diff --git a/agent/auxiliary_client.py b/agent/auxiliary_client.py
index e3c87068f1..a85fb25731 100644
--- a/agent/auxiliary_client.py
+++ b/agent/auxiliary_client.py
@@ -931,6 +931,18 @@ def _fast_model_from_catalog(provider_id: str) -> str:
     return ""
 
 
+def _nous_policy_blocks(model_id: str) -> bool:
+    """True when the org's model policy does not admit *model_id*."""
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.models import nous_policy_allowed_ids, restrict_to_nous_policy
+
+        allowed = nous_policy_allowed_ids()
+        return bool(allowed) and not restrict_to_nous_policy([model_id], allowed)
+    except Exception:
+        logger.debug("Nous policy check unavailable", exc_info=True)
+        return False
+
+
 # Default auxiliary models for direct API-key providers (cheap/fast for side tasks)
 def _get_aux_model_for_provider(provider_id: str, *, prefer_fast: bool = False) -> str:
     """Return the cheap auxiliary model for a provider.
@@ -958,21 +970,26 @@ def _get_aux_model_for_provider(provider_id: str, *, prefer_fast: bool = False)
     except Exception:
         pass
 
+    picked = ""
     if prefer_fast:
-        catalog_pick = _fast_model_from_catalog(provider_id)
-        if catalog_pick:
-            return catalog_pick
-        if profile is not None:
+        picked = _fast_model_from_catalog(provider_id)
+        if not picked and profile is not None:
             try:
-                live = profile.resolve_aux_model()
-                if live:
-                    return live
+                picked = profile.resolve_aux_model() or ""
             except Exception:
                 logger.debug("resolve_aux_model failed for %s", provider_id, exc_info=True)
 
-    if profile is not None and profile.default_aux_model:
-        return profile.default_aux_model
-    return _API_KEY_PROVIDER_AUX_MODELS_FALLBACK.get(provider_id, "")
+    if not picked and profile is not None and profile.default_aux_model:
+        picked = profile.default_aux_model
+    if not picked:
+        picked = _API_KEY_PROVIDER_AUX_MODELS_FALLBACK.get(provider_id, "")
+
+    # Steps 2-4 are policy-blind: resolve_aux_model queries a public
+    # recommendation and the rest are hardcoded. A blocked pick is refused at
+    # request time, so drop it and let the caller keep the main model.
+    if picked and provider_id.strip().lower() == "nous" and _nous_policy_blocks(picked):
+        return ""
+    return picked
 
 
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_nous_policy_surfaces.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_nous_policy_surfaces.py
index 1fd43725d3..8e30f0efc8 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_nous_policy_surfaces.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_nous_policy_surfaces.py
@@ -229,3 +229,58 @@ class TestPolicyNoticeIsShown:
         monkeypatch.setattr(account_mod, "nous_policy_present", lambda: False)
         TestLoginNous()._run(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
         assert "restricts which models" not in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+class TestAuxFallbackRespectsPolicy:
+    """Steps 2-4 of the aux ladder are policy-blind: `resolve_aux_model` queries
+    a public recommendation and the rest are hardcoded."""
+
+    def _patch(self, monkeypatch, *, allowed, recommended):
+        import agent.auxiliary_client as aux
+        import providers
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(models_mod, "nous_policy_allowed_ids", lambda **_k: allowed)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            models_mod, "_resolve_nous_pricing_credentials",
+            lambda: ("sk", "https://inference.example.com"),
+        )
+        # No fast-family match, so the catalog step yields nothing.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            models_mod, "fetch_models_with_pricing",
+            lambda **_k: {"vendor/allowed-large": {}},
+        )
+
+        class _Profile:
+            default_aux_model = ""
+
+            def resolve_aux_model(self, **_k):
+                return recommended
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(providers, "get_provider_profile", lambda _p: _Profile())
+        return aux
+
+    def test_blocked_recommendation_is_not_used(self, monkeypatch):
+        aux = self._patch(
+            monkeypatch, allowed={"vendor/allowed-large"},
+            recommended="vendor/blocked-haiku",
+        )
+        assert aux._get_aux_model_for_provider("nous", prefer_fast=True) == ""
+
+    def test_allowed_recommendation_still_used(self, monkeypatch):
+        aux = self._patch(
+            monkeypatch, allowed={"vendor/allowed-large", "vendor/ok-haiku"},
+            recommended="vendor/ok-haiku",
+        )
+        assert (
+            aux._get_aux_model_for_provider("nous", prefer_fast=True)
+            == "vendor/ok-haiku"
+        )
+
+    def test_ungoverned_org_is_unaffected(self, monkeypatch):
+        aux = self._patch(
+            monkeypatch, allowed=None, recommended="vendor/anything"
+        )
+        assert (
+            aux._get_aux_model_for_provider("nous", prefer_fast=True)
+            == "vendor/anything"
+        )