)
+
+
         # Select context engine: config-driven (like memory providers).
         # 1. Check config.yaml context.engine setting
         # 2. Check plugins/context_engine/<name>/ directory (repo-shipped)
@@ -2129,6 +2133,24 @@ class AIAgent:
         if hasattr(self, "context_compressor") and self.context_compressor:
             self.context_compressor.on_session_reset()
     
+    def _ensure_lmstudio_runtime_loaded(self, config_context_length: Optional[int] = None) -> None:
+        """
+        Preload the LM Studio model with at least Hermes' minimum context.
+        """
+        if (self.provider or "").strip().lower() != "lmstudio":
+            return
+        try:
+            from agent.model_metadata import MINIMUM_CONTEXT_LENGTH
+            from hermes_cli.models import ensure_lmstudio_model_loaded
+            if config_context_length is None:
+                config_context_length = getattr(self, "_config_context_length", None)
+            target_ctx = max(config_context_length or 0, MINIMUM_CONTEXT_LENGTH)
+            ensure_lmstudio_model_loaded(
+                self.model, self.base_url, getattr(self, "api_key", ""), target_ctx,
+            )
+        except Exception as err:
+            logger.debug("LM Studio preload skipped: %s", err)
+
     def switch_model(self, new_model, new_provider, api_key='', base_url='', api_mode=''):
         """Switch the model/provider in-place for a live agent.
 
@@ -2224,6 +2246,9 @@ class AIAgent:
             )
         )
 
+        # ── LM Studio: preload before probing context length ──
+        self._ensure_lmstudio_runtime_loaded()
+
         # ── Update context compressor ──
         if hasattr(self, "context_compressor") and self.context_compressor:
             from agent.model_metadata import get_model_context_length
@@ -7327,6 +7352,9 @@ class AIAgent:
                 )
             )
 
+            # LM Studio: preload before probing the fallback's context length.
+            self._ensure_lmstudio_runtime_loaded()
+
             # Update context compressor limits for the fallback model.
             # Without this, compression decisions use the primary model's
             # context window (e.g. 200K) instead of the fallback's (e.g. 32K),
@@ -8047,6 +8075,7 @@ class AIAgent:
             or base_url_host_matches(self.base_url, "moonshot.cn")
         )
         _is_tokenhub = base_url_host_matches(self._base_url_lower, "tokenhub.tencentmaas.com")
+        _is_lmstudio = (self.provider or "").strip().lower() == "lmstudio"
 
         # Temperature: _fixed_temperature_for_model may return OMIT_TEMPERATURE
         # sentinel (temperature omitted entirely), a numeric override, or None.
@@ -8119,6 +8148,7 @@ class AIAgent:
             is_nvidia_nim=_is_nvidia,
             is_kimi=_is_kimi,
             is_tokenhub=_is_tokenhub,
+            is_lmstudio=_is_lmstudio,
             is_custom_provider=self.provider == "custom",
             ollama_num_ctx=self._ollama_num_ctx,
             provider_preferences=_prefs or None,
@@ -8129,6 +8159,7 @@ class AIAgent:
             omit_temperature=_omit_temp,
             supports_reasoning=self._supports_reasoning_extra_body(),
             github_reasoning_extra=self._github_models_reasoning_extra_body() if _is_gh else None,
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=self._lmstudio_reasoning_options_cached() if _is_lmstudio else None,
             anthropic_max_output=_ant_max,
             provider_name=self.provider,
         )
@@ -8154,6 +8185,10 @@ class AIAgent:
                 return bool(github_model_reasoning_efforts(self.model))
             except Exception:
                 return False
+        if (self.provider or "").strip().lower() == "lmstudio":
+            opts = self._lmstudio_reasoning_options_cached()
+            # "off-only" (or absent) means no real reasoning capability.
+            return any(opt and opt != "off" for opt in opts)
         if "openrouter" not in self._base_url_lower:
             return False
         if "api.mistral.ai" in self._base_url_lower:
@@ -8171,6 +8206,48 @@ class AIAgent:
         )
         return any(model.startswith(prefix) for prefix in reasoning_model_prefixes)
 
