diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..975add9760d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/// <reference types="bun-types" />
+
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN, isKnownFreeModel } from "./free-model-fallback"
+
+describe("FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN", () => {
+  // Deprecated by opencode (https://opencode.ai/zen/v1/models, models.dev catalog).
+  // If any of these reappear, the chain ships a model that no longer resolves.
+  const deprecatedFreeModelIds = ["kimi-k2.5-free", "kimi-k2-free", "kimi-k2-thinking-free"]
+
+  test("does not contain models that opencode has marked deprecated", () => {
+    for (const entry of FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN) {
+      expect(deprecatedFreeModelIds).not.toContain(entry.model)
+    }
+  })
+
+  test("only contains entries that isKnownFreeModel recognizes", () => {
+    for (const entry of FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN) {
+      expect(isKnownFreeModel(entry.model)).toBe(true)
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..47c0fdd1896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/free-model-fallback.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import type { FallbackEntry } from "../../shared/model-requirements"
+
+const FREE_ONLY_PROVIDER_IDS = new Set(["opencode"])
+const KNOWN_FREE_MODEL_IDS = new Set([
+  "big-pickle",
+  "gpt-5-nano",
+  "hy3-preview-free",
+  "minimax-m2.5-free",
+  "nemotron-3-super-free",
+])
+
+export const FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN: FallbackEntry[] = [
+  { providers: ["opencode"], model: "big-pickle" },
+  { providers: ["opencode"], model: "minimax-m2.5-free" },
+  { providers: ["opencode"], model: "hy3-preview-free" },
+  { providers: ["opencode"], model: "nemotron-3-super-free" },
+  { providers: ["opencode"], model: "gpt-5-nano" },
+]
+
+function getModelId(model: string): string {
+  return model.includes("/") ? model.split("/").slice(1).join("/") : model
+}
+
+export function isKnownFreeModel(model: string): boolean {
+  return KNOWN_FREE_MODEL_IDS.has(getModelId(model))
+}
+
+export function isFreeOnlyProviderConfiguration(connectedProviders: string[] | null): boolean {
+  return connectedProviders !== null
+    && connectedProviders.length > 0
+    && connectedProviders.every((provider) => FREE_ONLY_PROVIDER_IDS.has(provider))
+}
+
+export function getFreeOnlyCategoryDefaultModel(input: {
+  categoryDefaultModel?: string
+  isUserConfiguredCategoryModel?: boolean
+  freeOnlyProviderConfiguration: boolean
+}): string | undefined {
+  if (!input.freeOnlyProviderConfiguration || input.isUserConfiguredCategoryModel) {
+    return input.categoryDefaultModel
+  }
+
+  if (!input.categoryDefaultModel || !isKnownFreeModel(input.categoryDefaultModel)) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  return input.categoryDefaultModel
+}
+
+export function getFallbackChainForFreeOnlyProviders(
+  fallbackChain: FallbackEntry[] | undefined,
+  freeOnlyProviderConfiguration: boolean,
+): FallbackEntry[] | undefined {
+  if (!freeOnlyProviderConfiguration || !fallbackChain || fallbackChain.length === 0) {
+    return fallbackChain
+  }
+
+  const freeEntries = fallbackChain.filter((entry) =>
+    entry.providers.includes("opencode") && isKnownFreeModel(entry.model),
+  )
+
+  return freeEntries.length > 0 ? freeEntries : FREE_ONLY_FALLBACK_CHAIN
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection-input.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection-input.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..524efd8cb2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection-input.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { normalizeModel } from "../../shared/model-normalization"
+import { parseModelString, parseVariantFromModelID } from "../../shared/model-string-parser"
+
+export function isExplicitHighModel(model: string): boolean {
+  return /(?:^|\/)[^/]+-high$/.test(model)
+}
+
+export function getExplicitHighBaseModel(model: string): string | null {
+  return isExplicitHighModel(model) ? model.replace(/-high$/, "") : null
+}
+
+export function parseUserFallbackModel(fallbackModel: string): {
+  baseModel: string
+  providerHint?: string[]
+  variant?: string
+} | undefined {
+  const normalizedFallback = normalizeModel(fallbackModel)
+  if (!normalizedFallback) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  const parsedFullModel = parseModelString(normalizedFallback)
+  if (parsedFullModel) {
+    return {
+      baseModel: `${parsedFullModel.providerID}/${parsedFullModel.modelID}`,
+      providerHint: [parsedFullModel.providerID],
+      variant: parsedFullModel.variant,
+    }
+  }
+
+  const parsedModel = parseVariantFromModelID(normalizedFallback)
+  if (!parsedModel.modelID) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  return {
+    baseModel: parsedModel.modelID,
+    variant: parsedModel.variant,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.free-model-fallback.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.free-model-fallback.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5671a64b28f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.free-model-fallback.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+/// <reference types="bun-types" />
+
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, mock, spyOn, test } from "bun:test"
+import { resolveModelForDelegateTask } from "./model-selection"
+import * as connectedProvidersCache from "../../shared/connected-providers-cache"
+
+describe("resolveModelForDelegateTask free-only fallback", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mock.restore()
+    spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "hasConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(true)
+    spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "hasProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue(true)
+    spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["opencode"])
+  })
+
+  test("uses a free opencode fallback instead of a paid category default when only free providers are configured", () => {
+    const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+      categoryDefaultModel: "opencode/gpt-5.4",
+      fallbackChain: [
+        { providers: ["opencode"], model: "gpt-5.4", variant: "medium" },
+        { providers: ["opencode"], model: "big-pickle" },
+      ],
+      availableModels: new Set([
+        "opencode/gpt-5.4",
+        "opencode/big-pickle",
+        "opencode/minimax-m2.5-free",
+      ]),
+    })
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      model: "opencode/big-pickle",
+      fallbackEntry: { providers: ["opencode"], model: "big-pickle" },
+      matchedFallback: true,
+    })
+  })
+
+  test("falls back to a free global opencode model when the hardcoded chain only contains paid models", () => {
+    const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+      fallbackChain: [
+        { providers: ["opencode"], model: "gpt-5.4", variant: "high" },
+        { providers: ["anthropic"], model: "claude-opus-4-6", variant: "max" },
+      ],
+      availableModels: new Set(),
+    })
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      model: "opencode/big-pickle",
+      fallbackEntry: { providers: ["opencode"], model: "big-pickle" },
+      matchedFallback: true,
+    })
+  })
+
+  test("keeps an explicit user-configured category model even in free-only mode", () => {
+    const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+      categoryDefaultModel: "opencode/gpt-5.4",
+      isUserConfiguredCategoryModel: true,
+      availableModels: new Set(["opencode/gpt-5.4", "opencode/big-pickle"]),
+    })
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ model: "opencode/gpt-5.4" })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
index 43fa4741bd3..48e12df7603 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
@@ -4,46 +4,16 @@ import { fuzzyMatchModel } from "../../shared/model-availability"
 import { transformModelForProvider } from "../../shared/provider-model-id-transform"
 import { hasConnectedProvidersCache, hasProviderModelsCache, readConnectedProvidersCache } from "../../shared/connected-providers-cache"
 import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
-import { parseModelString, parseVariantFromModelID } from "../../shared/model-string-parser"
-
-function isExplicitHighModel(model: string): boolean {
-  return /(?:^|\/)[^/]+-high$/.test(model)
-}
-
-function getExplicitHighBaseModel(model: string): string | null {
-  return isExplicitHighModel(model) ? model.replace(/-high$/, "") : null
-}
-
-function parseUserFallbackModel(fallbackModel: string): {
-  baseModel: string
-  providerHint?: string[]
-  variant?: string
-} | undefined {
-  const normalizedFallback = normalizeModel(fallbackModel)
-  if (!normalizedFallback) {
-    return undefined
-  }
-
-  const parsedFullModel = parseModelString(normalizedFallback)
-  if (parsedFullModel) {
-    return {
-      baseModel: `${parsedFullModel.providerID}/${parsedFullModel.modelID}`,
-      providerHint: [parsedFullModel.providerID],
-      variant: parsedFullModel.variant,
-    }
-  }
-
-  const parsedModel = parseVariantFromModelID(normalizedFallback)
-  if (!parsedModel.modelID) {
-    return undefined
-  }
-
-  return {
-    baseModel: parsedModel.modelID,
-    variant: parsedModel.variant,
-  }
-}
-
+import {
+  getFallbackChainForFreeOnlyProviders,
+  getFreeOnlyCategoryDefaultModel,
+  isFreeOnlyProviderConfiguration,
+} from "./free-model-fallback"
+import {
+  getExplicitHighBaseModel,
+  isExplicitHighModel,
+  parseUserFallbackModel,
+} from "./model-selection-input"
 
