diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.test.ts
index a7fd17726..822d818ad 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.test.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,28 @@ vi.mock('../runtime/agent-core.js', () => ({
   }),
 }));
 
+// Mirrors the positional AgentCore constructor parameters so tests can
+// destructure by name instead of indexing — adding new parameters can't
+// silently shift assertions onto the wrong slot.
+function destructureAgentCoreCall(call: unknown[]) {
+  return {
+    name: call[0] as string,
+    runtimeContext: call[1] as Record<string, unknown>,
+    promptConfig: call[2],
+    modelConfig: call[3],
+    runConfig: call[4],
+    toolConfig: call[5],
+    eventEmitter: call[6],
+    hooks: call[7],
+    runtimeView: call[8] as
+      | {
+          contentGenerator: unknown;
+          contentGeneratorConfig: { authType: string; model?: string };
+        }
+      | undefined,
+  };
+}
+
 function createMockToolRegistry() {
   return {
     getFunctionDeclarations: vi.fn().mockReturnValue([]),
@@ -388,8 +410,8 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
     const lastCall = MockAgentCore.mock.calls.at(-1);
     expect(lastCall).toBeDefined();
 
-    // Second arg is the runtime context (Config)
-    const agentContext = lastCall![1] as {
+    const { runtimeContext } = destructureAgentCoreCall(lastCall!);
+    const agentContext = runtimeContext as unknown as {
       getWorkingDir: () => string;
       getTargetDir: () => string;
       getToolRegistry: () => unknown;
@@ -560,6 +582,13 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
       await backend.spawnAgent(config);
 
       const mockCreate = createContentGenerator as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+      // Owner must be the per-agent override Config (the same instance
+      // AgentCore receives as runtimeContext) — NOT the parent. Asserting
+      // that match exactly catches a regression where `base` slips in.
+      const MockAgentCore = AgentCore as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+      const { runtimeContext: agentContext } = destructureAgentCoreCall(
+        MockAgentCore.mock.calls.at(-1)!,
+      );
       expect(mockCreate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.objectContaining({
           authType: 'anthropic',
@@ -567,11 +596,11 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
           baseUrl: 'https://agent.example.com',
           model: 'test-model',
         }),
-        expect.anything(),
+        agentContext,
       );
     });
 
-    it('should override getContentGenerator on per-agent config', async () => {
+    it('should pass per-agent ContentGenerator via runtimeView', async () => {
       const agentGenerator = { generateContentStream: vi.fn() };
       const mockCreate = createContentGenerator as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
       mockCreate.mockResolvedValueOnce(agentGenerator);
@@ -588,14 +617,11 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
 
       const MockAgentCore = AgentCore as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
       const lastCall = MockAgentCore.mock.calls.at(-1);
-      const agentContext = lastCall![1] as {
-        getContentGenerator: () => unknown;
-        getAuthType: () => string | undefined;
-        getModel: () => string;
-      };
+      const { runtimeView } = destructureAgentCoreCall(lastCall!);
 
-      expect(agentContext.getContentGenerator()).toBe(agentGenerator);
-      expect(agentContext.getAuthType()).toBe('anthropic');
+      expect(runtimeView).toBeDefined();
+      expect(runtimeView!.contentGenerator).toBe(agentGenerator);
+      expect(runtimeView!.contentGeneratorConfig.authType).toBe('anthropic');
       expect(backend.getAgentContentGenerator('agent-1')).toBe(agentGenerator);
     });
 
@@ -629,12 +655,9 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
 
       const MockAgentCore = AgentCore as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
       const lastCall = MockAgentCore.mock.calls.at(-1);
-      const agentContext = lastCall![1] as {
-        getContentGenerator: () => unknown;
-      };
 
-      // Falls back to parent's content generator
-      expect(agentContext.getContentGenerator()).toBe(mockContentGenerator);
+      // No runtimeView when per-agent creation failed; agent inherits parent.
+      expect(destructureAgentCoreCall(lastCall!).runtimeView).toBeUndefined();
       expect(backend.getAgentContentGenerator('agent-1')).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
@@ -665,16 +688,12 @@ describe('InProcessBackend', () => {
       const MockAgentCore = AgentCore as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
       const calls = MockAgentCore.mock.calls;
 
-      const ctx1 = calls.at(-2)![1] as {
-        getContentGenerator: () => unknown;
-      };
-      const ctx2 = calls.at(-1)![1] as {
-        getContentGenerator: () => unknown;
-      };
+      const view1 = calls.at(-2)![8] as { contentGenerator: unknown };
+      const view2 = calls.at(-1)![8] as { contentGenerator: unknown };
 
-      expect(ctx1.getContentGenerator()).toBe(gen1);
-      expect(ctx2.getContentGenerator()).toBe(gen2);
-      expect(ctx1.getContentGenerator()).not.toBe(ctx2.getContentGenerator());
+      expect(view1.contentGenerator).toBe(gen1);
+      expect(view2.contentGenerator).toBe(gen2);
+      expect(view1.contentGenerator).not.toBe(view2.contentGenerator);
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.ts
index 7860dfe82..d5912400d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/backends/InProcessBackend.ts
@@ -13,16 +13,12 @@
 
 import { createDebugLogger } from '../../utils/debugLogger.js';
 import type { Config } from '../../config/config.js';
-import {
-  type AuthType,
-  type ContentGenerator,
-  type ContentGeneratorConfig,
-  createContentGenerator,
-} from '../../core/contentGenerator.js';
+import { type ContentGenerator } from '../../core/contentGenerator.js';
+import type { RuntimeContentGeneratorView } from '../runtime/agent-context.js';
 import type { ToolRegistry } from '../../tools/tool-registry.js';
 import { WorkspaceContext } from '../../utils/workspaceContext.js';
 import { FileDiscoveryService } from '../../services/fileDiscoveryService.js';
-import { buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig } from '../../models/content-generator-config.js';
+import { createRuntimeContentGeneratorView } from '../../models/content-generator-config.js';
 import { AgentStatus, isTerminalStatus } from '../runtime/agent-types.js';
 import { AgentCore } from '../runtime/agent-core.js';
 import { AgentEventEmitter } from '../runtime/agent-events.js';
@@ -122,6 +118,8 @@ export class InProcessBackend implements Backend {
       runConfig,
       toolConfig,
       eventEmitter,
+      undefined,
+      perAgent.runtimeView,
     );
 
     const interactive = new AgentInteractive(
@@ -382,19 +380,26 @@ export class InProcessBackend implements Backend {
  * - `getFileService()` → FileDiscoveryService rooted at agent's cwd
  * - `getToolRegistry()` → per-agent tool registry with core tools bound to
  *   the agent Config
- * - `getContentGenerator()` / `getContentGeneratorConfig()` / `getAuthType()`
- *   → per-agent ContentGenerator when `authOverrides` is provided
- * - returned `contentGenerator` → the generator safe to use for summaries
+ *
+ * When `authOverrides` is provided, also returns a `runtimeView` describing
+ * the per-agent ContentGenerator. The agent runtime publishes the view via
+ * AsyncLocalStorage so the CG-related Config getters resolve to the
+ * agent's values during the run.
  */
 async function createPerAgentConfig(
   base: Config,
   cwd: string,
   modelId?: string,
   authOverrides?: InProcessSpawnConfig['authOverrides'],
-): Promise<{ config: Config; contentGenerator?: ContentGenerator }> {
+): Promise<{
+  config: Config;
+  contentGenerator?: ContentGenerator;
+  runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView;
+}> {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
   const override = Object.create(base) as any;
   let dedicatedContentGenerator: ContentGenerator | undefined;
+  let runtimeView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
 
   override.getWorkingDir = () => cwd;
   override.getTargetDir = () => cwd;
@@ -415,25 +420,16 @@ async function createPerAgentConfig(
 
   if (authOverrides?.authType) {
     try {
-      const agentGeneratorConfig = buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig(
+      runtimeView = await createRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
         base,
+        override as Config,
         modelId,
         authOverrides,
       );
-      const agentGenerator = await createContentGenerator(
-        agentGeneratorConfig,
-        override as Config,
-      );
-      dedicatedContentGenerator = agentGenerator;
-      override.getContentGenerator = (): ContentGenerator => agentGenerator;
-      override.getContentGeneratorConfig = (): ContentGeneratorConfig =>
-        agentGeneratorConfig;
-      override.getAuthType = (): AuthType | undefined =>
-        agentGeneratorConfig.authType;
-      override.getModel = (): string => agentGeneratorConfig.model;
+      dedicatedContentGenerator = runtimeView.contentGenerator;
 
       debugLogger.info(
-        `Created per-agent ContentGenerator: authType=${authOverrides.authType}, model=${agentGeneratorConfig.model}`,
+        `Created per-agent ContentGenerator: authType=${authOverrides.authType}, model=${runtimeView.contentGeneratorConfig.model}`,
       );
     } catch (error) {
       debugLogger.error(
@@ -448,5 +444,6 @@ async function createPerAgentConfig(
     contentGenerator:
       dedicatedContentGenerator ??
       (authOverrides?.authType ? undefined : base.getContentGenerator()),
+    runtimeView,
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/background-agent-resume.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/background-agent-resume.ts
index f7631b31c..77e534795 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/background-agent-resume.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/background-agent-resume.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import type { ChatRecord } from '../services/chatRecordingService.js';
 import { getInitialChatHistory } from '../utils/environmentContext.js';
 import { getGitBranch } from '../utils/gitUtils.js';
 import { PermissionMode, type StopHookOutput } from '../hooks/types.js';
-import { runWithAgentContext } from '../tools/agent/agent-context.js';
+import { runWithAgentContext } from './runtime/agent-context.js';
 import { createApprovalModeOverride } from '../tools/agent/agent.js';
 import type { ApprovalMode } from '../config/config.js';
 import {
@@ -784,8 +784,7 @@ export class BackgroundAgentResumeService {
         }
       };
 
