diff --git a/hermes_cli/models.py b/hermes_cli/models.py
index b592b65056..5428fa5d82 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/models.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/models.py
@@ -812,8 +812,24 @@ def fetch_ai_gateway_models(
     if not curated:
         return list(_ai_gateway_catalog_cache or fallback)
 
-    first_id, _ = curated[0]
-    curated[0] = (first_id, "recommended")
+    # If the live catalog offers a free Moonshot model, auto-promote it to
+    # position #1 as "recommended" — dynamic discovery without a PR.
+    free_moonshot = next(
+        (
+            mid
+            for mid, item in live_by_id.items()
+            if mid.startswith("moonshotai/")
+            and _ai_gateway_model_is_free(item.get("pricing"))
+        ),
+        None,
+    )
+    if free_moonshot:
+        curated = [(mid, desc) for mid, desc in curated if mid != free_moonshot]
+        curated.insert(0, (free_moonshot, "recommended"))
+    else:
+        first_id, _ = curated[0]
+        curated[0] = (first_id, "recommended")
+
     _ai_gateway_catalog_cache = curated
     return list(curated)
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_ai_gateway_models.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_ai_gateway_models.py
index 0a175b8344..236060870d 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_ai_gateway_models.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_ai_gateway_models.py
@@ -122,6 +122,38 @@ def test_fetch_ai_gateway_models_tags_free_models():
     assert by_id[second_id] == "free"
 
 
+def test_free_moonshot_model_auto_promoted_to_top_even_if_not_curated():
+    _reset_caches()
+    first_curated = AI_GATEWAY_MODELS[0][0]
+    unlisted_free_moonshot = "moonshotai/kimi-coder-free-preview"
+    payload = {
+        "data": [
+            {"id": first_curated, "pricing": {"input": "0.001", "output": "0.002"}},
+            {"id": unlisted_free_moonshot, "pricing": {"input": "0", "output": "0"}},
+        ]
+    }
+    with patch("urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=_mock_urlopen(payload)):
+        result = fetch_ai_gateway_models(force_refresh=True)
+
+    assert result[0] == (unlisted_free_moonshot, "recommended")
+    assert any(mid == first_curated for mid, _ in result)
+
+
+def test_paid_moonshot_does_not_get_auto_promoted():
+    _reset_caches()
+    first_curated = AI_GATEWAY_MODELS[0][0]
+    payload = {
+        "data": [
+            {"id": first_curated, "pricing": {"input": "0.001", "output": "0.002"}},
+            {"id": "moonshotai/some-paid-variant", "pricing": {"input": "0.001", "output": "0.002"}},
+        ]
+    }
+    with patch("urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=_mock_urlopen(payload)):
+        result = fetch_ai_gateway_models(force_refresh=True)
+
+    assert result[0][0] == first_curated
+
+
 def test_fetch_ai_gateway_models_falls_back_on_error():
     _reset_caches()
     with patch("urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=OSError("network")):