diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.test.ts
index 802990e0f..70b71a2b9 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.test.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.test.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,89 @@ describe("resolveModelForDelegateTask", () => {
 		})
 	})
 
+	describe("#given provider cache exists and connected providers are known", () => {
+		let readConnectedProvidersSpy: ReturnType<typeof spyOn> | undefined
+
+		beforeEach(() => {
+			hasConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "hasConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(true)
+			hasProviderModelsSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "hasProviderModelsCache").mockReturnValue(true)
+		})
+
+		afterEach(() => {
+			readConnectedProvidersSpy?.mockRestore()
+		})
+
+		describe("#when availableModels is empty and fallback chain starts with unauthenticated provider", () => {
+			test("#then skips unauthenticated providers and resolves to first connected one", () => {
+				readConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["openai", "anthropic"])
+
+				const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+					fallbackChain: [
+						{ providers: ["xai"], model: "grok-code-fast-1" },
+						{ providers: ["opencode-go"], model: "minimax-m2.7" },
+						{ providers: ["anthropic", "opencode"], model: "claude-haiku-4-5" },
+						{ providers: ["opencode"], model: "gpt-5-nano" },
+					],
+					availableModels: new Set(),
+				})
+
+				expect(result).toBeDefined()
+				expect(result).not.toHaveProperty("skipped")
+				const resolved = result as { model: string; variant?: string }
+				expect(resolved.model).toBe("anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5")
+			})
+
+			test("#then resolves first provider in entry that is connected", () => {
+				readConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["openai", "github-copilot"])
+
+				const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+					fallbackChain: [
+						{ providers: ["opencode-go"], model: "minimax-m2.7" },
+						{ providers: ["openai", "github-copilot"], model: "gpt-5.4", variant: "high" },
+					],
+					availableModels: new Set(),
+				})
+
+				expect(result).toBeDefined()
+				const resolved = result as { model: string; variant?: string }
+				expect(resolved.model).toBe("openai/gpt-5.4")
+				expect(resolved.variant).toBe("high")
+			})
+
+			test("#then falls through to system default when no provider in chain is connected", () => {
+				readConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(["anthropic"])
+
+				const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+					fallbackChain: [
+						{ providers: ["xai"], model: "grok-code-fast-1" },
+						{ providers: ["opencode-go"], model: "minimax-m2.7" },
+					],
+					availableModels: new Set(),
+					systemDefaultModel: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
+				})
+
+				expect(result).toEqual({ model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" })
+			})
+		})
+
+		describe("#when connected providers cache is null (not yet populated)", () => {
+			test("#then falls back to first entry in chain (legacy behavior)", () => {
+				readConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "readConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(null)
+
+				const result = resolveModelForDelegateTask({
+					fallbackChain: [
+						{ providers: ["xai"], model: "grok-code-fast-1" },
+					],
+					availableModels: new Set(),
+				})
+
+				expect(result).toBeDefined()
+				const resolved = result as { model: string }
+				expect(resolved.model).toBe("xai/grok-code-fast-1")
+			})
+		})
+	})
+
 	describe("#given only connected providers cache exists (no provider-models cache)", () => {
 		beforeEach(() => {
 			hasConnectedProvidersSpy = spyOn(connectedProvidersCache, "hasConnectedProvidersCache").mockReturnValue(true)
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
index 4b140dfee..d3e33a142 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/model-selection.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { FallbackEntry } from "../../shared/model-requirements"
 import { normalizeModel } from "../../shared/model-normalization"
 import { fuzzyMatchModel } from "../../shared/model-availability"
 import { transformModelForProvider } from "../../shared/provider-model-id-transform"
-import { hasConnectedProvidersCache, hasProviderModelsCache } from "../../shared/connected-providers-cache"
+import { hasConnectedProvidersCache, hasProviderModelsCache, readConnectedProvidersCache } from "../../shared/connected-providers-cache"
 import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
 import { parseModelString, parseVariantFromModelID } from "./model-string-parser"
 
@@ -115,11 +115,29 @@ export function resolveModelForDelegateTask(input: {
   const fallbackChain = input.fallbackChain
   if (fallbackChain && fallbackChain.length > 0) {
     if (input.availableModels.size === 0) {
-      const first = fallbackChain[0]
-      const provider = first?.providers?.[0]
-      if (provider) {
-        const transformedModelId = transformModelForProvider(provider, first.model)
-        return { model: `${provider}/${transformedModelId}`, variant: first.variant, fallbackEntry: first, matchedFallback: true }
+      const connectedProviders = readConnectedProvidersCache()
+      if (connectedProviders) {
+        const connectedSet = new Set(connectedProviders)
+        for (const entry of fallbackChain) {
+          for (const provider of entry.providers) {
+            if (connectedSet.has(provider)) {
+              const transformedModelId = transformModelForProvider(provider, entry.model)
+              log("[resolveModelForDelegateTask] fallback chain resolved via connected provider", {
+                provider,
+                model: entry.model,
+              })
+              return { model: `${provider}/${transformedModelId}`, variant: entry.variant, fallbackEntry: entry, matchedFallback: true }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        log("[resolveModelForDelegateTask] no connected provider found in fallback chain")
+      } else {
+        const first = fallbackChain[0]
+        const provider = first?.providers?.[0]
+        if (provider) {
+          const transformedModelId = transformModelForProvider(provider, first.model)
+          return { model: `${provider}/${transformedModelId}`, variant: first.variant, fallbackEntry: first, matchedFallback: true }
+        }
       }
     } else {
       for (const entry of fallbackChain) {