-      const framedRunBody = () =>
-        runWithAgentContext({ agentId: meta.agentId }, runBody);
+      const framedRunBody = () => runWithAgentContext(meta.agentId, runBody);
       void (target.isFork ? runInForkContext(framedRunBody) : framedRunBody());
       return entry;
     } catch (error) {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1b713f6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Qwen
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  getCurrentAgentId,
+  getRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  runWithAgentContext,
+  runWithRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  type RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+} from './agent-context.js';
+import {
+  AuthType,
+  type ContentGenerator,
+  type ContentGeneratorConfig,
+} from '../../core/contentGenerator.js';
+
+function makeView(model: string): RuntimeContentGeneratorView {
+  return {
+    contentGenerator: { tag: model } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+    contentGeneratorConfig: {
+      model,
+      authType: AuthType.USE_OPENAI,
+    } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+  };
+}
+
+describe('agent-context (agentId)', () => {
+  it('returns null outside any frame', () => {
+    expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('exposes the agentId inside a frame', async () => {
+    await runWithAgentContext('explore-abc', async () => {
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('explore-abc');
+    });
+    expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('propagates across awaits', async () => {
+    await runWithAgentContext('outer-1', async () => {
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('nested frames shadow the outer agentId', async () => {
+    await runWithAgentContext('outer-1', async () => {
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
+      await runWithAgentContext('inner-2', async () => {
+        expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('inner-2');
+      });
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('isolates concurrent frames', async () => {
+    const results: string[] = [];
+    await Promise.all([
+      runWithAgentContext('a', async () => {
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+        results.push(getCurrentAgentId() ?? 'null');
+      }),
+      runWithAgentContext('b', async () => {
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
+        results.push(getCurrentAgentId() ?? 'null');
+      }),
+    ]);
+    expect(results.sort()).toEqual(['a', 'b']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('agent-context (runtimeView)', () => {
+  it('returns undefined outside any frame', () => {
+    expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('exposes the view to code running inside the frame', async () => {
+    const view = makeView('qwen3.6-plus');
+    const inner = await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(view, async () =>
+      getRuntimeContentGenerator(),
+    );
+    expect(inner).toBe(view);
+    expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('isolates sibling runs', async () => {
+    const v1 = makeView('model-a');
+    const v2 = makeView('model-b');
+    const [seen1, seen2] = await Promise.all([
+      runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(v1, async () =>
+        getRuntimeContentGenerator(),
+      ),
+      runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(v2, async () =>
+        getRuntimeContentGenerator(),
+      ),
+    ]);
+    expect(seen1).toBe(v1);
+    expect(seen2).toBe(v2);
+  });
+
+  it('propagates through await chains', async () => {
+    const view = makeView('chained');
+    const seen = await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(view, async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      return getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+    });
+    expect(seen).toBe(view);
+  });
+
+  it('lets a nested run shadow the outer view', async () => {
+    const outer = makeView('outer');
+    const inner = makeView('inner');
+    const [seenOuter, seenInner] = await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(
+      outer,
+      async () => {
+        const before = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+        const after = await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(inner, async () =>
+          getRuntimeContentGenerator(),
+        );
+        return [before, after];
+      },
+    );
+    expect(seenOuter).toBe(outer);
+    expect(seenInner).toBe(inner);
+    const outerAgain = await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(outer, async () => {
+      await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(inner, async () => undefined);
+      return getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+    });
+    expect(outerAgain).toBe(outer);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('agent-context (merging)', () => {
+  it('runtimeView wrap preserves agentId from outer frame', async () => {
+    const view = makeView('inner-model');
+    await runWithAgentContext('outer-agent', async () => {
+      await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(view, async () => {
+        expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-agent');
+        expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBe(view);
+      });
+      // After the inner run resolves, runtimeView is gone but agentId stays.
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-agent');
+      expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('agentId wrap preserves runtimeView from outer frame', async () => {
+    const view = makeView('outer-model');
+    await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(view, async () => {
+      await runWithAgentContext('inner-agent', async () => {
+        expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBe(view);
+        expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('inner-agent');
+      });
+      expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBe(view);
+      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBeNull();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..285e47430
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-context.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Qwen
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Per-run AsyncLocalStorage frame for agent execution.
+ *
+ * Tools capture `this.config` at construction time, so a sub-agent running
+ * with a different model cannot rely on the constructor-bound Config to
+ * report the right ContentGenerator or modalities. This frame lets
+ * `Config.getContentGenerator{,Config}()` resolve to the active sub-agent
+ * view, and lets nested `agent` tool launches discover their parent's id —
+ * both without threading extra parameters through every call site.
+ *
+ * Helpers patch one field at a time and merge with whatever is already on
+ * the stack, so wrapping at different layers preserves every set field.
+ */
+
+import { AsyncLocalStorage } from 'node:async_hooks';
+import type {
+  ContentGenerator,
+  ContentGeneratorConfig,
+} from '../../core/contentGenerator.js';
+
+export interface RuntimeContentGeneratorView {
+  readonly contentGenerator: ContentGenerator;
+  readonly contentGeneratorConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig;
+}
+
+interface AgentContext {
+  readonly agentId?: string;
+  readonly runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView;
+}
+
+const storage = new AsyncLocalStorage<AgentContext>();
+
+export function runWithAgentContext<T>(
+  agentId: string,
+  fn: () => Promise<T>,
+): Promise<T> {
+  const current = storage.getStore() ?? {};
+  return storage.run({ ...current, agentId }, fn);
+}
+
+export function runWithRuntimeContentGenerator<T>(
+  view: RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+  fn: () => Promise<T>,
+): Promise<T> {
+  const current = storage.getStore() ?? {};
+  return storage.run({ ...current, runtimeView: view }, fn);
+}
+
+export function getCurrentAgentId(): string | null {
+  return storage.getStore()?.agentId ?? null;
+}
+
+export function getRuntimeContentGenerator():
+  | RuntimeContentGeneratorView
+  | undefined {
+  return storage.getStore()?.runtimeView;
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1abc33212
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Qwen
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { AgentCore } from './agent-core.js';
+import {
+  getRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  runWithRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  type RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+} from './agent-context.js';
+import { subagentNameContext } from '../../utils/subagentNameContext.js';
+import type { Config } from '../../config/config.js';
+import type { ModelConfig, PromptConfig, RunConfig } from './agent-types.js';
+import type {
+  ContentGenerator,
+  ContentGeneratorConfig,
+} from '../../core/contentGenerator.js';
+
+describe('AgentCore.runInAgentFrames', () => {
