diff --git a/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.test.ts b/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.test.ts
index 5858051ce2..ec1667d197 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.test.ts
@@ -906,6 +906,51 @@ it("derives tool image support metadata from resolved provider model catalog", a
 	expect(runtimeConfig.toolContextMetadata?.telemetry).toBeUndefined();
 });
 
+it.each([
+	["absent", undefined],
+	["empty", []],
+])("keeps image support enabled when the capability list is %s", async (_label, capabilities) => {
+	const { deps, configs } = withCapturingFakeRuntime();
+	const session = new SessionRuntime(
+		makeAgentConfig({
+			knownModels: {
+				"claude-3-5-sonnet": {
+					id: "claude-3-5-sonnet",
+					...(capabilities === undefined ? {} : { capabilities }),
+				},
+			},
+		}),
+		deps,
+	);
+
+	await session.run("inspect image");
+
+	expect(configs[0]?.toolContextMetadata).toEqual(
+		expect.objectContaining({ modelSupportsImages: true }),
+	);
+});
+
+it("disables image support when a populated capability list omits images", async () => {
+	const { deps, configs } = withCapturingFakeRuntime();
+	const session = new SessionRuntime(
+		makeAgentConfig({
+			knownModels: {
+				"claude-3-5-sonnet": {
+					id: "claude-3-5-sonnet",
+					capabilities: ["tools", "prompt-cache"],
+				},
+			},
+		}),
+		deps,
+	);
+
+	await session.run("inspect image");
+
+	expect(configs[0]?.toolContextMetadata).toEqual(
+		expect.objectContaining({ modelSupportsImages: false }),
+	);
+});
+
 describe("SessionRuntime.run", () => {
 	it("invokes the injected AgentRuntime and returns an AgentResult", async () => {
 		const { deps, calls } = withFakeRuntime({
diff --git a/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.ts b/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.ts
index a1bfb1db4a..2fdcf3e653 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/core/src/runtime/orchestration/session-runtime-orchestrator.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import {
 	type MessageWithMetadata,
 	type ModelInfo,
 	mergeModelOptions,
+	modelSupportsImageInput,
 	modelSupportsToolCalling,
 	type ToolCallRecord,
 	usesImageGenerationOperation,
@@ -890,8 +891,7 @@ export class SessionRuntime {
 			telemetry: this.telemetry,
 			tools,
 			toolContextMetadata: {
-				modelSupportsImages:
-					modelInfo?.capabilities?.includes("images") ?? true,
+				modelSupportsImages: modelSupportsImageInput(modelInfo ?? {}),
 				...this.config.toolContextMetadata,
 			},
 			hooks: this.createRuntimeHooks(),
diff --git a/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-registry.ts b/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-registry.ts
index 49bd6cadf9..60646c502b 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-registry.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-registry.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,23 @@ export async function writeModelsFile(
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Projects one capability onto `ProviderModel`'s tri-state booleans, where
+ * `undefined` means "not declared" and drives each picker's own default.
+ * A missing OR empty capability list carries no signal (see
+ * `modelHasCapability`), so both must stay `undefined` rather than collapsing
+ * to a `false` that reads as an authoritative denial.
+ */
+function declaredCapability(
+	capabilities: ModelInfo["capabilities"],
+	capability: ModelCapability,
+): boolean | undefined {
+	if (capabilities === undefined || capabilities.length === 0) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+	return capabilities.includes(capability);
+}
+
 export function toProviderModel(
 	modelId: string,
 	info: Pick<
@@ -241,10 +258,15 @@ export function toProviderModel(
 		...(info.contextWindow !== undefined
 			? { contextWindow: info.contextWindow }
 			: {}),
-		supportsAttachments: info.capabilities?.includes("files"),
-		supportsVision: info.capabilities?.includes("images"),
+		supportsAttachments: declaredCapability(info.capabilities, "files"),
+		supportsVision: declaredCapability(info.capabilities, "images"),
+		// A thinking config is positive evidence on its own; its absence is
+		// not evidence of absence, so fall back to whatever the capability
+		// list declares (including "not declared").