+    def _lmstudio_reasoning_options_cached(self) -> list[str]:
+        """Probe LM Studio's published reasoning ``allowed_options`` once per
+        (model, base_url). The list (e.g. ``["off","on"]`` or
+        ``["off","minimal","low"]``) is needed both for the supports-reasoning
+        gate and for clamping the emitted ``reasoning_effort`` so toggle-style
+        models don't 400 on ``high``. Cache is keyed on (model, base_url) so
+        ``/model`` swaps and base-URL changes don't reuse a stale list, and an
+        empty result (transient probe failure) is *not* cached so the next call
+        retries instead of silently disabling reasoning for the rest of the
+        session.
+        """
+        cache = getattr(self, "_lm_reasoning_opts_cache", None)
+        if cache is None:
+            cache = self._lm_reasoning_opts_cache = {}
+        key = (self.model, self.base_url)
+        cached = cache.get(key)
+        if cached:
+            return cached
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.models import lmstudio_model_reasoning_options
+            opts = lmstudio_model_reasoning_options(
+                self.model, self.base_url, getattr(self, "api_key", ""),
+            )
+        except Exception:
+            opts = []
+        if opts:
+            cache[key] = opts
+        return opts
+
+    def _resolve_lmstudio_summary_reasoning_effort(self) -> Optional[str]:
+        """Resolve a safe top-level ``reasoning_effort`` for LM Studio.
+
+        The iteration-limit summary path calls ``chat.completions.create()``
+        directly, bypassing the transport. Share the helper so the two paths
+        can't drift on effort resolution and clamping.
+        """
+        from agent.lmstudio_reasoning import resolve_lmstudio_effort
+        return resolve_lmstudio_effort(
+            self.reasoning_config,
+            self._lmstudio_reasoning_options_cached(),
+        )
+
     def _github_models_reasoning_extra_body(self) -> dict | None:
         """Format reasoning payload for GitHub Models/OpenAI-compatible routes."""
         try:
@@ -9692,7 +9769,19 @@ class AIAgent:
             _omit_summary_temperature = _raw_summary_temp is _OMIT_TEMP
             _summary_temperature = None if _omit_summary_temperature else _raw_summary_temp
             _is_nous = "nousresearch" in self._base_url_lower
-            if self._supports_reasoning_extra_body():
+            # LM Studio uses top-level `reasoning_effort` (not extra_body.reasoning).
+            # Mirror ChatCompletionsTransport.build_kwargs() so the summary path
+            # — which calls chat.completions.create() directly without going
+            # through the transport — sends the same shape the transport does.
+            _is_lmstudio_summary = (
+                (self.provider or "").strip().lower() == "lmstudio"
+                and self._supports_reasoning_extra_body()
+            )
+            _lm_reasoning_effort: str | None = (
+                self._resolve_lmstudio_summary_reasoning_effort()
+                if _is_lmstudio_summary else None
+            )
+            if not _is_lmstudio_summary and self._supports_reasoning_extra_body():
                 if self.reasoning_config is not None:
                     summary_extra_body["reasoning"] = self.reasoning_config
                 else:
@@ -9719,6 +9808,8 @@ class AIAgent:
                     summary_kwargs["temperature"] = _summary_temperature
                 if self.max_tokens is not None:
                     summary_kwargs.update(self._max_tokens_param(self.max_tokens))
+                if _lm_reasoning_effort is not None:
+                    summary_kwargs["reasoning_effort"] = _lm_reasoning_effort
 
                 # Include provider routing preferences
                 provider_preferences = {}
@@ -9784,6 +9875,8 @@ class AIAgent:
                         summary_kwargs["temperature"] = _summary_temperature
                     if self.max_tokens is not None:
                         summary_kwargs.update(self._max_tokens_param(self.max_tokens))
+                    if _lm_reasoning_effort is not None:
+                        summary_kwargs["reasoning_effort"] = _lm_reasoning_effort
                     if summary_extra_body:
                         summary_kwargs["extra_body"] = summary_extra_body
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/transports/test_chat_completions.py b/tests/agent/transports/test_chat_completions.py
index 69326887af..e558fa3de7 100644
--- a/tests/agent/transports/test_chat_completions.py
+++ b/tests/agent/transports/test_chat_completions.py
@@ -376,6 +376,80 @@ class TestChatCompletionsKimi:
         assert "type" not in kw["tools"][0]["function"]["parameters"]["properties"]["q"]
 