+  // The deferred-approval `respond` callback that AgentCore hands to the
+  // UI must restore both ALS frames the agent normally runs under, so any
+  // tool body resumed via approval — including ones that trigger LLM
+  // calls — sees the agent's ContentGenerator (modalities, auth) and is
+  // attributed to the agent in token stats.
+  //
+  // The reasoning loop uses the same wrap, so anything that breaks here
+  // also breaks the synchronous path. These tests pin the contract.
+
+  function makeCore(name: string, runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView) {
+    const promptConfig: PromptConfig = { systemPrompt: '' };
+    const modelConfig: ModelConfig = { model: 'test-model' };
+    const runConfig: RunConfig = { max_turns: 1 };
+    return new AgentCore(
+      name,
+      {} as unknown as Config,
+      promptConfig,
+      modelConfig,
+      runConfig,
+      undefined,
+      undefined,
+      undefined,
+      runtimeView,
+    );
+  }
+
+  it('publishes both the runtime view and the agent name when invoked from outside any frame', async () => {
+    const view: RuntimeContentGeneratorView = {
+      contentGenerator: {
+        generateContentStream: () => Promise.resolve(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+      contentGeneratorConfig: {
+        model: 'agent-model',
+        authType: 'anthropic',
+      } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    };
+    const core = makeCore('image-agent', view);
+
+    let observedView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
+    let observedName: string | undefined;
+    await core.runInAgentFrames(async () => {
+      observedView = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+      observedName = subagentNameContext.getStore();
+    });
+
+    expect(observedView).toBe(view);
+    expect(observedName).toBe('image-agent');
+  });
+
+  it('restores frames even when called from a fresh async chain (deferred-approval path)', async () => {
+    // Simulates the UI's async-input handler invoking the captured
+    // `respond` callback after the reasoning-loop frame has unwound.
+    // Without `runInAgentFrames` re-entering, the body would see the
+    // top-level (parent) view.
+    const view: RuntimeContentGeneratorView = {
+      contentGenerator: {
+        generateContentStream: () => Promise.resolve(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+      contentGeneratorConfig: {
+        model: 'agent-model',
+        authType: 'anthropic',
+      } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    };
+    const core = makeCore('approval-agent', view);
+
+    // Capture a thunk equivalent to the `respond` closure that AgentCore
+    // emits with TOOL_WAITING_APPROVAL — the wrap is identical.
+    let capturedRespond: (() => Promise<void>) | undefined;
+    const onConfirmInvocations: Array<{
+      view: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
+      name: string | undefined;
+    }> = [];
+    const onConfirm = async () => {
+      onConfirmInvocations.push({
+        view: getRuntimeContentGenerator(),
+        name: subagentNameContext.getStore(),
+      });
+    };
+
+    await core.runInAgentFrames(async () => {
+      // Inside the reasoning-loop frame the agent would build the
+      // closure that the UI later invokes — same shape as line 938 of
+      // agent-core.ts.
+      capturedRespond = () => core.runInAgentFrames(onConfirm);
+    });
+
+    // After the loop frame has unwound, neither frame is active.
+    expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(subagentNameContext.getStore()).toBeUndefined();
+
+    // Hop to a brand-new microtask chain to be sure no parent ALS frame
+    // is in scope, then invoke the captured callback.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+    await capturedRespond!();
+
+    expect(onConfirmInvocations).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(onConfirmInvocations[0]!.view).toBe(view);
+    expect(onConfirmInvocations[0]!.name).toBe('approval-agent');
+  });
+
+  it('still publishes the agent name when no runtime view is set (inheriting agent)', async () => {
+    const core = makeCore('inherit-agent');
+
+    let observedView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
+    let observedName: string | undefined;
+    await core.runInAgentFrames(async () => {
+      observedView = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+      observedName = subagentNameContext.getStore();
+    });
+
+    expect(observedView).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(observedName).toBe('inherit-agent');
+  });
+
+  it('uses inheritedView for deferred-approval continuation when the agent owns no view', async () => {
+    // A nested `model: inherit` child under a runtime-view-bearing parent
+    // owns no view of its own, but its tool bodies (e.g. `read_file`
+    // checking modalities) need the parent's view. The reasoning loop
+    // sees it via ALS, but the deferred-approval `respond` callback runs
+    // from a fresh async chain where that frame is gone — so the agent
+    // must capture it at emit time and pass it back through.
+    const parentView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView = {
+      contentGenerator: {
+        generateContentStream: () => Promise.resolve(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+      contentGeneratorConfig: {
+        model: 'parent-model',
+        authType: 'anthropic',
+      } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    };
+    const inheritingCore = makeCore('inherit-agent');
+
+    let respondClosure: (() => Promise<void>) | undefined;
+    let observedView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
+    let observedName: string | undefined;
+    const onConfirm = async () => {
+      observedView = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+      observedName = subagentNameContext.getStore();
+    };
+
+    // Simulate the parent's loop frame being live at emit time.
+    await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(parentView, async () => {
+      const inheritedView = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+      respondClosure = () =>
+        inheritingCore.runInAgentFrames(onConfirm, inheritedView);
+    });
+
+    // Parent frame is gone; jump to a fresh microtask chain to be sure.
+    expect(getRuntimeContentGenerator()).toBeUndefined();
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+
+    await respondClosure!();
+
+    expect(observedView).toBe(parentView);
+    expect(observedName).toBe('inherit-agent');
+  });
+
+  it("prefers the agent's own view over inheritedView when both are present", async () => {
+    // Defensive: if a future caller wires both, the agent's explicit view
+    // wins — we never want a captured snapshot to override the agent's
+    // declared view.
+    const ownView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView = {
+      contentGenerator: {
+        generateContentStream: () => Promise.resolve(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+      contentGeneratorConfig: {
+        model: 'own-model',
+        authType: 'anthropic',
+      } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    };
+    const otherView: RuntimeContentGeneratorView = {
+      contentGenerator: {
+        generateContentStream: () => Promise.resolve(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+      contentGeneratorConfig: {
+        model: 'other-model',
+        authType: 'openai',
+      } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    };
+    const core = makeCore('own-view-agent', ownView);
+
+    let observed: RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined;
+    await core.runInAgentFrames(async () => {
+      observed = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
+    }, otherView);
+
+    expect(observed).toBe(ownView);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.ts
index bb959f4d0..910e3475d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-core.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
 import { reportError } from '../../utils/errorReporting.js';
 import { subagentNameContext } from '../../utils/subagentNameContext.js';
 import type { Config } from '../../config/config.js';
+import {
+  getRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  runWithRuntimeContentGenerator,
+  type RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+} from './agent-context.js';
 import { type ToolCallRequestInfo } from '../../core/turn.js';
 import {
   CoreToolScheduler,
@@ -183,6 +188,14 @@ export class AgentCore {
   readonly eventEmitter: AgentEventEmitter;
   readonly hooks?: AgentHooks;
   readonly stats = new AgentStatistics();
+  /**
+   * When the agent runs with a model different from the parent session,
+   * this view is published via AsyncLocalStorage during execution so any
+   * `Config.getContentGenerator{,Config}()` call inside the run resolves
+   * to the agent's values — even from tools that captured the parent
+   * Config at construction.
+   */
+  readonly runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView;
 