 		supportsReasoning:
-			info.capabilities?.includes("reasoning") || info.thinkingConfig != null,
+			info.thinkingConfig != null
+				? true
+				: declaredCapability(info.capabilities, "reasoning"),
 		operationModes: info.operationModes,
 		inputModalities: info.modalities?.input,
 		outputModalities: info.modalities?.output,
diff --git a/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-service.test.ts b/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-service.test.ts
index b8e1ea6aa9..b719c967f5 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-service.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/core/src/services/providers/local-provider-service.test.ts
@@ -959,6 +959,37 @@ describe("addLocalProvider – capabilities", () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	it.each([
+		["absent", undefined],
+		["empty", [] as const],
+	])("leaves capability support undeclared when the list is %s", (_label, capabilities) => {
+		expect(
+			toProviderModel("sparse-model", {
+				name: "Sparse Model",
+				...(capabilities === undefined
+					? {}
+					: { capabilities: [...capabilities] }),
+			}),
+		).toMatchObject({
+			supportsVision: undefined,
+			supportsAttachments: undefined,
+			supportsReasoning: undefined,
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("reports a populated capability list as authoritative", () => {
+		expect(
+			toProviderModel("vision-only", {
+				name: "Vision Only",
+				capabilities: ["images"],
+			}),
+		).toMatchObject({
+			supportsVision: true,
+			supportsAttachments: false,
+			supportsReasoning: false,
+		});
+	});
+
 	it("sets supportsVision and supportsAttachments when capability is 'vision'", async () => {
 		await addLocalProvider(manager, {
 			providerId: "vision-provider",
diff --git a/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.browser.ts b/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.browser.ts
index 94a4e9d66d..8d38f4c8cd 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.browser.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.browser.ts
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ export {
 	ModelStatusSchema,
 	modelHasCapability,
 	modelProducesImages,
+	modelSupportsImageInput,
 	modelSupportsToolCalling,
 	supportsChatModalities,
 	type ThinkingConfig,
diff --git a/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.ts b/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.ts
index 2d453bb112..a0d1d2580d 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/shared/src/index.ts
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ export {
 	ModelStatusSchema,
 	modelHasCapability,
 	modelProducesImages,
+	modelSupportsImageInput,
 	modelSupportsToolCalling,
 	supportsChatModalities,
 	type ThinkingConfig,
diff --git a/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.test.ts b/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.test.ts
index 51a7d4a8c8..7ff3c366a9 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
 	isChatCompatibleModel,
 	ModelInfoSchema,
 	modelHasCapability,
+	modelSupportsImageInput,
 	modelSupportsToolCalling,
 	supportsChatModalities,
 } from "./model-info";
@@ -138,3 +139,17 @@ describe("modelSupportsToolCalling", () => {
 		).toBe(false);
 	});
 });
+
+describe("modelSupportsImageInput", () => {
+	it("fails open when capability metadata is missing or empty", () => {
+		expect(modelSupportsImageInput({})).toBe(true);
+		expect(modelSupportsImageInput({ capabilities: [] })).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it("trusts a populated capability list", () => {
+		expect(modelSupportsImageInput({ capabilities: ["images"] })).toBe(true);
+		expect(
+			modelSupportsImageInput({ capabilities: ["tools", "prompt-cache"] }),
+		).toBe(false);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.ts b/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.ts
index 8749f0a4d7..74d33562a4 100644
--- a/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.ts
+++ b/sdk/packages/shared/src/llms/model-info.ts
@@ -220,6 +220,19 @@ export function modelSupportsToolCalling(model: {
 	return modelHasCapability(model, "tools", { assumeWhenUnspecified: true });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether a model can receive image parts in a request. Fails open on the
+ * same grounds as `modelSupportsToolCalling`: a host boundary that reports no
+ * capabilities at all has not declared the model text-only, and stripping
+ * images from a vision-capable model loses user content silently. A populated
+ * list without `images` is authoritative.
+ */
+export function modelSupportsImageInput(model: {
+	capabilities?: readonly string[];
+}): boolean {
+	return modelHasCapability(model, "images", { assumeWhenUnspecified: true });
+}
+
 export const ModelInfoSchema = z.object({
 	id: z.string(),
 	name: z.string().optional(),