diff --git a/docs/architecture/upstream-routing.md b/docs/architecture/upstream-routing.md
index 0ef2901a34..64311c023f 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/upstream-routing.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/upstream-routing.md
@@ -523,9 +523,9 @@ endpoint exists has three independent guards:
 3. **`agent_models` default is empty.** Slice 2's
    `PipelineConfig.agent_models` field defaults to `{}`, and the
    repository-level `default_agent_model` defaults to `None`.
-   Without operator action, refine/plan phase spawns resolve to the
-   built-in `"fable"` Claude path; every other spawn resolves to
-   `"opus"`. Both use `upstream="anthropic"`.
+   Without operator action, all spawns resolve to the built-in
+   `"opus"` Claude path (fable is no longer the default, though still
+   opt-in selectable). All use `upstream="anthropic"`.
 
 Any one of the three suffices to keep the LiteLLM client cold on a
 given deployment. All three are independent: a misconfiguration on
diff --git a/docs/guides/per-agent-models.md b/docs/guides/per-agent-models.md
index c01fe6a3eb..054a9d6ab7 100644
--- a/docs/guides/per-agent-models.md
+++ b/docs/guides/per-agent-models.md
@@ -68,8 +68,9 @@ PipelineConfig(
 
 Default-constructed `PipelineConfig.agent_models` is `{}` — every
 existing pipeline continues to spawn every role on the built-in
-Claude default with `upstream="anthropic"` (`"fable"` for the
-refine/plan phase roles, `"opus"` for everything else).
+Claude default with `upstream="anthropic"` (`"opus"` for all roles —
+fable is no longer the built-in default, though it remains opt-in
+selectable via `agent_models` / `default_agent_model`).
 
 ### Repository-level default — `default_agent_model`
 
@@ -102,20 +103,11 @@ in `orchestrator/agent_model_resolution.py` walks the chain:
 1. `pipeline_config.agent_models.get(role.value)` — per-pipeline,
    per-role override
 2. `get_default_agent_model(repo)` — repository-level default
-3. Built-in default — `"fable"` for the refine and plan phase roles
-   (producers and reviewers, `_FABLE_DEFAULT_ROLES`), `"opus"` for
-   everything else
-
-> **Minimum sandbox Claude Code version.** The `fable` / `fable[1m]`
-> aliases require Claude Code ≥ 2.1.170. The sandbox's
-> `CLAUDE_CODE_VERSION` build-arg in `sandbox/Dockerfile` defaults to
-> `latest` (#3137 — `stable` lagged the fable launch and crash-looped
-> refine/plan agents per #3136). A build-time gate in the Dockerfile
-> fails the image build if the installed binary doesn't know `fable`
-> or `opus`, so a stale pin surfaces at build time rather than at
-> spawn. If you need to pin to an older `CLAUDE_CODE_VERSION` that
-> predates the alias, also set a repo-level `default_agent_model: opus`
-> AND temporarily drop `fable` from the Dockerfile gate.
+3. Built-in default — `"opus"` for all roles. Fable is no longer the
+   built-in default (it remains opt-in selectable via `agent_models` /
+   `default_agent_model`); the refine/plan branch
+   (`_FABLE_DEFAULT_ROLES`) now resolves to opus alongside everything
+   else.
 
 The result is an `AgentModelDecision` dataclass with fields
 `(claude_code_alias: str, upstream: str, upstream_model: str | None,
@@ -689,8 +681,7 @@ optional `branch` override:
 
 Per-pipeline `agent_models` entries **override** the repo-level
 `default_agent_model`. Both can be unset — the resolver falls back to
-the built-in default (`"fable"` for refine/plan roles, `"opus"`
-otherwise).
+the built-in default (`"opus"` for all roles).
 
 ### 4. Run the pipeline and observe routing
 
@@ -768,8 +759,7 @@ invariant](../architecture/upstream-routing.md#no-op-by-default-invariant)):
 3. **`agent_models` default is empty.** Both
    `PipelineConfig.agent_models` and repo-level
    `default_agent_model` default to nothing — the resolver returns
-   the built-in Anthropic path (`"fable"` for refine/plan roles,
-   `"opus"` otherwise).
+   the built-in Anthropic path (`"opus"` for all roles).
 
 Any single guard suffices. All three are independent; a
 misconfiguration on one does not silently activate the LiteLLM path.
diff --git a/sandbox/Dockerfile b/sandbox/Dockerfile
index 9483bd84d8..eafe67272c 100644
--- a/sandbox/Dockerfile
+++ b/sandbox/Dockerfile
@@ -247,10 +247,11 @@ RUN if [ "$CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_VERSION" = "latest" ]; then \
 # Install Claude Code CLI (native installer) for the egg user
 #
 # Channel choice: 'latest', not 'stable'. orchestrator/agent_model_resolution.py
-# defaults refine/plan roles to bare model-family aliases at launch ('fable'),
-# and the stable channel lags those launches — at the time of #3136 stable
-# (2.1.153) predated the fable alias entirely, so a stable-channel image
-# crash-loops every refine/plan agent at spawn.
+# spawns agents on bare model-family aliases ('opus' is the built-in default;
+# 'fable' remains opt-in selectable per #3197), and the stable channel lags
+# new family launches — at the time of #3136 stable (2.1.153) predated the
+# fable alias entirely, so a stable-channel image crash-loops any agent
+# spawned on an alias it doesn't know.
 ARG CLAUDE_CODE_VERSION=latest
 # Cache-bust (#3136): BuildKit re-checks this URL's content on every build, so
 # the install layer below re-runs exactly when the release channel moves to a
@@ -285,8 +286,8 @@ RUN su - egg -c "curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- $CLAUDE_CO
     # Save installed version for update checks (non-fatal if this fails)
     (/home/egg/.local/bin/claude --version 2>/dev/null | head -1 > /home/egg/.local/VERSION || true) && \
     # Fail the build if the installed build predates a model family that
-    # orchestrator/agent_model_resolution.py uses as a built-in default
-    # ('fable' for refine/plan roles, 'opus' for everything else): a Claude
+    # orchestrator/agent_model_resolution.py can spawn agents on ('opus', the
+    # built-in default; 'fable', opt-in selectable per #3197): a Claude
     # Code build whose alias table lacks the family rejects the bare alias at
     # session init and the agent crash-loops at spawn (#3136). No auth is
     # mounted at build time, so this is a strings-level heuristic — a build
@@ -295,13 +296,12 @@ RUN su - egg -c "curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- $CLAUDE_CO
     for family in fable opus; do \
         if ! grep -aq "claude-${family}-" /home/egg/.local/bin/claude; then \
             echo "ERROR: installed Claude Code ($(cat /home/egg/.local/VERSION 2>/dev/null)) does not know the '${family}' model family."; \
-            echo "agent_model_resolution.py uses '${family}' as a built-in default — agents would crash-loop at spawn (#3136)."; \
+            echo "agent_model_resolution.py can spawn agents on '${family}' — agents would crash-loop at spawn (#3136)."; \
             echo "Pass a newer build: docker build --build-arg CLAUDE_CODE_VERSION=<version|latest> ..."; \
             echo "If pinning to an older CC build is intentional (and every"; \
             echo "agent_models entry has been pinned away from '${family}'),"; \
             echo "drop '${family}' from the 'for family in ...' list above to"; \
-            echo "skip the gate for that family (matches the bypass guidance"; \
-            echo "in docs/guides/per-agent-models.md)."; \
+            echo "skip the gate for that family."; \
             exit 1; \
         fi; \
     done && \