   // Observable state lives on Core (not a wrapper) so headless and
   // background agents can be observed with the same accessors as
@@ -236,6 +249,7 @@ export class AgentCore {
     toolConfig?: ToolConfig,
     eventEmitter?: AgentEventEmitter,
     hooks?: AgentHooks,
+    runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
   ) {
     const randomPart = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8);
     this.subagentId = `${name}-${randomPart}`;
@@ -247,6 +261,7 @@ export class AgentCore {
     this.toolConfig = toolConfig;
     this.eventEmitter = eventEmitter ?? new AgentEventEmitter();
     this.hooks = hooks;
+    this.runtimeView = runtimeView;
     this.setupStateListeners();
   }
 
@@ -433,21 +448,66 @@ export class AgentCore {
     abortController: AbortController,
     options?: ReasoningLoopOptions,
   ): Promise<ReasoningLoopResult> {
-    // Tag every API call emitted from this loop with the owning subagent's
-    // name so the `/stats` panel can attribute tokens/requests to the
-    // originating subagent. The store is read inside
-    // `LoggingContentGenerator` via `subagentNameContext.getStore()`.
-    return subagentNameContext.run(this.name, () =>
+    const inner = () =>
       this._runReasoningLoopInner(
         chat,
         initialMessages,
         toolsList,
         abortController,
         options,
-      ),
+      );
+    return this.runInAgentFrames(inner);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Run `fn` inside both ALS frames this agent owns:
+   * 1. {@link subagentNameContext} so token-attribution code resolves to
+   *    this agent's name.
+   * 2. The per-agent runtime ContentGenerator view (when set) so
+   *    `Config.getContentGenerator{,Config}()` calls inside resolve to
+   *    the agent rather than to the parent Config tools captured at
+   *    construction time.
+   *
+   * Used both around the reasoning loop and around the deferred-approval
+   * `onConfirm` continuation — the latter runs from the parent UI's input
+   * handler, on a different async chain than the loop, so without this
+   * re-entry the resumed tool body would fall back to the parent's view
+   * and mis-attribute its tokens.
+   *
+   * `inheritedView` lets a caller pass an ambient view captured earlier
+   * (e.g. at approval-emit time, when the parent's ALS frame is still
+   * live) for inheriting agents that own no view themselves. Without it,
+   * a nested `model: inherit` agent under a runtime-view-bearing parent
+   * would lose that view across the deferred-approval boundary, since
+   * the UI invokes `respond` from a fresh async chain where the parent's
+   * ALS frame is gone.
+   *
+   * Exposed (rather than inlined twice) so the contract stays testable in
+   * isolation; see `agent-core.test.ts`.
+   */
+  runInAgentFrames<T>(
+    fn: () => Promise<T>,
+    inheritedView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+  ): Promise<T> {
+    return subagentNameContext.run(this.name, () =>
+      this.withRuntimeView(fn, inheritedView),
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Wraps `fn` in the effective runtime view: this agent's own view if
+   * set, else `inheritedView` if the caller captured one. Internal —
+   * public callers should use {@link runInAgentFrames}, which also
+   * restores the subagent-name frame.
+   */
+  private withRuntimeView<T>(
+    fn: () => Promise<T>,
+    inheritedView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
+  ): Promise<T> {
+    const view = this.runtimeView ?? inheritedView;
+    return view ? runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(view, fn) : fn();
+  }
+
   private async _runReasoningLoopInner(
     chat: GeminiChat,
     initialMessages: Content[],
@@ -901,6 +961,12 @@ export class AgentCore {
           try {
             const { confirmationDetails } = waiting;
             const { onConfirm: _onConfirm, ...rest } = confirmationDetails;
+            // Snapshot the ambient runtime view here, while the loop frame
+            // is still live. For inheriting agents (no own runtimeView)
+            // this captures the parent's view so the deferred-approval
+            // continuation — invoked later from the UI's async chain — can
+            // restore it. See `runInAgentFrames` for the wiring.
+            const inheritedView = getRuntimeContentGenerator();
             this.eventEmitter?.emit(AgentEventType.TOOL_WAITING_APPROVAL, {
               subagentId: this.subagentId,
               round: currentRound,
@@ -919,7 +985,14 @@ export class AgentCore {
               ) => {
                 if (responded.has(waiting.request.callId)) return;
                 responded.add(waiting.request.callId);
-                await waiting.confirmationDetails.onConfirm(outcome, payload);
+                // UI invokes this from its own async chain (outside the
+                // reasoning-loop ALS frames), so re-enter both the agent's
+                // runtime view AND its name context before the resumed
+                // tool body runs. See `runInAgentFrames` for rationale.
+                await this.runInAgentFrames(
+                  () => waiting.confirmationDetails.onConfirm(outcome, payload),
+                  inheritedView,
+                );
               },
               timestamp: Date.now(),
             });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-headless.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-headless.ts
index 8c85c46aa..49dc93022 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-headless.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/runtime/agent-headless.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import type { Content } from '@google/genai';
 import type { Config } from '../../config/config.js';
+import type { RuntimeContentGeneratorView } from './agent-context.js';
 import { createDebugLogger } from '../../utils/debugLogger.js';
 import type {
   AgentEventEmitter,
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ export class AgentHeadless {
     toolConfig?: ToolConfig,
     eventEmitter?: AgentEventEmitter,
     hooks?: AgentHooks,
+    runtimeView?: RuntimeContentGeneratorView,
   ): Promise<AgentHeadless> {
     const core = new AgentCore(
       name,
@@ -174,6 +176,7 @@ export class AgentHeadless {
       toolConfig,
       eventEmitter,
       hooks,
+      runtimeView,
     );
     return new AgentHeadless(core);
   }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/config.test.ts b/packages/core/src/config/config.test.ts
index c1d9ef2a9..55b5d34f7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/config.test.ts
@@ -2197,4 +2197,102 @@ describe('Model Switching and Config Updates', () => {
       expect(mockHasHooksForEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Stop');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('runtime ContentGenerator view (AsyncLocalStorage)', () => {
+    // The Config getters consult the per-run ALS view published by the
+    // agent runtime when a sub-agent runs on a different model than the
+    // parent. These tests pin that integration: tools that captured the
+    // parent Config at construction must still resolve to the agent's
+    // values when called inside the agent's runtime frame.
+    function setInstanceFields(
+      config: Config,
+      contentGenerator: ContentGenerator,
+      generatorConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig,
+    ): void {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      (config as any).contentGenerator = contentGenerator;
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      (config as any).contentGeneratorConfig = generatorConfig;
+    }
+
+    it('resolves getters to the runtime view inside the frame, instance fields outside', async () => {
+      const { runWithRuntimeContentGenerator } = await import(
+        '../agents/runtime/agent-context.js'
+      );
+      const config = new Config(baseParams);
+      const parentGenerator = {
+        generateContentStream: vi.fn(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator;
+      const parentGeneratorConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig = {
+        model: 'parent-model',
+        authType: AuthType.QWEN_OAUTH,
+        apiKey: 'parent-key',
+      };
+      setInstanceFields(config, parentGenerator, parentGeneratorConfig);
+
+      const agentGenerator = {
+        generateContentStream: vi.fn(),
+      } as unknown as ContentGenerator;
+      const agentGeneratorConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig = {
+        model: 'agent-model',
+        authType: AuthType.USE_OPENAI,
+        apiKey: 'agent-key',
+      };
+
+      // Outside the frame, getters resolve to the parent's instance fields.
+      expect(config.getContentGenerator()).toBe(parentGenerator);
+      expect(config.getContentGeneratorConfig()).toBe(parentGeneratorConfig);
+      expect(config.getModel()).toBe('parent-model');
+      expect(config.getAuthType()).toBe(AuthType.QWEN_OAUTH);
+
+      // Inside the frame, every getter resolves to the agent's view.
+      await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(
+        {
+          contentGenerator: agentGenerator,
+          contentGeneratorConfig: agentGeneratorConfig,
+        },
+        async () => {
+          expect(config.getContentGenerator()).toBe(agentGenerator);
+          expect(config.getContentGeneratorConfig()).toBe(agentGeneratorConfig);
+          expect(config.getModel()).toBe('agent-model');
+          expect(config.getAuthType()).toBe(AuthType.USE_OPENAI);
+        },
+      );
+
+      // Frame exit restores resolution to the parent's instance fields.
+      expect(config.getContentGenerator()).toBe(parentGenerator);
+      expect(config.getModel()).toBe('parent-model');
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to the parent model id when the runtime view config has no model', async () => {
+      const { runWithRuntimeContentGenerator } = await import(
+        '../agents/runtime/agent-context.js'
+      );
+      const config = new Config(baseParams);
+      setInstanceFields(
+        config,
+        { generateContentStream: vi.fn() } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+        {
+          model: 'parent-model',
+          authType: AuthType.QWEN_OAUTH,
+        } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+      );
+
+      await runWithRuntimeContentGenerator(
+        {
+          contentGenerator: {
+            generateContentStream: vi.fn(),
+          } as unknown as ContentGenerator,
+          contentGeneratorConfig: {
+            model: '',
+            authType: AuthType.USE_OPENAI,
+          } as ContentGeneratorConfig,
+        },
+        async () => {
+          // Empty model on the runtime view falls through to modelsConfig.
+          expect(config.getModel()).toBe(baseParams.model);
+        },
+      );
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/config.ts b/packages/core/src/config/config.ts
index f635ea1b8..3a104fb11 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/config.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
   createContentGenerator,
   resolveContentGeneratorConfigWithSources,
 } from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
+import { getRuntimeContentGenerator } from '../agents/runtime/agent-context.js';
 
 // Services
 import { FileDiscoveryService } from '../services/fileDiscoveryService.js';
@@ -1285,7 +1286,9 @@ export class Config {
   }
 
   getContentGenerator(): ContentGenerator {
-    return this.contentGenerator;
+    return (
+      getRuntimeContentGenerator()?.contentGenerator ?? this.contentGenerator
+    );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1471,7 +1474,10 @@ export class Config {
   }
 
   getContentGeneratorConfig(): ContentGeneratorConfig {
-    return this.contentGeneratorConfig;
+    return (
+      getRuntimeContentGenerator()?.contentGeneratorConfig ??
+      this.contentGeneratorConfig
+    );
   }
 
   getContentGeneratorConfigSources(): ContentGeneratorConfigSources {
@@ -1487,7 +1493,9 @@ export class Config {
   }
 
   getModel(): string {
-    return this.contentGeneratorConfig?.model || this.modelsConfig.getModel();
+    return (
+      this.getContentGeneratorConfig()?.model || this.modelsConfig.getModel()
+    );
   }
 
   onModelChange(listener: (model: string) => void): () => void {
@@ -2455,7 +2463,7 @@ export class Config {
   }
 
   getAuthType(): AuthType | undefined {
-    return this.contentGeneratorConfig?.authType;
+    return this.getContentGeneratorConfig()?.authType;
   }
 
   getCliVersion(): string | undefined {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.test.ts b/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.test.ts
index e090d0daf..68c6df0c2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.test.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,23 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
 import {
   buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig,
+  createRuntimeContentGeneratorView,
   resolveCredentialField,
 } from './content-generator-config.js';
+import { createContentGenerator } from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
 import type { ContentGeneratorConfig } from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
 import type { Config } from '../config/config.js';
 import type { ResolvedModelConfig } from './types.js';
 
