diff --git a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.test.ts b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.test.ts
index 03b97c32af6db..7617de634347a 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.test.ts
@@ -243,6 +243,62 @@ it.effect(
     }),
 );
 
+it.effect("a launch steps an inherited mode down to the provider's, and refuses one it lacks", () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    // Pi offers no Auto; a mode a provider lacks would run as Supervised.
+    const pi = ProviderInstanceId.make("pi");
+    const launchPi = Effect.fn("test.launchPi")(function* (runtimeMode?: RuntimeMode) {
+      const launched: Array<ThreadLaunch.ThreadLaunchInput> = [];
+      const { projectId, dependencies } = clientLaunchHarness({
+        runtimeModeCeiling: "auto",
+        launched,
+        providers: [
+          {
+            instanceId: pi,
+            driver: ProviderDriverKind.make("pi"),
+            enabled: true,
+            installed: true,
+            status: "ready",
+            version: null,
+            auth: { status: "authenticated" },
+            checkedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+            models: [],
+            slashCommands: [],
+            skills: [],
+            supportedRuntimeModes: ["approval-required", "auto-accept-edits", "full-access"],
+          },
+        ],
+      });
+      const toolkit = yield* ProjectToolkit.pipe(
+        Effect.provide(
+          McpToolAccess.HandlersLayer.layer(ProjectHandlers.layer).pipe(
+            Layer.provide(dependencies),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+      const result = yield* toolkit
+        .handle("t3_thread_launch", {
+          projectId,
+          title: "Fix",
+          modelSelection: { instanceId: pi, model: "pi-model" },
+          ...(runtimeMode === undefined ? {} : { runtimeMode }),
+        })
+        .pipe(Stream.unwrap, Stream.runCollect, Effect.provide(dependencies));
+      return { result: result.at(-1)?.result, launched };
+    });
+
+    const inherited = yield* launchPi();
+    expect(inherited.launched[0]?.runtimeMode).toBe("auto-accept-edits");
+
+    const requested = yield* launchPi("auto");
+    expect(requested.result).toMatchObject({ code: "invalid_request" });
+    expect(requested.launched).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    const offered = yield* launchPi("approval-required");
+    expect(offered.launched[0]?.runtimeMode).toBe("approval-required");
+  }),
+);
+
 it.effect("a launch retried with the same clientRequestId replays the first one", () =>
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const launched: Array<ThreadLaunch.ThreadLaunchInput> = [];
diff --git a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.ts b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.ts
index 014b109448f34..e5826433501d2 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/project/handlers.ts
@@ -202,12 +202,21 @@ export const layer = McpToolAccess.toLayer(ProjectToolkit, {
             message:
               "Pass modelSelection: the project has no default model. orchestrator_capabilities lists providers and models.",
           });
-        const startedRuntimeMode =
+        let startedRuntimeMode =
           projectDefaults !== undefined && input.runtimeMode === undefined
             ? yield* resolveRuntimeMode(runtimeMode, projectDefaults.defaultRuntimeMode).pipe(
                 Effect.orElseSucceed(() => runtimeMode),
               )
             : runtimeMode;
+        if (!replaying) {
+          const providers = yield* (yield* ProviderRegistry.ProviderRegistry).getProviders;
+          startedRuntimeMode = yield* resolveRuntimeMode(startedRuntimeMode, input.runtimeMode, {
+            modelSelection,
+            supportedRuntimeModes: providers.find(
+              (provider) => provider.instanceId === modelSelection.instanceId,
+            )?.supportedRuntimeModes,
+          });
+        }
         const result = yield* ThreadMessageIntake.launchThread({
           commandId,
           threadId,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerForwarding.test.ts b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerForwarding.test.ts
index 50be40682066b..b0812d3e42c3b 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerForwarding.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerForwarding.test.ts
@@ -224,7 +224,9 @@ const serveBox = (seen: Ref.Ref<Seen>, linkSession: Ref.Ref<string>) =>
         ),
       ),
       Layer.provide(NodeServices.layer),
-      Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ProviderRegistry.ProviderRegistry)({})),
+      Layer.provide(
+        Layer.mock(ProviderRegistry.ProviderRegistry)({ getProviders: Effect.succeed([]) }),
+      ),
       Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ProviderAdapterRegistry.ProviderAdapterRegistryV2)({})),
       Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ScheduledTaskService.ScheduledTaskService)({})),
       Layer.provide(Layer.mock(SecretRequests.SecretRequests)({})),
diff --git a/apps/server/src/peer/RemoteDelegation.test.ts b/apps/server/src/peer/RemoteDelegation.test.ts
index a344f63c523ab..cce7093992021 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/peer/RemoteDelegation.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/peer/RemoteDelegation.test.ts
@@ -481,7 +481,9 @@ const boxToolkitLayer = (thread: BoxThread) => {
         Layer.provide(NodeServices.layer),
       ),
     ),
-    Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ProviderRegistry.ProviderRegistry)({})),
+    Layer.provide(
+      Layer.mock(ProviderRegistry.ProviderRegistry)({ getProviders: Effect.succeed([]) }),
+    ),
     Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ProviderAdapterRegistry.ProviderAdapterRegistryV2)({})),
     Layer.provide(Layer.mock(ScheduledTaskService.ScheduledTaskService)({})),
     Layer.provide(
diff --git a/docs/orchestration-v2/orchestrator-mcp-server.md b/docs/orchestration-v2/orchestrator-mcp-server.md
index 6bd4dea35d7c5..f46803f9d67b6 100644
--- a/docs/orchestration-v2/orchestrator-mcp-server.md
+++ b/docs/orchestration-v2/orchestrator-mcp-server.md
@@ -364,7 +364,9 @@ Pass the task in `message`. Project, model, and modes inherit when omitted;
 workspace does not. `scratch: true` launches without a project, in a folder of
 its own under the environment's Scratch project. For stacked PRs, use the parent branch as `baseRef` with
 `startFromOrigin: false`. The new thread may not run with broader runtime or
-interaction modes than the caller. Launch has no retry key, so inspect existing threads after a failed or lost response before
+interaction modes than the caller. As for `delegate_task`, a runtime mode the
+provider does not offer is refused, and an inherited or default one steps down
+to the broadest mode it offers. Launch has no retry key, so inspect existing threads after a failed or lost response before
 launching again. `create_threads` remains the batch option for a shared checkout.
 
 ### `t3_thread_list`