 
+class TestChatCompletionsLmStudioReasoning:
+    """LM Studio publishes per-model reasoning ``allowed_options``. When the
+    user requests an effort the model can't honor (e.g. ``high`` on a
+    toggle-style ``["off","on"]`` model), the transport omits
+    ``reasoning_effort`` so LM Studio falls back to the model's default —
+    silently downgrading "high" to "low" would mislead the user.
+    """
+
+    def test_omits_effort_when_high_not_allowed_toggle(self, transport):
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"effort": "high"},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=["off", "on"],
+        )
+        assert "reasoning_effort" not in kw
+
+    def test_omits_effort_when_high_not_allowed_minimal_low(self, transport):
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"effort": "high"},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=["off", "minimal", "low"],
+        )
+        assert "reasoning_effort" not in kw
+
+    def test_passes_through_when_effort_allowed(self, transport):
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"effort": "high"},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=["off", "low", "medium", "high"],
+        )
+        assert kw["reasoning_effort"] == "high"
+
+    def test_passes_through_aliased_on_for_toggle(self, transport):
+        # User has reasoning enabled at the default "medium"; toggle model
+        # publishes ["off","on"] which aliases to {"none","medium"}, so the
+        # default request is honorable and gets sent.
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"effort": "medium"},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=["off", "on"],
+        )
+        assert kw["reasoning_effort"] == "medium"
+
+    def test_disabled_keeps_none_when_off_allowed(self, transport):
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"enabled": False},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=["off", "on"],
+        )
+        assert kw["reasoning_effort"] == "none"
+
+    def test_no_options_falls_back_to_legacy_behavior(self, transport):
+        # When the probe failed or returned nothing, allowed_options is unknown;
+        # send whatever the user picked rather than blocking the request.
+        kw = transport.build_kwargs(
+            model="gpt-oss", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}],
+            is_lmstudio=True,
+            supports_reasoning=True,
+            reasoning_config={"effort": "high"},
+            lmstudio_reasoning_options=None,
+        )
+        assert kw["reasoning_effort"] == "high"
+
+
 class TestChatCompletionsValidate:
 
     def test_none(self, transport):
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_api_key_providers.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_api_key_providers.py
index 77afc61705..530075238f 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_api_key_providers.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_api_key_providers.py
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ class TestProviderRegistry:
 PROVIDER_ENV_VARS = (
     "OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "OPENAI_API_KEY", "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "ANTHROPIC_TOKEN",
     "CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN",
+    "LM_API_KEY", "LM_BASE_URL",
     "GLM_API_KEY", "ZAI_API_KEY", "Z_AI_API_KEY",
     "KIMI_API_KEY", "KIMI_BASE_URL", "STEPFUN_API_KEY", "STEPFUN_BASE_URL",
     "MINIMAX_API_KEY", "MINIMAX_CN_API_KEY",
@@ -428,6 +429,29 @@ class TestResolveApiKeyProviderCredentials:
         assert creds["base_url"] == "https://api.githubcopilot.com"
         assert creds["source"] == "gh auth token"
 
+    def test_resolve_lmstudio_uses_token_and_base_url_from_env(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LM_API_KEY", "lm-token")
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LM_BASE_URL", "http://lmstudio.remote:4321/v1")
+
+        creds = resolve_api_key_provider_credentials("lmstudio")
+
+        assert creds["provider"] == "lmstudio"
+        assert creds["api_key"] == "lm-token"
+        assert creds["base_url"] == "http://lmstudio.remote:4321/v1"
+
+    def test_resolve_lmstudio_no_api_key_substitutes_placeholder(self, monkeypatch):
+        # No-auth LM Studio: when LM_API_KEY isn't set, runtime credentials
+        # carry a placeholder so gateway/TUI/cron paths see the local server
+        # as configured. get_api_key_provider_status still reports unconfigured.
+        monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("LM_BASE_URL", raising=False)
+
+        creds = resolve_api_key_provider_credentials("lmstudio")
+
+        assert creds["provider"] == "lmstudio"
+        assert creds["api_key"] == "dummy-lm-api-key"
+        assert creds["base_url"] == "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1"
+
     def test_try_gh_cli_token_uses_homebrew_path_when_not_on_path(self, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.copilot_auth.shutil.which", lambda command: None)
         monkeypatch.setattr(
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_provider_persistence.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_provider_persistence.py
index 0674836809..2a827ca7ef 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_provider_persistence.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_provider_persistence.py
@@ -260,6 +260,33 @@ class TestProviderPersistsAfterModelSave:
         assert model.get("default") == "minimax-m2.5"
         assert model.get("api_mode") == "anthropic_messages"
 