+vi.mock('../core/contentGenerator.js', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual =
+    await importOriginal<typeof import('../core/contentGenerator.js')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    createContentGenerator: vi.fn(),
+  };
+});
+
 function createMockConfig(
   parentConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig,
   resolvedModel?: ResolvedModelConfig,
@@ -211,6 +222,44 @@ describe('buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('createRuntimeContentGeneratorView', () => {
+  const parentConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig = {
+    model: 'parent-model',
+    authType: 'openai' as ContentGeneratorConfig['authType'],
+    apiKey: 'parent-key',
+    baseUrl: 'https://parent.example.com',
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(createContentGenerator).mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it('should bind the new ContentGenerator to contentGeneratorOwner, not base', async () => {
+    const baseConfig = createMockConfig(parentConfig);
+    // Distinct instance — represents the per-agent override Config.
+    const ownerConfig = createMockConfig(parentConfig);
+    const fakeGenerator = { generateContentStream: vi.fn() };
+    vi.mocked(createContentGenerator).mockResolvedValueOnce(
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      fakeGenerator as any,
+    );
+
+    const view = await createRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
+      baseConfig,
+      ownerConfig,
+      'custom-model',
+      { authType: 'openai' },
+    );
+
+    expect(createContentGenerator).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const [, ownerArg] = vi.mocked(createContentGenerator).mock.calls[0];
+    expect(ownerArg).toBe(ownerConfig);
+    expect(ownerArg).not.toBe(baseConfig);
+    expect(view.contentGenerator).toBe(fakeGenerator);
+    expect(view.contentGeneratorConfig.model).toBe('custom-model');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('resolveCredentialField', () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     vi.unstubAllEnvs();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.ts b/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.ts
index c2ef1a242..2dca50dbd 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/models/content-generator-config.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@
 
 import type { Config } from '../config/config.js';
 import {
+  createContentGenerator,
   type AuthType,
   type ContentGeneratorConfig,
 } from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
+import type { RuntimeContentGeneratorView } from '../agents/runtime/agent-context.js';
 import {
   AUTH_ENV_MAPPINGS,
   MODEL_GENERATION_CONFIG_FIELDS,
@@ -97,6 +99,34 @@ export function buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig(
   return nextConfig;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Compose `buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig` + `createContentGenerator` into
+ * a single {@link RuntimeContentGeneratorView}. Both InProcessBackend and
+ * SubagentManager need the same three-step recipe; this helper centralizes
+ * it so the two paths can't drift.
+ *
+ * `contentGeneratorOwner` is the Config instance the new ContentGenerator
+ * should bind to for cwd / workspace / telemetry purposes — typically the
+ * per-agent override Config when one exists, or the parent Config otherwise.
+ */
+export async function createRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
+  base: Config,
+  contentGeneratorOwner: Config,
+  modelId: string | undefined,
+  authOverrides: AuthOverrides,
+): Promise<RuntimeContentGeneratorView> {
+  const contentGeneratorConfig = buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig(
+    base,
+    modelId,
+    authOverrides,
+  );
+  const contentGenerator = await createContentGenerator(
+    contentGeneratorConfig,
+    contentGeneratorOwner,
+  );
+  return { contentGenerator, contentGeneratorConfig };
+}
+
 function applyResolvedModelConfig(
   targetConfig: ContentGeneratorConfig,
   resolvedModel: ResolvedModelConfig,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.test.ts b/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.test.ts
index 9005dd52a..f97441043 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.test.ts
@@ -162,6 +162,61 @@ describe('ModelRegistry', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('modalities auto-fill', () => {
+    // Sub-agents that read straight from the registry (e.g. via
+    // getResolvedModel) need the registry to populate modalities for them;
+    // otherwise they inherit the parent session's modalities and fail the
+    // image/pdf/video gates set on tools like ReadFile.
+    it('populates modalities from the model name when not provided', () => {
+      const registry = new ModelRegistry({
+        openai: [
+          {
+            id: 'gpt-4-turbo',
+            name: 'GPT-4 Turbo',
+            baseUrl: 'https://api.openai.com/v1',
+            generationConfig: {},
+          },
+        ],
+      });
+
+      const model = registry.getModel(AuthType.USE_OPENAI, 'gpt-4-turbo');
+      expect(model?.generationConfig.modalities).toEqual({ image: true });
+    });
+
+    it('preserves caller-provided modalities verbatim', () => {
+      const explicitModalities = { image: true, pdf: true };
+      const registry = new ModelRegistry({
+        openai: [
+          {
+            id: 'gpt-4-turbo',
+            name: 'GPT-4 Turbo',
+            baseUrl: 'https://api.openai.com/v1',
+            generationConfig: { modalities: explicitModalities },
+          },
+        ],
+      });
+
+      const model = registry.getModel(AuthType.USE_OPENAI, 'gpt-4-turbo');
+      expect(model?.generationConfig.modalities).toEqual(explicitModalities);
+    });
+
+    it('returns text-only ({}) for models with no multimodal default', () => {
+      const registry = new ModelRegistry({
+        openai: [
+          {
+            id: 'qwen3-coder-plus',
+            name: 'Qwen3 Coder Plus',
+            baseUrl: 'https://example.invalid',
+            generationConfig: {},
+          },
+        ],
+      });
+
+      const model = registry.getModel(AuthType.USE_OPENAI, 'qwen3-coder-plus');
+      expect(model?.generationConfig.modalities).toEqual({});
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('hasModel', () => {
     let registry: ModelRegistry;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.ts b/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.ts
index c2815fb32..d580a1226 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/models/modelRegistry.ts
@@ -125,8 +125,9 @@ export class ModelRegistry {
       isVision: model.capabilities?.vision ?? false,
       contextWindowSize:
         model.generationConfig.contextWindowSize ?? tokenLimit(model.id),
-      modalities:
-        model.generationConfig.modalities ?? defaultModalities(model.id),
+      // `modalities` is auto-filled in `resolveModelConfig`, so it is
+      // always defined on `ResolvedModelConfig` — no fallback needed here.
+      modalities: model.generationConfig.modalities,
       baseUrl: model.baseUrl,
       envKey: model.envKey,
     }));
@@ -176,12 +177,21 @@ export class ModelRegistry {
   ): ResolvedModelConfig {
     this.validateModelConfig(config, authType);
 
+    const generationConfig = { ...(config.generationConfig ?? {}) };
+    // Auto-fill modalities from the model name when the provider didn't set
+    // them explicitly. Without this, downstream consumers that read straight
+    // from the registry (e.g. sub-agents via getResolvedModel) would inherit
+    // the parent session's modalities instead of the agent's own.
+    if (generationConfig.modalities === undefined) {
+      generationConfig.modalities = defaultModalities(config.id);
+    }
+
     return {
       ...config,
       authType,
       name: config.name || config.id,
       baseUrl: config.baseUrl || this.getDefaultBaseUrl(authType),
-      generationConfig: config.generationConfig ?? {},
+      generationConfig,
       capabilities: config.capabilities || {},
     };
   }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager-override.test.ts b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager-override.test.ts
index ec795d667..53e2428aa 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager-override.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager-override.test.ts
@@ -4,58 +4,27 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { Config, ApprovalMode } from '../config/config.js';
 import { SubagentManager } from './subagent-manager.js';
-import type { SubagentConfig } from './types.js';
 import { ToolNames } from '../tools/tool-names.js';
 import { EditTool } from '../tools/edit.js';
 import { ReadFileTool } from '../tools/read-file.js';
 import { createApprovalModeOverride } from '../tools/agent/agent.js';
 
-// The non-inherit (explicit-model) branch in maybeOverrideContentGenerator
-// builds a fresh ContentGenerator. We don't want the test to actually
-// reach the OpenAI / Anthropic SDK — replacing the factory with a stub
-// is enough to exercise the code path.
-vi.mock('../core/contentGenerator.js', async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<
-    typeof import('../core/contentGenerator.js')
-  >('../core/contentGenerator.js');
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    createContentGenerator: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      generateContent: vi.fn(),
-      generateContentStream: vi.fn(),
-    }),
-  };
-});
-
-vi.mock('../models/content-generator-config.js', async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<
-    typeof import('../models/content-generator-config.js')
-  >('../models/content-generator-config.js');
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
-      model: 'override-model',
-      authType: 'openai',
-      apiKey: 'override-key',
-    }),
-  };
-});
-
 /**
  * Companion to `tools/agent/agent-override.test.ts`. Same regression:
  * Object.create(parent) by itself is not enough to isolate a subagent's
  * core tools from the parent's bound `EditTool` / `WriteFileTool` /
- * `ReadFileTool`. The subagent path that flows through
- * `SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator` must rebuild the
- * tool registry on the override Config so bound tools resolve
- * `this.config` to the subagent rather than the parent — otherwise
- * mutations executed via the bound tool reach the parent's
- * FileReadCache and silently weaken prior-read enforcement.
+ * `ReadFileTool`. The subagent path (which flows through
+ * `SubagentManager.createAgentHeadless` →
+ * `buildSubagentContextOverride`) must rebuild the tool registry on
+ * the override Config so bound tools resolve `this.config` to the
+ * subagent rather than the parent — otherwise mutations executed via
+ * the bound tool reach the parent's FileReadCache and silently weaken
+ * prior-read enforcement.
  */
-describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', () => {
+describe('SubagentManager.buildSubagentContextOverride bound-tool isolation', () => {
   // Bare mode keeps the registry small (ReadFile / Edit / Shell only) and
   // avoids needing extra setup for optional tools.
   const baseParams = {
@@ -70,23 +39,19 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
   // The method is `private`. Cast via `unknown` to invoke it directly —
   // testing through the public `createAgentHeadless` pathway would also
   // work but pulls in a much larger graph (file IO, hooks, etc.).
-  function callMaybeOverride(
+  function callBuildOverride(
     manager: SubagentManager,
-    config: SubagentConfig,
     base: Config,
   ): Promise<Config> {
     const fn = (
       manager as unknown as {
-        maybeOverrideContentGenerator: (
-          c: SubagentConfig,
-          b: Config,
-        ) => Promise<Config>;
+        buildSubagentContextOverride: (b: Config) => Promise<Config>;
       }
-    ).maybeOverrideContentGenerator.bind(manager);
-    return fn(config, base);
+    ).buildSubagentContextOverride.bind(manager);
+    return fn(base);
   }
 
