diff --git a/agent/agent_init.py b/agent/agent_init.py
index 466869a0b5..bf90925a06 100644
--- a/agent/agent_init.py
+++ b/agent/agent_init.py
@@ -2274,7 +2274,8 @@ def init_agent(
     if _config_context_length is not None and isinstance(_model_cfg, dict):
         _default = _model_cfg.get("default")
         if isinstance(_default, dict):
-            _default = str(_default.get("model") or _default.get("default") or "")
+            from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+            _default, _ = split_model_config_default(_default)
         _configured_default_model = str(_default or "").strip()
         _configured_default_runtime_model = _configured_default_model
         _active_runtime_model = agent.model
diff --git a/agent/agent_runtime_helpers.py b/agent/agent_runtime_helpers.py
index db25f428d6..3f3404b40b 100644
--- a/agent/agent_runtime_helpers.py
+++ b/agent/agent_runtime_helpers.py
@@ -2236,7 +2236,7 @@ def anthropic_prompt_cache_policy(
         return False, False
 
     if isinstance(eff_model, dict):
-        eff_model = eff_model.get('default') or eff_model.get('model') or ''
+        eff_model = eff_model.get('model') or eff_model.get('default') or ''
     eff_model = eff_model if isinstance(eff_model, str) else str(eff_model or '')
     model_lower = eff_model.lower()
     provider_lower = eff_provider.lower()
diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index cb2267ebe7..ea222d3b8b 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -4382,24 +4382,10 @@ def _normalize_moa_model(model: Optional[str]) -> tuple[Optional[str], Optional[
     return None, model
 
 def _split_model_config_default(raw_default: Any) -> tuple[str, str]:
-    """Canonicalize a config ``model.default``/``model.model`` value.
-
-    A dict-valued default (``model.default: {provider: ..., model: ...}``)
-    pairs the model string with the provider it must be routed through. The
-    dict is flattened here at the shared boundary so both halves stay
-    together through ``HermesCLI`` construction: the model becomes a plain
-    string and the provider is returned explicitly instead of being lost to
-    the outer merged ``model.provider`` default (often ``"auto"``, which
-    runtime resolution treats as authoritative and would otherwise route the
-    model through the wrong active provider).
-
-    Returns ``(model, provider)``; both are ``""`` when nothing is usable.
-    """
-    if isinstance(raw_default, dict):
-        provider = str(raw_default.get("provider") or "").strip()
-        model = raw_default.get("model") or raw_default.get("default")
-        return (str(model or "").strip(), provider)
-    return (str(raw_default or "").strip(), "")
+    # Thin wrapper around the shared helper in config.py — kept for
+    # backward compat with existing call sites in this module.
+    from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+    return split_model_config_default(raw_default)
 
 
 class _VoiceInputMessage:
@@ -6688,8 +6674,8 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
         """Normalize provider-specific model IDs and routing."""
         current_model = str(self.model or "").strip()
         if isinstance(self.model, dict):
-            _m_dict = self.model
-            current_model = str(_m_dict.get("model") or _m_dict.get("default") or _m_dict.get("provider") or "").strip()
+            _m, _ = _split_model_config_default(self.model)
+            current_model = _m
         changed = False
 
         try:
@@ -14820,9 +14806,18 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                 )
                 from hermes_cli.config import load_config
 
+                _img_model, _img_provider = "", ""
+                if isinstance(self.model, dict):
+                    _img_model, _ = _split_model_config_default(self.model)
+                else:
+                    _img_model = str(self.model or "")
+                if isinstance(self.provider, dict):
+                    _, _img_provider = _split_model_config_default(self.provider)
+                else:
+                    _img_provider = str(self.provider or "")
                 _img_mode = decide_image_input_mode(
-                    str(self.provider or "").strip() if not isinstance(self.provider, dict) else str(self.provider.get("provider") or self.provider.get("default") or "").strip(),
-                    str(self.model or "").strip() if not isinstance(self.model, dict) else str(self.model.get("model") or self.model.get("default") or "").strip(),
+                    _img_provider.strip(),
+                    _img_model.strip(),
                     load_config(),
                     requested_provider=(self.requested_provider or "").strip(),
                 )
diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index 75aeeb5b84..bca802d075 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -2847,6 +2847,27 @@ def _strip_default_values(
     return result
 
