diff --git a/src/agents/model-selection.ts b/src/agents/model-selection.ts
index 0a8b8d06b08..ab7d9abbca6 100644
--- a/src/agents/model-selection.ts
+++ b/src/agents/model-selection.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,22 @@ export function parseModelRef(raw: string, defaultProvider: string): ModelRef |
   return normalizeModelRef(providerRaw, model);
 }
 
+export function normalizeModelSelection(value: unknown): string | undefined {
+  if (typeof value === "string") {
+    const trimmed = value.trim();
+    return trimmed || undefined;
+  }
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const primary = (value as { primary?: unknown }).primary;
+  if (typeof primary === "string") {
+    const trimmed = primary.trim();
+    return trimmed || undefined;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 export function resolveAllowlistModelKey(raw: string, defaultProvider: string): string | null {
   const parsed = parseModelRef(raw, defaultProvider);
   if (!parsed) {
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-spawn.ts b/src/agents/subagent-spawn.ts
index 24615ca3587..e4d1225780c 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-spawn.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-spawn.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { normalizeAgentId, parseAgentSessionKey } from "../routing/session-key.j
 import { normalizeDeliveryContext } from "../utils/delivery-context.js";
 import { resolveAgentConfig } from "./agent-scope.js";
 import { AGENT_LANE_SUBAGENT } from "./lanes.js";
-import { resolveDefaultModelForAgent } from "./model-selection.js";
+import { normalizeModelSelection, resolveDefaultModelForAgent } from "./model-selection.js";
 import { buildSubagentSystemPrompt } from "./subagent-announce.js";
 import { getSubagentDepthFromSessionStore } from "./subagent-depth.js";
 import { countActiveRunsForSession, registerSubagentRun } from "./subagent-registry.js";
@@ -67,21 +67,6 @@ export function splitModelRef(ref?: string) {
   return { provider: undefined, model: trimmed };
 }
 
-export function normalizeModelSelection(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  if (typeof value === "string") {
-    const trimmed = value.trim();
-    return trimmed || undefined;
-  }
-  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  const primary = (value as { primary?: unknown }).primary;
-  if (typeof primary === "string" && primary.trim()) {
-    return primary.trim();
-  }
-  return undefined;
-}
-
 export async function spawnSubagentDirect(
   params: SpawnSubagentParams,
   ctx: SpawnSubagentContext,
diff --git a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
index 05199a8e2d1..7690e6a66b3 100644
--- a/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/sessions-patch.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
 import { resolveAgentConfig, resolveDefaultAgentId } from "../agents/agent-scope.js";
 import type { ModelCatalogEntry } from "../agents/model-catalog.js";
-import { resolveAllowedModelRef, resolveDefaultModelForAgent } from "../agents/model-selection.js";
+import {
+  normalizeModelSelection,
+  resolveAllowedModelRef,
+  resolveDefaultModelForAgent,
+} from "../agents/model-selection.js";
 import { normalizeGroupActivation } from "../auto-reply/group-activation.js";
 import {
   formatThinkingLevels,
@@ -58,22 +62,6 @@ function normalizeExecAsk(raw: string): "off" | "on-miss" | "always" | undefined
   return undefined;
 }
 
-function normalizeModelSelection(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  if (typeof value === "string") {
-    const trimmed = value.trim();
-    return trimmed || undefined;
-  }
-  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  const primary = (value as { primary?: unknown }).primary;
-  if (typeof primary === "string") {
-    const trimmed = primary.trim();
-    return trimmed || undefined;
-  }
-  return undefined;
-}
-
 function resolveSubagentModelHint(cfg: OpenClawConfig, agentId: string): string | undefined {
   const agentConfig = resolveAgentConfig(cfg, agentId);
   return (