diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/altimate-modes.ts b/packages/tui/src/component/altimate-modes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d420bb872
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/altimate-modes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// Auto Mode tier metadata for the altimate-backend provider. Kept in an altimate-owned file so the
+// upstream-derived picker and prompt only need thin hooks.
+export const ALTIMATE_MODE_PROVIDER = "altimate-backend"
+
+export const ALTIMATE_MODES: Record<string, { label: string; description: string; order: number }> = {
+  "altimate-auto": { label: "Auto", description: "Balanced default", order: 0 },
+  "altimate-fast": { label: "Fast", description: "Fastest, lowest cost", order: 1 },
+  "altimate-max": { label: "Max", description: "Most capable", order: 2 },
+}
+
+export function altimateMode(providerID: string, modelID: string) {
+  return providerID === ALTIMATE_MODE_PROVIDER ? ALTIMATE_MODES[modelID] : undefined
+}
+
+type PickerRow = { value: unknown; title: string; description?: string; category?: string }
+
+function rowModelID(row: PickerRow) {
+  const v = row.value as { providerID?: string; modelID?: string } | string
+  if (typeof v === "string") return undefined
+  return altimateMode(v.providerID ?? "", v.modelID ?? "") ? v.modelID : undefined
+}
+
+/** Split tier rows out of the READY rows into an ordered "AUTO MODE" section. */
+export function splitModeRows<T extends PickerRow>(rows: T[]): { modes: T[]; rest: T[] } {
+  const modes = rows.filter((r) => rowModelID(r))
+  const rest = rows.filter((r) => !rowModelID(r))
+  modes.sort((a, b) => ALTIMATE_MODES[rowModelID(a)!].order - ALTIMATE_MODES[rowModelID(b)!].order)
+  return {
+    modes: modes.map((r) => {
+      const meta = ALTIMATE_MODES[rowModelID(r)!]
+      return { ...r, title: meta.label, description: meta.description, category: "AUTO MODE" }
+    }),
+    rest,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-model.tsx b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-model.tsx
index 546b1c0543..2a58be9d6b 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-model.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-model.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import {
   CUSTOM_PROVIDER_OPTION_VALUE,
 } from "./dialog-provider"
 // altimate_change end
+// altimate_change — Auto Mode tier section helper
+import { splitModeRows } from "./altimate-modes"
 import { DialogVariant } from "./dialog-variant"
 import * as fuzzysort from "fuzzysort"
 import { useConnected } from "./use-connected"
@@ -223,14 +225,20 @@ export function DialogModel(props: {
           return list
         })()
 
+    // