diff --git a/hermes_cli/model_normalize.py b/hermes_cli/model_normalize.py
index c5123f391..780c638f5 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/model_normalize.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/model_normalize.py
@@ -76,17 +76,22 @@ _STRIP_VENDOR_ONLY_PROVIDERS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
     "copilot-acp",
 })
 
-# Providers whose own naming is authoritative -- pass through unchanged.
-_PASSTHROUGH_PROVIDERS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
+# Providers whose native naming is authoritative -- pass through unchanged.
+_AUTHORITATIVE_NATIVE_PROVIDERS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
     "gemini",
+    "huggingface",
+    "openai-codex",
+})
+
+# Direct providers that accept bare native names but should repair a matching
+# provider/ prefix when users copy the aggregator form into config.yaml.
+_MATCHING_PREFIX_STRIP_PROVIDERS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
     "zai",
     "kimi-coding",
     "minimax",
     "minimax-cn",
     "alibaba",
     "qwen-oauth",
-    "huggingface",
-    "openai-codex",
     "custom",
 })
 
@@ -363,10 +368,14 @@ def normalize_model_for_provider(model_input: str, target_provider: str) -> str:
             return bare
         return _normalize_for_deepseek(bare)
 
-    # --- Native passthrough providers: strip only matching provider prefixes ---
-    if provider in _PASSTHROUGH_PROVIDERS - {"custom", "huggingface", "openai-codex"}:
+    # --- Direct providers: repair matching provider prefixes only ---
+    if provider in _MATCHING_PREFIX_STRIP_PROVIDERS:
         return _strip_matching_provider_prefix(name, provider)
 
+    # --- Authoritative native providers: preserve user-facing slugs as-is ---
+    if provider in _AUTHORITATIVE_NATIVE_PROVIDERS:
+        return name
+
     # --- Custom & all others: pass through as-is ---
     return name
 
diff --git a/run_agent.py b/run_agent.py
index 16509f69b..129eb1679 100644
--- a/run_agent.py
+++ b/run_agent.py
@@ -5020,7 +5020,7 @@ class AIAgent:
             # when no explicit key is in the fallback config.
             if fb_base_url_hint and "ollama.com" in fb_base_url_hint.lower() and not fb_api_key_hint:
                 fb_api_key_hint = os.getenv("OLLAMA_API_KEY") or None
-            fb_client, resolved_fb_model = resolve_provider_client(
+            fb_client, _resolved_fb_model = resolve_provider_client(
                 fb_provider, model=fb_model, raw_codex=True,
                 explicit_base_url=fb_base_url_hint,
                 explicit_api_key=fb_api_key_hint)
@@ -5029,7 +5029,12 @@ class AIAgent:
                     "Fallback to %s failed: provider not configured",
                     fb_provider)
                 return self._try_activate_fallback()  # try next in chain
-            fb_model = resolved_fb_model or fb_model
+            try:
+                from hermes_cli.model_normalize import normalize_model_for_provider
+
+                fb_model = normalize_model_for_provider(fb_model, fb_provider)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
 
             # Determine api_mode from provider / base URL
             fb_api_mode = "chat_completions"
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_auxiliary_named_custom_providers.py b/tests/agent/test_auxiliary_named_custom_providers.py
index a07833cc7..4c16bcb01 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_auxiliary_named_custom_providers.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_auxiliary_named_custom_providers.py
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ def _isolate(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     hermes_home = tmp_path / ".hermes"
     hermes_home.mkdir()
     monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    for env_var in (
+        "AUXILIARY_VISION_PROVIDER",
+        "AUXILIARY_VISION_MODEL",
+        "AUXILIARY_VISION_BASE_URL",
+        "AUXILIARY_VISION_API_KEY",
+        "CONTEXT_VISION_PROVIDER",
+        "CONTEXT_VISION_MODEL",
+        "CONTEXT_VISION_BASE_URL",
+        "CONTEXT_VISION_API_KEY",
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(env_var, raising=False)
     # Write a minimal config so load_config doesn't fail
     (hermes_home / "config.yaml").write_text("model:\n  default: test-model\n")
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_normalize.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_normalize.py
index 531698cb6..0bca8d52e 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_normalize.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_model_normalize.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class TestAggregatorProviders:
 class TestIssue6211NativeProviderPrefixNormalization:
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("model,target_provider,expected", [
         ("zai/glm-5.1", "zai", "glm-5.1"),
-        ("google/gemini-2.5-pro", "gemini", "gemini-2.5-pro"),
+        ("google/gemini-2.5-pro", "gemini", "google/gemini-2.5-pro"),
         ("moonshot/kimi-k2.5", "kimi-coding", "kimi-k2.5"),
         ("anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6", "openrouter", "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"),
         ("Qwen/Qwen3.5-397B-A17B", "huggingface", "Qwen/Qwen3.5-397B-A17B"),