diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.test.ts
index 94f0a18f0..53cf0f0a4 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.test.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.test.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describe("resolveSubagentExecution", () => {
   test("normalizes matched agent model string before returning categoryModel", async () => {
     //#given
     const cacheSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue({
-      models: { openai: ["grok-3"] },
+      models: { openai: ["grok-3", "gpt-5.3-codex"] },
       connected: ["openai"],
       updatedAt: "2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z",
     })
@@ -410,6 +410,56 @@ describe("resolveSubagentExecution", () => {
     connectedSpy.mockRestore()
   })
 
+  test("does not use unavailable matchedAgent.model as fallback for custom subagent", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const cacheSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue({
+      models: { minimaxi: ["MiniMax-M2.7"] },
+      connected: ["minimaxi"],
+      updatedAt: "2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z",
+    })
+    const connectedSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["minimaxi"])
+    const args = createBaseArgs({ subagent_type: "my-custom-agent" })
+    const executorCtx = createExecutorContext(
+      async () => ([
+        { name: "my-custom-agent", mode: "subagent", model: "minimaxi/MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed" },
+      ]),
+    )
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await resolveSubagentExecution(args, executorCtx, "sisyphus", "deep")
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.error).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(result.categoryModel?.modelID).not.toBe("MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed")
+    cacheSpy.mockRestore()
+    connectedSpy.mockRestore()
+  })
+
+  test("uses matchedAgent.model as fallback when model is available", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const cacheSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue({
+      models: { minimaxi: ["MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed"] },
+      connected: ["minimaxi"],
+      updatedAt: "2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z",
+    })
+    const connectedSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["minimaxi"])
+    const args = createBaseArgs({ subagent_type: "my-custom-agent" })
+    const executorCtx = createExecutorContext(
+      async () => ([
+        { name: "my-custom-agent", mode: "subagent", model: "minimaxi/MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed" },
+      ]),
+    )
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await resolveSubagentExecution(args, executorCtx, "sisyphus", "deep")
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.error).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(result.categoryModel).toEqual({ providerID: "minimaxi", modelID: "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed" })
+    cacheSpy.mockRestore()
+    connectedSpy.mockRestore()
+  })
+
   test("prefers the most specific prefix match when fallback entries share a prefix", async () => {
     //#given
     const cacheSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue({
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.ts
index 1171eabf4..12e97f52a 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/subagent-resolver.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
 import { getAvailableModelsForDelegateTask } from "./available-models"
 import type { FallbackEntry } from "../../shared/model-requirements"
 import { resolveModelForDelegateTask } from "./model-selection"
+import { fuzzyMatchModel } from "../../shared/model-availability"
 
 export async function resolveSubagentExecution(
   args: DelegateTaskArgs,
@@ -109,8 +110,9 @@ Create the work plan directly - that's your job as the planning agent.`,
       ?? (agentOverride?.category ? userCategories?.[agentOverride.category]?.fallback_models : undefined)
     )
 
+    const availableModels = await getAvailableModelsForDelegateTask(client)
+
     if (agentOverride?.model || agentCategoryModel || agentRequirement || matchedAgent.model) {
-      const availableModels = await getAvailableModelsForDelegateTask(client)
 
       const normalizedMatchedModel = matchedAgent.model
         ? normalizeModelFormat(matchedAgent.model)
@@ -192,7 +194,15 @@ Create the work plan directly - that's your job as the planning agent.`,
     if (!categoryModel && matchedAgent.model) {
       const normalizedMatchedModel = normalizeModelFormat(matchedAgent.model)
       if (normalizedMatchedModel) {
-        categoryModel = normalizedMatchedModel
+        const fullModel = `${normalizedMatchedModel.providerID}/${normalizedMatchedModel.modelID}`
+        if (availableModels.size === 0 || fuzzyMatchModel(fullModel, availableModels, [normalizedMatchedModel.providerID])) {
+          categoryModel = normalizedMatchedModel
+        } else {
+          log("[delegate-task] Skipping unavailable agent default model", {
+            agent: agentToUse,
+            model: fullModel,
+          })
+        }
       }
     }
   } catch (error) {