+    def test_lmstudio_provider_saved_when_selected(self, config_home, monkeypatch):
+        from hermes_cli.config import load_config
+        from hermes_cli.main import _model_flow_api_key_provider
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LM_API_KEY", "lm-token")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "hermes_cli.auth._prompt_model_selection",
+            lambda models, current_model="": "publisher/model-a",
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.auth.deactivate_provider", lambda: None)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "hermes_cli.models.fetch_lmstudio_models",
+            lambda api_key=None, base_url=None, timeout=5.0: ["publisher/model-a"],
+        )
+
+        with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=[""]):
+            _model_flow_api_key_provider(load_config(), "lmstudio", "old-model")
+
+        import yaml
+
+        config = yaml.safe_load((config_home / "config.yaml").read_text()) or {}
+        model = config.get("model")
+        assert isinstance(model, dict)
+        assert model.get("provider") == "lmstudio"
+        assert model.get("base_url") == "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1"
+        assert model.get("default") == "publisher/model-a"
+
 
 class TestBaseUrlValidation:
     """Reject non-URL values in the base URL prompt (e.g. shell commands)."""
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_switch_custom_providers.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_switch_custom_providers.py
index 2899172ede..287fce926d 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_switch_custom_providers.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_switch_custom_providers.py
@@ -398,3 +398,84 @@ def test_list_authenticated_providers_total_models_reflects_grouped_count(monkey
     assert group["total_models"] == 6
     # All six models are preserved in the grouped row.
     assert sorted(group["models"]) == sorted(f"model-{i}" for i in range(6))
+
+
+def test_lmstudio_picker_probes_active_config_base_url(monkeypatch):
+    """When `provider: lmstudio` is saved with a remote base_url and no
+    LM_BASE_URL env var, the picker must probe the saved base_url — not
+    127.0.0.1. Regression: prior behavior always probed localhost, so users
+    with LM Studio on a lab box saw the wrong (or empty) model list.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setattr("agent.models_dev.fetch_models_dev", lambda: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers_mod, "HERMES_OVERLAYS", {})
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_BASE_URL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+
+    captured: dict = {}
+
+    def _fake_fetch(api_key=None, base_url=None, timeout=5.0):
+        captured["base_url"] = base_url
+        captured["api_key"] = api_key
+        return ["qwen/qwen3-coder-30b"]
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.models.fetch_lmstudio_models", _fake_fetch)
+
+    list_authenticated_providers(
+        current_provider="lmstudio",
+        current_base_url="http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1",
+        current_model="qwen/qwen3-coder-30b",
+    )
+
+    assert captured["base_url"] == "http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1"
+
+
+def test_lmstudio_picker_lm_base_url_env_wins_over_active_config(monkeypatch):
+    """LM_BASE_URL env var must still take precedence over the saved
+    base_url so users can temporarily redirect the picker without editing
+    config.yaml.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setattr("agent.models_dev.fetch_models_dev", lambda: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers_mod, "HERMES_OVERLAYS", {})
+    monkeypatch.setenv("LM_BASE_URL", "http://override.local:9999/v1")
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+
+    captured: dict = {}
+
+    def _fake_fetch(api_key=None, base_url=None, timeout=5.0):
+        captured["base_url"] = base_url
+        return []
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.models.fetch_lmstudio_models", _fake_fetch)
+
+    list_authenticated_providers(
+        current_provider="lmstudio",
+        current_base_url="http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1",
+    )
+
+    assert captured["base_url"] == "http://override.local:9999/v1"
+
+
+def test_lmstudio_picker_skips_probe_when_not_configured(monkeypatch):
+    """If the user has never configured LM Studio (no LM_API_KEY / LM_BASE_URL
+    and not on lmstudio), the picker must not pay the localhost probe cost
+    just to discover LM Studio is unavailable.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setattr("agent.models_dev.fetch_models_dev", lambda: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers_mod, "HERMES_OVERLAYS", {})
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_BASE_URL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+
+    captured: dict = {}
+
+    def _fake_fetch(api_key=None, base_url=None, timeout=5.0):
+        captured["base_url"] = base_url
+        return []
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.models.fetch_lmstudio_models", _fake_fetch)
+
+    list_authenticated_providers(
+        current_provider="openrouter",
+        current_base_url="https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
+    )
+
+    assert "base_url" not in captured
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_validation.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_validation.py
index c8e334d698..c81cae4601 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_validation.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_validation.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """Tests for provider-aware `/model` validation in hermes_cli.models."""
 