 
+def split_model_config_default(raw_default: Any) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """Canonicalize a config ``model.default``/``model.model`` value.
+
+    A dict-valued default (``model.default: {provider: ..., model: ...}``)
+    pairs the model string with the provider it must be routed through. The
+    dict is flattened here at the shared boundary so both halves stay
+    together through ``HermesCLI`` construction: the model becomes a plain
+    string and the provider is returned explicitly instead of being lost to
+    the outer merged ``model.provider`` default (often ``"auto"``, which
+    runtime resolution treats as authoritative and would otherwise route the
+    model through the wrong active provider).
+
+    Returns ``(model, provider)``; both are ``""`` when nothing is usable.
+    """
+    if isinstance(raw_default, dict):
+        provider = str(raw_default.get("provider") or "").strip()
+        model = raw_default.get("model") or raw_default.get("default")
+        return (str(model or "").strip(), provider)
+    return (str(raw_default or "").strip(), "")
+
+
 def _normalize_root_model_keys(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Move stale root-level provider/base_url/context_length into model section.
 
@@ -2891,6 +2912,7 @@ def _normalize_root_model_keys(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     _has_nested_default = isinstance(model_in, dict) and (
         isinstance(model_in.get("default"), dict)
         or isinstance(model_in.get("model"), dict)
+        or isinstance(model_in.get("name"), dict)
     )
     # A model dict needs canonicalization if its id lives under a non-canonical
     # key (``model``/``name``) — either because ``default`` is empty (we must
@@ -2920,7 +2942,7 @@ def _normalize_root_model_keys(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     # resolution treats as authoritative and would otherwise route the model
     # through the wrong active provider), but never over an explicitly
     # configured outer provider.
-    for _key in ("default", "model"):
+    for _key in ("default", "model", "name"):
         _val = model.get(_key)
         if isinstance(_val, dict):
             _nested_model = _val.get("model") or _val.get("default")
diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 3987ea458e..23a0559ed1 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -975,7 +975,8 @@ def _has_any_provider_configured() -> bool:
     if isinstance(model_cfg, dict):
         _default = model_cfg.get("default")
         if isinstance(_default, dict):
-            _model_name = (_default.get("model") or _default.get("provider") or "")
+            from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+            _model_name, _ = split_model_config_default(_default)
         else:
             _model_name = (_default or "")
         _model_name = (str(_model_name) if not isinstance(_model_name, str) else _model_name).strip()
diff --git a/hermes_cli/oneshot.py b/hermes_cli/oneshot.py
index f0fd2ab876..5ec3345b02 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/oneshot.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/oneshot.py
@@ -345,7 +345,8 @@ def _run_agent(
     else:
         _raw = model_cfg.get("default") or model_cfg.get("model") or ""
         if isinstance(_raw, dict):
-            cfg_model = str(_raw.get("model") or _raw.get("default") or _raw.get("provider") or "")
+            from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+            cfg_model, _ = split_model_config_default(_raw)
         else:
             cfg_model = str(_raw or "")
 
diff --git a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
index 955216f58d..801ea3d2d9 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
@@ -325,8 +325,9 @@ def _get_model_config() -> Dict[str, Any]:
         # Handle model.default being a dict {provider: ..., model: ...} rather than a string
         _default = cfg.get("default")
         if isinstance(_default, dict):
-            cfg_provider = str(_default.get("provider") or model_cfg.get("provider") or "")
-            cfg_model = str(_default.get("model") or _default.get("default") or "")
+            from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+            cfg_model, cfg_provider = split_model_config_default(_default)
+            cfg_provider = cfg_provider or str(model_cfg.get("provider") or "")
             cfg["default"] = cfg_model
             if cfg_provider and not cfg.get("provider"):
                 cfg["provider"] = cfg_provider
diff --git a/model_tools.py b/model_tools.py
index 764d0d50d6..241c862fae 100644
--- a/model_tools.py
+++ b/model_tools.py
@@ -666,7 +666,8 @@ def _resolve_active_context_length() -> int:
             model_cfg = {}
         _raw_model_id = model_cfg.get("model") or model_cfg.get("default") or ""
         if isinstance(_raw_model_id, dict):
-            _raw_model_id = _raw_model_id.get("model") or _raw_model_id.get("provider") or ""
+            from hermes_cli.config import split_model_config_default
+            _raw_model_id, _ = split_model_config_default(_raw_model_id)
         model_id = str(_raw_model_id).strip()
         if not model_id:
             return 0