diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat-config.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat-config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e470bc39bdf5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat-config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/**
+ * Group chat config: reads `group_chat.*` from config.yaml and detects
+ * free-tier models for the model-aware round cap + token-budget guard.
+ */
+
+import { host } from '@hermes/plugin-sdk'
+
+export interface GroupChatConfig {
+  max_rounds: number
+  max_rounds_free: number | null
+  hard_cap: number
+  token_budget: number
+  free_models: string[]
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG: GroupChatConfig = {
+  max_rounds: 3,
+  max_rounds_free: null,
+  hard_cap: 20,
+  token_budget: 80000,
+  free_models: []
+}
+
+export async function getGroupChatConfig(): Promise<GroupChatConfig> {
+  try {
+    if (host && typeof host.request === 'function') {
+      const res = await host.request<{ value?: Record<string, unknown> }>('config.get', {
+        key: 'group_chat'
+      })
+      const cfg = res?.value ?? {}
+      return {
+        max_rounds: Number(cfg.max_rounds != null ? cfg.max_rounds : DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG.max_rounds),
+        max_rounds_free: cfg.max_rounds_free != null ? (cfg.max_rounds_free as number | null) : DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG.max_rounds_free,
+        token_budget: Number(cfg.token_budget != null ? cfg.token_budget : DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG.token_budget),
+        free_models: Array.isArray(cfg.free_models) ? (cfg.free_models as string[]) : DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG.free_models,
+        hard_cap: Number(cfg.hard_cap != null ? cfg.hard_cap : DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG.hard_cap)
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Fallback to defaults
+  }
+  return { ...DEFAULT_GROUP_CHAT_CONFIG }
+}
+
+export function isFreeModel(modelName: unknown, config: GroupChatConfig): boolean {
+  const name = String(modelName || '').trim()
+  if (!name) {
+    return false
+  }
+  if (/:free$/i.test(name)) {
+    return true
+  }
+  if (config.free_models.some(pattern => name.toLowerCase().includes(pattern.toLowerCase()))) {
+    return true
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
+export function getEffectiveRoundCap(modelName: unknown, config: GroupChatConfig): number {
+  if (isFreeModel(modelName, config)) {
+    const cap = config.max_rounds_free
+    if (cap === null || cap === undefined || cap === Infinity) {
+      return config.hard_cap
+    }
+    return Math.min(Number(cap), config.hard_cap)
+  }
+  return Math.min(Number(config.max_rounds), config.hard_cap)
+}
+
+export async function getCurrentModelName(): Promise<string> {
+  try {
+    if (host && typeof host.request === 'function') {
+      const res = await host.request<{ model?: string }>('model.options', {})
+      if (res?.model) {
+        return String(res.model).trim()
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Ignore
+  }
+  return ''
+}
+
+export function estimateTokens(text: unknown): number {
+  return Math.ceil(String(text || '').length / 4)
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat.ts
index 9949c57824b15..882be1a19268b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-chat.ts
@@ -1205,8 +1205,18 @@ export function setGroupChatSyncDisposed(disposed: boolean) {
 // values the old plugin.js shipped so neither rebase inherits a behavior
 // change on top of a rewrite; deciding the shape of the override belongs to
 // those PRs, not to a design-system pass.
+//
+// Model-aware cap: see group-chat-config.ts for getGroupChatConfig(),
+// isFreeModel(), getEffectiveRoundCap(). The effective cap is resolved in
+// group-rounds.ts runGroupChatRounds() and falls back to this constant for
+// paid models.
 export const GROUP_CHAT_MAX_ROUNDS = 3
 
+// Re-export config helpers so callers can resolve the effective cap without
+// importing the config module directly. The config module itself is internal
+// to this plugin directory.
+export { estimateTokens, getCurrentModelName, getEffectiveRoundCap, getGroupChatConfig, isFreeModel } from './group-chat-config'
+
 // #94478 review: continuation rounds are bounded independently of the message cap so a pathological mention chain can't consume the room's whole budget on handoffs.
 export const GROUP_CHAT_MAX_MESSAGES = 10
 export const GROUP_CHAT_MAX_CONTINUATIONS = 2
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-rounds.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-rounds.ts
index ff65ff2745f10..1f4c1db74be1c 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-rounds.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-rounds.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import {
   GROUP_CHAT_HISTORY_LIMIT,
   GROUP_CHAT_MAX_CONTINUATIONS,
   GROUP_CHAT_MAX_MESSAGES,
-  GROUP_CHAT_MAX_ROUNDS,
   groupSpeakerLabel,
   groupThreadOf,
   mintGroupThreadId,
@@ -21,6 +20,12 @@ import {
   updateGroupChat
 } from './group-chat'
 import type { GroupChatRoom, GroupHoldStamp } from './group-chat'
+import {
+  estimateTokens,
+  getCurrentModelName,
+  getEffectiveRoundCap,
+  getGroupChatConfig
+} from './group-chat-config'
 import { durableGroupChatMembers, groupMemberKey } from './group-membership'
 import { harvestStrandedGroupReply, isGroupPassText, runGroupChatMemberTurn } from './group-turns'
 import { requestForBot } from './routing'
@@ -502,8 +507,19 @@ export async function runGroupChatRounds(group: string, members: GroupMember[],
   // cap forced the exit — the activity feed must tell those apart.
   let exitKind: 'capped' | 'settled' = 'settled'
 
+  // Read config and detect model for effective round cap
+  const gcConfig = await getGroupChatConfig()
+  const modelName = await getCurrentModelName()
+  const effectiveCap = getEffectiveRoundCap(modelName, gcConfig)
+
+  // Token-budget guard: cumulative tokens consumed this drive. When the room log's
+  // cumulative token estimate exceeds gcConfig.token_budget, the drive exits as 'capped'
+  // independent of round count. This is the real safety net for pathological cascades.
+  let driveTokens = 0
+  const tokenBudget = Number(gcConfig.token_budget) || 80000
+
   try {
-    for (let round = 0; round < GROUP_CHAT_MAX_ROUNDS; round++) {
+    for (let round = 0; round < effectiveCap; round++) {
       // Deliver any replies that finished after their turn timed out —
       // every member, not just this round's responders, so long work is
       // late, never lost.
@@ -521,6 +537,18 @@ export async function runGroupChatRounds(group: string, members: GroupMember[],
         await harvestStrandedGroupReply(group, member)
       }
 
+      // Token-budget check at the top of each round: if the room log for this thread
+      // has consumed our budget, stop driving turns.
+      const roomLogAtRoundStart = (($groupChats.get()[group] || {}).log || []).filter(
+        (e: GroupMessage) => groupThreadOf(e) === thread
+      )
+      driveTokens = roomLogAtRoundStart.reduce((sum, e) => sum + estimateTokens(e.text), 0)
+      if (driveTokens >= tokenBudget) {
+        exitKind = 'capped'
+        recordGroupActivity(group, { kind: 'capped', member: null, thread })
+        return
+      }
+
       const roomLog = (($groupChats.get()[group] || {}).log || []).filter(
         (e: GroupMessage) => groupThreadOf(e) === thread
       )