-from unittest.mock import patch
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 from hermes_cli.models import (
     azure_foundry_model_api_mode,
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from hermes_cli.models import (
     fetch_github_model_catalog,
     curated_models_for_provider,
     fetch_api_models,
+    fetch_lmstudio_models,
     github_model_reasoning_efforts,
     normalize_copilot_model_id,
     normalize_opencode_model_id,
@@ -638,6 +639,110 @@ class TestValidateApiFallback:
         assert "http://localhost:8000/v1/models" in result["message"]
         assert "http://localhost:8000/v1" in result["message"]
 
+    def test_fetch_lmstudio_models_filters_embedding_type(self):
+        mock_resp = MagicMock()
+        mock_resp.__enter__.return_value = mock_resp
+        mock_resp.__exit__.return_value = False
+        mock_resp.read.return_value = (
+            b'{"models":['
+            b'{"key":"publisher/chat-model","id":"publisher/chat-model","type":"llm"},'
+            b'{"key":"publisher/embed-model","id":"publisher/embed-model","type":"embedding"}'
+            b']}'
+        )
+
+        with patch("hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=mock_resp):
+            models = fetch_lmstudio_models(base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1")
+
+        assert models == ["publisher/chat-model"]
+
+    def test_validate_lmstudio_rejects_embedding_models(self):
+        mock_resp = MagicMock()
+        mock_resp.__enter__.return_value = mock_resp
+        mock_resp.__exit__.return_value = False
+        mock_resp.read.return_value = (
+            b'{"models":['
+            b'{"key":"publisher/chat-model","id":"publisher/chat-model","type":"llm"},'
+            b'{"key":"publisher/embed-model","id":"publisher/embed-model","type":"embedding"}'
+            b']}'
+        )
+
+        with patch("hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=mock_resp):
+            result = validate_requested_model(
+                "publisher/embed-model",
+                "lmstudio",
+                base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1",
+            )
+
+        assert result["accepted"] is False
+        assert result["recognized"] is False
+        assert "not found in LM Studio's model listing" in result["message"]
+
+    def test_fetch_lmstudio_models_raises_auth_error_on_401(self):
+        import urllib.error
+        from hermes_cli.auth import AuthError
+        import pytest
+
+        http_error = urllib.error.HTTPError(
+            url="http://localhost:1234/api/v1/models",
+            code=401,
+            msg="Unauthorized",
+            hdrs=None,
+            fp=None,
+        )
+
+        with patch("hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=http_error):
+            with pytest.raises(AuthError) as excinfo:
+                fetch_lmstudio_models(base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1")
+
+        assert excinfo.value.provider == "lmstudio"
+        assert excinfo.value.code == "auth_rejected"
+        assert "401" in str(excinfo.value)
+
+    def test_fetch_lmstudio_models_returns_empty_on_network_error(self):
+        with patch(
+            "hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen",
+            side_effect=ConnectionRefusedError(),
+        ):
+            models = fetch_lmstudio_models(base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1")
+
+        assert models == []
+
+    def test_validate_lmstudio_distinguishes_auth_failure(self):
+        import urllib.error
+
+        http_error = urllib.error.HTTPError(
+            url="http://localhost:1234/api/v1/models",
+            code=401,
+            msg="Unauthorized",
+            hdrs=None,
+            fp=None,
+        )
+
+        with patch("hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=http_error):
+            result = validate_requested_model(
+                "publisher/chat-model",
+                "lmstudio",
+                base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1",
+            )
+
+        assert result["accepted"] is False
+        assert "401" in result["message"]
+        assert "LM_API_KEY" in result["message"]
+
+    def test_validate_lmstudio_distinguishes_unreachable(self):
+        with patch(
+            "hermes_cli.models.urllib.request.urlopen",
+            side_effect=ConnectionRefusedError(),
+        ):
+            result = validate_requested_model(
+                "publisher/chat-model",
+                "lmstudio",
+                base_url="http://localhost:1234/v1",
+            )
+
+        assert result["accepted"] is False
+        assert "Could not reach LM Studio" in result["message"]
+
 
 # -- validate — Codex auto-correction ------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py
index 4cff16e5af..7c2a9c519d 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py
@@ -240,6 +240,110 @@ def test_resolve_runtime_provider_ai_gateway(monkeypatch):
     assert resolved["requested_provider"] == "ai-gateway"
 