-  it('inherits branch: returns a Config whose registry is distinct from the parent and binds Edit/Read to the override', async () => {
+  it('returns a Config whose registry is distinct from the parent and binds Edit/Read to the override', async () => {
     const parent = new Config(baseParams);
     const parentRegistry = await parent.createToolRegistry(undefined, {
       skipDiscovery: true,
@@ -96,16 +61,7 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
 
     const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
 
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'inheriting-agent',
-      description: 'Inherits parent model',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/inheriting-agent.md',
-      // model omitted -> inherits=true branch
-    };
-
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(manager, subagentConfig, parent);
+    const child = await callBuildOverride(manager, parent);
 
     expect(child).not.toBe(parent);
     expect(child.getToolRegistry()).not.toBe(parentRegistry);
@@ -130,7 +86,7 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     expect(boundConfig.getFileReadCache()).not.toBe(parent.getFileReadCache());
   });
 
-  it('inherits branch: parent and child caches are independent', async () => {
+  it('parent and child caches are independent', async () => {
     const parent = new Config(baseParams);
     const parentRegistry = await parent.createToolRegistry(undefined, {
       skipDiscovery: true,
@@ -139,15 +95,8 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     (parent as any).toolRegistry = parentRegistry;
 
     const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'inheriting-agent',
-      description: 'Inherits parent model',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/inheriting-agent.md',
-    };
 
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(manager, subagentConfig, parent);
+    const child = await callBuildOverride(manager, parent);
 
     // Record a read on parent. Child must not see it.
     const fakeStats = {
@@ -166,12 +115,12 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     expect(child.getFileReadCache().size()).toBe(0);
   });
 
-  it('inherits branch: skips rebuild and inherits registry via prototype when the base already has its own registry (real-world chained-override case)', async () => {
+  it('skips rebuild and inherits registry via prototype when an upstream wrapper has already rebuilt the registry (real-world chained-override case)', async () => {
     // This mirrors the real-world flow: agent.ts wraps the parent in
     // `createApprovalModeOverride` (which builds R1 on the wrapper),
     // then passes that wrapper — sometimes wrapped one more level in
     // `bgConfig = Object.create(agentConfig)` for the background path —
-    // through `createAgentHeadless` → `maybeOverrideContentGenerator`.
+    // through `createAgentHeadless` → `buildSubagentContextOverride`.
     // We do NOT want the second layer to build a redundant R2 — that
     // would (a) waste work, (b) leak listeners on every later
     // AgentTool/SkillTool factory invocation, and (c) split the cache
@@ -205,19 +154,8 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     bgWrapper.getShouldAvoidPermissionPrompts = () => true;
 
     const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'inheriting-agent',
-      description: 'Inherits parent model',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/inheriting-agent.md',
-    };
 
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(
-      manager,
-      subagentConfig,
-      bgWrapper as Config,
-    );
+    const child = await callBuildOverride(manager, bgWrapper as Config);
 
     // child is still a distinct instance (Object.create) so the
     // FileReadCache lazy-init still works, but its registry must
@@ -238,113 +176,7 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     expect((childEdit as any).config).toBe(upstreamWrapper);
   });
 
-  it('non-inherit branch (explicit-model selector): rebuilds registry and binds Edit/Read to the override Config', async () => {
-    // The non-inherit branch swaps the ContentGenerator (so the
-    // subagent talks to the model the selector requests). It must
-    // ALSO rebuild the tool registry — without that step explicit-model
-    // subagents would still resolve their core tools' `this.config` to
-    // the parent and read the parent's FileReadCache.
-    const parent = new Config(baseParams);
-    // Even though bare mode skips most tools, the non-inherit branch
-    // requires getContentGeneratorConfig() to return something for the
-    // authType fallback. Stub it minimally.
-    vi.spyOn(parent, 'getContentGeneratorConfig').mockReturnValue({
-      model: 'parent-model',
-      authType: 'openai',
-      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    } as any);
-    const parentRegistry = await parent.createToolRegistry(undefined, {
-      skipDiscovery: true,
-    });
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    (parent as any).toolRegistry = parentRegistry;
-
-    const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'explicit-model-agent',
-      description: 'Uses an explicit model selector',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/explicit-model-agent.md',
-      // Bare model ID -> non-inherits branch (parses to {modelId,
-      // inherits:false}).
-      model: 'override-model',
-    };
-
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(manager, subagentConfig, parent);
-
-    expect(child).not.toBe(parent);
-    expect(child.getToolRegistry()).not.toBe(parentRegistry);
-
-    const childEdit = await child.getToolRegistry().ensureTool(ToolNames.EDIT);
-    const childRead = await child
-      .getToolRegistry()
-      .ensureTool(ToolNames.READ_FILE);
-
-    expect(childEdit).toBeInstanceOf(EditTool);
-    expect(childRead).toBeInstanceOf(ReadFileTool);
-
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    expect((childEdit as any).config).toBe(child);
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    expect((childRead as any).config).toBe(child);
-
-    // The bound EditTool's FileReadCache must be the override's, not
-    // the parent's.
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    const boundConfig = (childEdit as any).config as Config;
-    expect(boundConfig.getFileReadCache()).toBe(child.getFileReadCache());
-    expect(boundConfig.getFileReadCache()).not.toBe(parent.getFileReadCache());
-  });
-
-  it('non-inherit branch: skips rebuild when an upstream wrapper has already rebuilt the registry', async () => {
-    const parent = new Config(baseParams);
-    vi.spyOn(parent, 'getContentGeneratorConfig').mockReturnValue({
-      model: 'parent-model',
-      authType: 'openai',
-      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    } as any);
-    const parentRegistry = await parent.createToolRegistry(undefined, {
-      skipDiscovery: true,
-    });
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    (parent as any).toolRegistry = parentRegistry;
-
-    const upstreamWrapper = await createApprovalModeOverride(
-      parent,
-      ApprovalMode.AUTO_EDIT,
-    );
-    const upstreamRegistry = upstreamWrapper.getToolRegistry();
-
-    const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'explicit-model-agent',
-      description: 'Uses an explicit model selector',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/explicit-model-agent.md',
-      model: 'override-model',
-    };
-
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(
-      manager,
-      subagentConfig,
-      upstreamWrapper,
-    );
-
-    // Upstream rebuild was detected via the symbol marker, so the
-    // override has no own registry — it inherits via the prototype.
-    expect(child.getToolRegistry()).toBe(upstreamRegistry);
-
-    // Bound tools resolve to upstreamWrapper, not the second-layer
-    // child — same as the inherits branch's chained-override case.
-    const childEdit = await child.getToolRegistry().ensureTool(ToolNames.EDIT);
-    expect(childEdit).toBeInstanceOf(EditTool);
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    expect((childEdit as any).config).toBe(upstreamWrapper);
-  });
-
-  it('inherits branch: the override approval mode (inherited via prototype) still resolves via the override Config', async () => {
+  it('the override approval mode (inherited via prototype) still resolves via the override Config', async () => {
     const parent = new Config(baseParams);
     const parentRegistry = await parent.createToolRegistry(undefined, {
       skipDiscovery: true,
@@ -353,15 +185,8 @@ describe('SubagentManager.maybeOverrideContentGenerator bound-tool isolation', (
     (parent as any).toolRegistry = parentRegistry;
 
     const manager = new SubagentManager(parent);
-    const subagentConfig: SubagentConfig = {
-      name: 'inheriting-agent',
-      description: 'Inherits parent model',
-      systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
-      level: 'project',
-      filePath: '/test/project/.qwen/agents/inheriting-agent.md',
-    };
 
-    const child = await callMaybeOverride(manager, subagentConfig, parent);
+    const child = await callBuildOverride(manager, parent);
 
     // Child has no own getApprovalMode; falls through prototype to parent.
     // Verify mutating parent's mode via setter is observed by child.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.test.ts b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.test.ts
index 06c37672b..90b843e14 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.test.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,28 @@ vi.mock('../agents/runtime/agent-headless.js', () => ({
   ContextState: class {},
 }));
 
