[keeltrace]

Problem

Provider discovery can identify a model as free, but synced-model normalization drops that metadata before the provider-model UI and other existing consumers can read it.

Change

Preserve isFree: true on synced discovered models when the discovery payload provides intrinsic free evidence:

• explicit isFree: true
• a model id ending in :free
• exact zero prompt and completion pricing

Blank or non-zero pricing does not mark a model free.

Scope

Metadata preservation only. This PR does not change routing, candidate selection, connection selection, or provider-specific discovery behavior.

Tests

Focused coverage verifies:

• explicit free flags
• :free ids
• exact-zero pricing
• blank-price rejection
• paid-model rejection
• preservation through synced-model normalization

Based directly on release/v3.8.51.

[diegosouzapw]

Clean, well-scoped fix — tests pass clean (2/2 test blocks, full scenario coverage). One thing
missing before merge: no changelog.d/fixes/ fragment in this PR — could you add one? Also
noting for the record: this overlaps src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts with #12730 in a
different, unrelated function — no conflict expected.

[diegosouzapw]

Thanks @keeltrace — merging via the release merge-train. Validated in local merge-train (merge-train-20260918-120911-suite.log) on the devbox @ train tip 8c305709478b7052fb981a75852bbf88fe3a959d with the sibling PRs of this batch: typecheck:core, file-size, complexity, cognitive-complexity, changelog-integrity green; changed-area node:test 310/311 (the single red, hard-lease inventory, reproduces on the pure release tip) + vitest green (fast parity mode — full suite ran today on the tip via the base-red and 3b trains). Merged --admin per merge-gates §4/§7.