 
+def test_resolve_runtime_provider_lmstudio_uses_token_when_present(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(rp, "resolve_provider", lambda *a, **k: "lmstudio")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "_get_model_config",
+        lambda: {
+            "provider": "lmstudio",
+            "base_url": "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+            "default": "publisher/model-a",
+        },
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "load_pool",
+        lambda provider: type("Pool", (), {"has_credentials": lambda self: False})(),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "resolve_api_key_provider_credentials",
+        lambda provider: {
+            "provider": "lmstudio",
+            "api_key": "lm-token",
+            "base_url": "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+            "source": "LM_API_KEY",
+        },
+    )
+
+    resolved = rp.resolve_runtime_provider(requested="lmstudio")
+
+    assert resolved["provider"] == "lmstudio"
+    assert resolved["api_key"] == "lm-token"
+    assert resolved["api_mode"] == "chat_completions"
+    assert resolved["base_url"] == "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1"
+
+
+def test_resolve_runtime_provider_lmstudio_honors_saved_base_url(monkeypatch):
+    """Pre-existing configs with `provider: lmstudio` + custom base_url must keep working.
+
+    Before this PR, `lmstudio` aliased to `custom`, so a user with a remote
+    LM Studio (e.g. lab box) could write `provider: "lmstudio"` plus
+    `base_url: "http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1"` and the custom path honored it.
+    Now that `lmstudio` is first-class with `inference_base_url=127.0.0.1`,
+    the saved `base_url` from `model_cfg` must still win — otherwise this
+    PR is a silent breaking change for those users.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_BASE_URL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(rp, "resolve_provider", lambda *a, **k: "lmstudio")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "_get_model_config",
+        lambda: {
+            "provider": "lmstudio",
+            "base_url": "http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1",
+            "default": "qwen/qwen3-coder-30b",
+        },
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "load_pool",
+        lambda provider: type("Pool", (), {"has_credentials": lambda self: False})(),
+    )
+    # Don't mock resolve_api_key_provider_credentials — exercise the real
+    # function so we test the end-to-end precedence between model_cfg and
+    # the pconfig default.
+
+    resolved = rp.resolve_runtime_provider(requested="lmstudio")
+
+    assert resolved["provider"] == "lmstudio"
+    assert resolved["api_mode"] == "chat_completions"
+    # The saved base_url must NOT be shadowed by the 127.0.0.1 default.
+    assert resolved["base_url"] == "http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1"
+    # No-auth LM Studio: missing LM_API_KEY substitutes the placeholder.
+    assert resolved["api_key"] == "dummy-lm-api-key"
+
+
+def test_resolve_runtime_provider_lmstudio_base_url_env_wins_over_saved_base_url(monkeypatch):
+    """LM_BASE_URL should override the saved lmstudio base_url for temporary redirects."""
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LM_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("LM_BASE_URL", "http://override.local:9999/v1")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(rp, "resolve_provider", lambda *a, **k: "lmstudio")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "_get_model_config",
+        lambda: {
+            "provider": "lmstudio",
+            "base_url": "http://192.168.1.10:1234/v1",
+            "default": "qwen/qwen3-coder-30b",
+        },
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        rp,
+        "load_pool",
+        lambda provider: type("Pool", (), {"has_credentials": lambda self: False})(),
+    )
+
+    resolved = rp.resolve_runtime_provider(requested="lmstudio")
+
+    assert resolved["provider"] == "lmstudio"
+    assert resolved["api_mode"] == "chat_completions"
+    assert resolved["base_url"] == "http://override.local:9999/v1"
+    assert resolved["api_key"] == "dummy-lm-api-key"
+
+
 def test_resolve_runtime_provider_ai_gateway_explicit_override_skips_pool(monkeypatch):
     def _unexpected_pool(provider):
         raise AssertionError(f"load_pool should not be called for {provider}")
@@ -1237,6 +1341,21 @@ def test_resolve_provider_openrouter_unchanged():
     assert resolve_provider("openrouter") == "openrouter"
 
