diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
index ffc6c36da..3705268bb 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed unconfigured `pi/smol` and `pi/slow` agent model roles using cloud-priority defaults before the user's configured `modelRoles.default`, which could route local-default setups to authenticated paid providers ([#2336](https://github.com/can1357/oh-my-pi/issues/2336)).
+
 ## [15.11.3] - 2026-06-11
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/config/model-resolver.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/config/model-resolver.ts
index 92164f122..9bb97f655 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/config/model-resolver.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/config/model-resolver.ts
@@ -633,6 +633,10 @@ function isSessionInheritedAgentPattern(value: string): boolean {
 	return value === DEFAULT_MODEL_ROLE || value === `${PREFIX_MODEL_ROLE}${DEFAULT_MODEL_ROLE}` || value === "pi/task";
 }
 
+function shouldInheritDefaultBeforePriority(role: ModelRole): boolean {
+	return role === "smol" || role === "slow";
+}
+
 function resolveConfiguredRolePattern(value: string, settings?: Settings): string[] | undefined {
 	const normalized = value.trim();
 	if (!normalized) return undefined;
@@ -642,9 +646,13 @@ function resolveConfiguredRolePattern(value: string, settings?: Settings): strin
 	if (!role) return [normalized];
 
 	const configured = settings?.getModelRole(role)?.trim();
+	const configuredDefault = shouldInheritDefaultBeforePriority(role) ? settings?.getModelRole(DEFAULT_MODEL_ROLE)?.trim() : undefined;
 	const roleDefaults = normalizeModelPatternList(MODEL_PRIO[role as keyof typeof MODEL_PRIO]);
-	const resolved = configured ? normalizeModelPatternList(configured) : roleDefaults;
-	if (!resolved || resolved.length === 0) {
+	const resolved = configured ? normalizeModelPatternList(configured) : normalizeModelPatternList(configuredDefault);
+	if (resolved.length === 0) {
+		resolved.push(...roleDefaults);
+	}
+	if (resolved.length === 0) {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/model-resolver.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/model-resolver.test.ts
index 1a24299e7..cd2db5f2f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/model-resolver.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/model-resolver.test.ts
@@ -545,6 +545,15 @@ describe("resolveAgentModelPatterns", () => {
 		expect(result).toEqual(["anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5:high"]);
 	});
 
+	test("uses default for unconfigured smol and slow agent roles before priority defaults", () => {
+		const settings = Settings.isolated({
+			modelRoles: { default: "local/llama" },
+		});
+
+		expect(resolveAgentModelPatterns({ agentModel: "pi/smol", settings })).toEqual(["local/llama"]);
+		expect(resolveAgentModelPatterns({ agentModel: "pi/slow", settings })).toEqual(["local/llama"]);
+	});
+
 	test("expands pi/designer to priority defaults", () => {
 		const settings = Settings.isolated({
 			modelRoles: {