+// Mirrors the positional AgentHeadless.create parameters so tests can
+// destructure by name instead of indexing — adding new parameters can't
+// silently shift assertions onto the wrong slot.
+function destructureAgentHeadlessCall(call: unknown[]) {
+  return {
+    name: call[0] as string,
+    runtimeContext: call[1],
+    promptConfig: call[2],
+    modelConfig: call[3],
+    runConfig: call[4],
+    toolConfig: call[5],
+    eventEmitter: call[6],
+    hooks: call[7],
+    runtimeView: call[8] as
+      | {
+          contentGenerator: unknown;
+          contentGeneratorConfig: { authType?: string; model?: string };
+        }
+      | undefined,
+  };
+}
+
 // Mock createContentGenerator for model override tests
 const mockCreateContentGenerator = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 vi.mock('../core/contentGenerator.js', async (importOriginal) => {
@@ -72,7 +94,7 @@ describe('SubagentManager', () => {
         { name: 'write_file', displayName: 'Write File' },
         { name: 'grep', displayName: 'Search Files' },
       ]),
-      // `maybeOverrideContentGenerator` now rebuilds the tool registry on
+      // `buildSubagentContextOverride` now rebuilds the tool registry on
       // its override and copies discovered tools from this parent
       // registry. The real implementation iterates `source.tools.values()`,
       // so the stub needs a `tools` Map to avoid a TypeError.
@@ -1446,9 +1468,12 @@ System prompt 3`);
 
         await manager.createAgentHeadless(config, mockConfig);
 
+        // Owner is the runtimeContext passed to createAgentHeadless — assert
+        // the exact instance so a regression that swaps in a different Config
+        // (e.g. the override) gets caught.
         expect(mockCreateContentGenerator).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
           expect.objectContaining({ model: 'custom-model' }),
-          expect.anything(),
+          mockConfig,
         );
       });
 
@@ -1462,7 +1487,7 @@ System prompt 3`);
             model: 'claude-sonnet',
             authType: 'anthropic',
           }),
-          expect.anything(),
+          mockConfig,
         );
       });
 
@@ -1480,16 +1505,23 @@ System prompt 3`);
         expect(mockCreateContentGenerator).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
 
-      it('should pass the overridden Config to AgentHeadless.create', async () => {
+      it('should pass the agent runtimeView to AgentHeadless.create', async () => {
         const config = { ...agentConfig, model: 'custom-model' };
         const fakeGenerator = { generateContentStream: vi.fn() };
         mockCreateContentGenerator.mockResolvedValue(fakeGenerator);
 
         await manager.createAgentHeadless(config, mockConfig);
 
-        const passedConfig = mockAgentHeadlessCreate.mock.calls[0][1];
-        expect(passedConfig.getContentGenerator()).toBe(fakeGenerator);
-        expect(passedConfig.getModel()).toBe('custom-model');
+        const { runtimeContext, runtimeView } = destructureAgentHeadlessCall(
+          mockAgentHeadlessCreate.mock.calls[0],
+        );
+        // Subagents always get an `Object.create(parent)` wrapper for
+        // FileReadCache isolation — distinct instance, prototype === parent.
+        expect(runtimeContext).not.toBe(mockConfig);
+        expect(Object.getPrototypeOf(runtimeContext)).toBe(mockConfig);
+        expect(runtimeView).toBeDefined();
+        expect(runtimeView!.contentGenerator).toBe(fakeGenerator);
+        expect(runtimeView!.contentGeneratorConfig.model).toBe('custom-model');
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.ts b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.ts
index d18b519e5..860aabeb3 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/subagents/subagent-manager.ts
@@ -35,13 +35,8 @@ import type {
 } from '../agents/runtime/agent-events.js';
 import type { Config } from '../config/config.js';
 import { APPROVAL_MODES } from '../config/config.js';
-import {
-  type AuthType,
-  type ContentGenerator,
-  type ContentGeneratorConfig,
-  createContentGenerator,
-} from '../core/contentGenerator.js';
-import { buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig } from '../models/content-generator-config.js';
+import type { RuntimeContentGeneratorView } from '../agents/runtime/agent-context.js';
+import { createRuntimeContentGeneratorView } from '../models/content-generator-config.js';
 import { createDebugLogger } from '../utils/debugLogger.js';
 import { normalizeContent } from '../utils/textUtils.js';
 import { parseSubagentModelSelection } from './model-selection.js';
@@ -660,22 +655,27 @@ export class SubagentManager {
         options?.toolConfigOverride ?? runtimeConfig.toolConfig;
 
       // When the model selector specifies a different provider, build a
-      // per-agent Config with a dedicated ContentGenerator so the subagent
-      // talks to the right API without affecting the parent process.
-      const agentContext = await this.maybeOverrideContentGenerator(
+      // dedicated ContentGenerator + view so the subagent talks to the
+      // right API without affecting the parent process. The view is
+      // applied via AsyncLocalStorage when the agent runs.
+      const runtimeView = await this.buildRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
         config,
         runtimeContext,
       );
 
+      const subagentContext =
+        await this.buildSubagentContextOverride(runtimeContext);
+
       return await AgentHeadless.create(
         config.name,
-        agentContext,
+        subagentContext,
         promptConfig,
         modelConfig,
         runConfig,
         toolConfig,
         options?.eventEmitter,
         options?.hooks,
+        runtimeView,
       );
     } catch (error) {
       if (error instanceof Error) {
@@ -690,53 +690,55 @@ export class SubagentManager {
   }
 
   /**
-   * When a subagent's model selector specifies a model (bare ID or
-   * authType-prefixed), build a Config override with a dedicated
-   * ContentGenerator so the model actually reaches the API.
-   * For inherit selectors we still build a thin Object.create
-   * override so the subagent gets an isolated FileReadCache via
-   * the per-Config own-property machinery — returning `base`
-   * directly would let the subagent share the parent's read entries
-   * and silently weaken prior-read enforcement on its mutation
-   * paths.
+   * Build the per-subagent Config override used as the AgentHeadless
+   * runtime context. The override is a thin prototype-delegation wrapper
+   * (`Object.create(runtimeContext)`): no method changes, but a distinct
+   * instance triggers the lazy own-property init in
+   * `Config.getFileReadCache()` so the subagent gets its own cache
+   * rather than inheriting the parent's recorded reads — which would
+   * silently weaken prior-read enforcement on its mutation paths.
+   *
+   * The tool registry is also rebuilt on the override so `EditTool` /
+   * `WriteFileTool` / `ReadFileTool` resolve `this.config` to the
+   * subagent — without that step, the parent's cached tool instances
+   * still reach the parent's FileReadCache. The rebuild is skipped when
+   * a wrapper above `runtimeContext` already rebuilt one (typically
+   * `agent.ts:createApprovalModeOverride`, which marks itself via a
+   * Symbol-keyed flag — Symbol lookup walks the prototype chain, so
+   * this also catches wrapper-on-wrapper layering like
+   * `bgConfig = Object.create(agentConfig)` from the background path).
+   * Rebuilding twice would waste work, leak listeners on shared
+   * managers, and split caches across registry layers.
    */
-  private async maybeOverrideContentGenerator(
+  private async buildSubagentContextOverride(
+    runtimeContext: Config,
+  ): Promise<Config> {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+    const subagentContext = Object.create(runtimeContext) as any as Config;
+    if (!hasRebuiltToolRegistry(runtimeContext)) {
+      await rebuildToolRegistryOnOverride(subagentContext, runtimeContext);
+    }
+    return subagentContext;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * When a subagent's model selector specifies a model (bare ID or
+   * authType-prefixed), build a dedicated ContentGenerator and the view
+   * the agent runtime should publish via AsyncLocalStorage during the
+   * run. Returns `undefined` for inherit selectors (no override needed).
+   *
+   * FileReadCache isolation and tool-registry rebuilding are handled
+   * separately in {@link buildSubagentContextOverride} — every subagent
+   * (inherit or explicit) gets that, regardless of whether a runtime
+   * view is built here.
+   */
+  private async buildRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
     config: SubagentConfig,
     base: Config,
-  ): Promise<Config> {
+  ): Promise<RuntimeContentGeneratorView | undefined> {
     const selection = parseSubagentModelSelection(config.model);
-    // Skip the registry rebuild if any wrapper above `base` already
-    // rebuilt one (typically `agent.ts:createApprovalModeOverride`,
-    // which marks itself via Symbol-keyed flag — Symbol property lookup
-    // walks the prototype chain, so this also catches
-    // wrapper-on-wrapper layering like
-    // `bgConfig = Object.create(agentConfig)` passed in from the
-    // background path). Rebuilding a second time would waste work,
-    // leak listeners on shared managers (any AgentTool / SkillTool the
-    // second registry later instantiates registers a change-listener
-    // and the short-lived registry has no explicit stop() site), and
-    // split the cache so client-level cache clears target an empty
-    // second-layer cache while bound tools (still in the upstream
-    // layer's registry) keep using the upstream cache.
-    const upstreamRebuilt = hasRebuiltToolRegistry(base);
-
     if (selection.inherits) {
-      // Thin prototype-delegation override: no method changes, but a
-      // distinct instance triggers the lazy-init in
-      // `Config.getFileReadCache()` so the subagent gets its own
-      // cache rather than inheriting the parent's.
-      //
-      // When no upstream rebuild has happened, also rebuild the tool
-      // registry so `EditTool` / `WriteFileTool` / `ReadFileTool` are
-      // bound to the override and resolve `this.config` to the subagent
-      // — without that step, the parent's cached tool instances still
-      // reach the parent's FileReadCache and silently weaken prior-read
-      // enforcement on the subagent's mutation paths.
-      const isolated = Object.create(base) as Config;
-      if (!upstreamRebuilt) {
-        await rebuildToolRegistryOnOverride(isolated, base);
-      }
-      return isolated;
+      return undefined;
     }
 
     const authType =
@@ -745,39 +747,18 @@ export class SubagentManager {
       authType: authType as string,
     };
 