 export function resolveModelForDelegateTask(input: {
   userModel?: string
@@ -63,15 +33,18 @@ export function resolveModelForDelegateTask(input: {
     return { model: userModel }
   }
 
-  const connectedProviders = input.availableModels.size === 0 ? readConnectedProvidersCache() : null
+  const connectedProviders = readConnectedProvidersCache()
+  const freeOnlyProviderConfiguration = isFreeOnlyProviderConfiguration(connectedProviders)
 
-  // Before provider cache is created (first run), skip model resolution entirely.
-  // OpenCode will use its system default model when no model is specified in the prompt.
   if (input.availableModels.size === 0 && !hasProviderModelsCache() && !hasConnectedProvidersCache()) {
     return { skipped: true }
   }
 
-  const categoryDefault = normalizeModel(input.categoryDefaultModel)
+  const categoryDefault = normalizeModel(getFreeOnlyCategoryDefaultModel({
+    categoryDefaultModel: input.categoryDefaultModel,
+    isUserConfiguredCategoryModel: input.isUserConfiguredCategoryModel,
+    freeOnlyProviderConfiguration,
+  }))
   const explicitHighBaseModel = categoryDefault ? getExplicitHighBaseModel(categoryDefault) : null
   const explicitHighModel = explicitHighBaseModel ? categoryDefault : undefined
   if (categoryDefault) {
@@ -140,7 +113,10 @@ export function resolveModelForDelegateTask(input: {
     }
   }
 
-  const fallbackChain = input.fallbackChain
+  const fallbackChain = getFallbackChainForFreeOnlyProviders(
+    input.fallbackChain,
+    freeOnlyProviderConfiguration,
+  )
   if (fallbackChain && fallbackChain.length > 0) {
     if (input.availableModels.size === 0) {
       if (connectedProviders) {