 
+def test_resolve_provider_lmstudio_returns_lmstudio(monkeypatch):
+    """resolve_provider('lmstudio') must return 'lmstudio', not 'custom'.
+
+    Regression for the alias-map bug where 'lmstudio' was rewritten to
+    'custom' before the PROVIDER_REGISTRY lookup, bypassing the first-class
+    LM Studio provider entirely at runtime.
+    """
+    from hermes_cli.auth import resolve_provider
+    monkeypatch.delenv("OPENAI_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    assert resolve_provider("lmstudio") == "lmstudio"
+    assert resolve_provider("lm-studio") == "lmstudio"
+    assert resolve_provider("lm_studio") == "lmstudio"
+
+
 def test_custom_provider_runtime_preserves_provider_name(monkeypatch):
     """resolve_runtime_provider with provider='custom' must return provider='custom'."""
     monkeypatch.delenv("OPENAI_API_KEY", raising=False)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_status_model_provider.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_status_model_provider.py
index d9f8601532..af6b90204c 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_status_model_provider.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_status_model_provider.py
@@ -122,3 +122,34 @@ def test_show_status_hides_nous_subscription_section_when_feature_flag_is_off(mo
 
     out = capsys.readouterr().out
     assert "Nous Tool Gateway" not in out
+
+
+def test_show_status_reports_empty_lmstudio_listing_as_reachable(monkeypatch, capsys, tmp_path):
+    from hermes_cli import status as status_mod
+
+    _patch_common_status_deps(monkeypatch, status_mod, tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        status_mod,
+        "load_config",
+        lambda: {
+            "model": {
+                "default": "qwen/qwen3-coder-30b",
+                "provider": "lmstudio",
+                "base_url": "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1",
+            }
+        },
+        raising=False,
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(status_mod, "resolve_requested_provider", lambda requested=None: "lmstudio", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(status_mod, "resolve_provider", lambda requested=None, **kwargs: "lmstudio", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(status_mod, "provider_label", lambda provider: "LM Studio", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hermes_cli.models.probe_lmstudio_models",
+        lambda api_key=None, base_url=None, timeout=5.0: [],
+    )
+
+    status_mod.show_status(SimpleNamespace(all=False, deep=False))
+
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "LM Studio" in out
+    assert "reachable (0 model(s)) at http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1" in out
diff --git a/tui_gateway/server.py b/tui_gateway/server.py
index 710888822b..0343cb84bb 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/server.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/server.py
@@ -4168,6 +4168,7 @@ def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
         cfg = _load_cfg()
         current_provider = getattr(agent, "provider", "") or ""
         current_model = getattr(agent, "model", "") or _resolve_model()
+        current_base_url = getattr(agent, "base_url", "") or ""
         # list_authenticated_providers already populates each provider's
         # "models" with the curated list (same source as `hermes model` and
         # classic CLI's /model picker). Do NOT overwrite with live
@@ -4176,6 +4177,8 @@ def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
         # TTS, embeddings, rerankers, image/video generators).
         providers = list_authenticated_providers(
             current_provider=current_provider,
+            current_base_url=current_base_url,
+            current_model=current_model,
             user_providers=(
                 cfg.get("providers") if isinstance(cfg.get("providers"), dict) else {}
             ),
diff --git a/website/docs/integrations/providers.md b/website/docs/integrations/providers.md
index b4e4148cfa..ef46c685a5 100644
--- a/website/docs/integrations/providers.md
+++ b/website/docs/integrations/providers.md
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ You need at least one way to connect to an LLM. Use `hermes model` to switch pro
 | **Hugging Face** | `HF_TOKEN` in `~/.hermes/.env` (provider: `huggingface`, aliases: `hf`) |
 | **Google / Gemini** | `GOOGLE_API_KEY` (or `GEMINI_API_KEY`) in `~/.hermes/.env` (provider: `gemini`) |
 | **Google Gemini (OAuth)** | `hermes model` → "Google Gemini (OAuth)" (provider: `google-gemini-cli`, free tier supported, browser PKCE login) |
+| **LM Studio** | `hermes model` → "LM Studio" (provider: `lmstudio`, optional `LM_API_KEY`) |
 | **Custom Endpoint** | `hermes model` → choose "Custom endpoint" (saved in `config.yaml`) |
 
 :::tip Model key alias
@@ -725,10 +726,10 @@ Then configure Hermes:
 
 ```bash
 hermes model
-# Select "Custom endpoint (self-hosted / VLLM / etc.)"
-# Enter URL: http://localhost:1234/v1
-# Skip API key (LM Studio doesn't require one)
-# Enter model name
+# Select "LM Studio"
+# Press Enter to use http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1
+# Pick one of the discovered models
+# If LM Studio server auth is enabled, enter LM_API_KEY when prompted
 ```
 
 :::caution Context length often defaults to 2048