-    const agentGeneratorConfig = buildAgentContentGeneratorConfig(
+    const view = await createRuntimeContentGeneratorView(
+      base,
       base,
       selection.modelId,
       authOverrides,
     );
 
-    const agentGenerator = await createContentGenerator(
-      agentGeneratorConfig,
-      base,
-    );
-
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    const override = Object.create(base) as any;
-    override.getContentGenerator = (): ContentGenerator => agentGenerator;
-    override.getContentGeneratorConfig = (): ContentGeneratorConfig =>
-      agentGeneratorConfig;
-    override.getAuthType = (): AuthType | undefined =>
-      agentGeneratorConfig.authType;
-    override.getModel = (): string => agentGeneratorConfig.model;
-
-    // Rebuild the tool registry on the override so core tools resolve
-    // `this.config` to the subagent — but only if the upstream caller
-    // did not already build one. See the comment at the top of this
-    // function for the reasoning.
-    if (!upstreamRebuilt) {
-      await rebuildToolRegistryOnOverride(override as Config, base);
-    }
-
     debugLogger.info(
-      `Created per-agent ContentGenerator for subagent "${config.name}": authType=${authType}, model=${agentGeneratorConfig.model}`,
+      `Created per-agent ContentGenerator for subagent "${config.name}": authType=${authType}, model=${view.contentGeneratorConfig.model}`,
     );
 
-    return override as Config;
+    return view;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.test.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index e486d9b1f..000000000
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @license
- * Copyright 2025 Qwen
- * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
- */
-
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { getCurrentAgentId, runWithAgentContext } from './agent-context.js';
-
-describe('agent-context', () => {
-  it('returns null outside any frame', () => {
-    expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  it('exposes the agentId inside a frame', async () => {
-    await runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'explore-abc' }, async () => {
-      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('explore-abc');
-    });
-    expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  it('propagates across awaits', async () => {
-    await runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'outer-1' }, async () => {
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
-      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
-    });
-  });
-
-  it('nested frames shadow the outer agentId', async () => {
-    await runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'outer-1' }, async () => {
-      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
-      await runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'inner-2' }, async () => {
-        expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('inner-2');
-      });
-      expect(getCurrentAgentId()).toBe('outer-1');
-    });
-  });
-
-  it('isolates concurrent frames', async () => {
-    const results: string[] = [];
-    await Promise.all([
-      runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'a' }, async () => {
-        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
-        results.push(getCurrentAgentId() ?? 'null');
-      }),
-      runWithAgentContext({ agentId: 'b' }, async () => {
-        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
-        results.push(getCurrentAgentId() ?? 'null');
-      }),
-    ]);
-    expect(results.sort()).toEqual(['a', 'b']);
-  });
-});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 87643aefb..000000000
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent-context.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @license
- * Copyright 2025 Qwen
- * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
- */
-
-/**
- * @fileoverview Ambient agent-identity context for nested `agent` tool calls.
- *
- * When a subagent's model calls the `agent` tool, the resulting
- * AgentToolInvocation's `this.config` is the main process Config (see
- * comment in `fork-subagent.ts`) — it has no way to know which subagent
- * made the call. We carry the launching agent's id via AsyncLocalStorage
- * so nested launches can record `parentAgentId` in their sidecar meta.
- */
-
-import { AsyncLocalStorage } from 'node:async_hooks';
-
-interface AgentContext {
-  readonly agentId: string;
-}
-
-const agentContextStorage = new AsyncLocalStorage<AgentContext>();
-
-/**
- * Runs `fn` with an ambient agent-identity frame.
- *
- * Wrap the subagent's execution (headless run loop and any hook-driven
- * continuations) so every nested `agent` tool invocation inside it reads
- * the launching agent's id via {@link getCurrentAgentId}.
- */
-export function runWithAgentContext<T>(
-  context: AgentContext,
-  fn: () => Promise<T>,
-): Promise<T> {
-  return agentContextStorage.run(context, fn);
-}
-
-/**
- * Returns the id of the subagent whose execution is currently on the call
- * stack, or `null` at the top-level user session.
- */
-export function getCurrentAgentId(): string | null {
-  return agentContextStorage.getStore()?.agentId ?? null;
-}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.test.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.test.ts
index d7b6ec189..3f3de78d7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import type {
 import { partToString } from '../../utils/partUtils.js';
 import type { HookSystem } from '../../hooks/hookSystem.js';
 import { PermissionMode } from '../../hooks/types.js';
-import { runWithAgentContext } from './agent-context.js';
+import { runWithAgentContext } from '../../agents/runtime/agent-context.js';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as os from 'node:os';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
@@ -1845,12 +1845,9 @@ describe('AgentTool', () => {
           invocation as unknown as { setCallId: (id: string) => void }
         ).setCallId('nested-1');
 
-        await runWithAgentContext(
-          { agentId: 'explore-parent-42' },
-          async () => {
-            await invocation.execute();
-          },
-        );
+        await runWithAgentContext('explore-parent-42', async () => {
+          await invocation.execute();
+        });
 
         const meta = readSidecar('monitor-nested-1');
         expect(meta.parentAgentId).toBe('explore-parent-42');
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.ts
index 1f45a045e..1ba760990 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tools/agent/agent.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ import {
   isInForkExecution,
   runInForkContext,
 } from './fork-subagent.js';
-import { getCurrentAgentId, runWithAgentContext } from './agent-context.js';
+import {
+  getCurrentAgentId,
+  runWithAgentContext,
+} from '../../agents/runtime/agent-context.js';
 import {
   AgentEventEmitter,
   AgentEventType,
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ export const TOOL_REGISTRY_REBUILT: unique symbol = Symbol.for(
  * rebuilt its tool registry via {@link rebuildToolRegistryOnOverride}.
  *
  * Used by spawn sites that may be called with a wrapper-on-wrapper
- * argument (e.g. `subagent-manager.ts:maybeOverrideContentGenerator`
+ * argument (e.g. `subagent-manager.ts:buildSubagentContextOverride`
  * receiving `bgConfig = Object.create(agentConfig)` from the
  * background-agent path) to skip a redundant rebuild.
  */
@@ -200,7 +203,7 @@ export function hasRebuiltToolRegistry(config: Config): boolean {
  * Rebuilds the tool registry on `override` so core tools resolve
  * `this.config` to `override` instead of `base`. Used by both
  * {@link createApprovalModeOverride} and
- * `subagent-manager.ts:maybeOverrideContentGenerator` to avoid
+ * `subagent-manager.ts:buildSubagentContextOverride` to avoid
  * duplicated rebuild logic.
  *
  * - `override.createToolRegistry(...)` runs on the override (so the
@@ -1409,7 +1412,7 @@ class AgentToolInvocation extends BaseToolInvocation<AgentParams, ToolResult> {
         // from this subagent's model record this agent's id as their
         // `parentAgentId` in the sidecar meta.
         const framedBgBody = () =>
-          runWithAgentContext({ agentId: hookOpts.agentId }, bgBody);
+          runWithAgentContext(hookOpts.agentId, bgBody);
         void (isFork ? runInForkContext(framedBgBody) : framedBgBody());
 
         this.updateDisplay({ status: 'background' as const }, updateOutput);
@@ -1441,13 +1444,9 @@ class AgentToolInvocation extends BaseToolInvocation<AgentParams, ToolResult> {
         // SkillTool the fork's model instantiates from this registry leaks
         // its change-listener on shared SubagentManager / SkillManager.
         const runFramedFork = () =>
-          runWithAgentContext({ agentId: hookOpts.agentId }, async () => {
+          runWithAgentContext(hookOpts.agentId, async () => {
             try {
-              await this.runSubagentWithHooks(
-                subagent,
-                contextState,
-                hookOpts,
-              );
+              await this.runSubagentWithHooks(subagent, contextState, hookOpts);
             } finally {
               void agentConfig
                 .getToolRegistry()
@@ -1477,7 +1476,7 @@ class AgentToolInvocation extends BaseToolInvocation<AgentParams, ToolResult> {
 
       const fgHookOpts = { ...hookOpts, signal: fgAbortController.signal };
       const runFramed = () =>
-        runWithAgentContext({ agentId: hookOpts.agentId }, () =>
+        runWithAgentContext(hookOpts.agentId, () =>
           this.runSubagentWithHooks(subagent, contextState, fgHookOpts),
         );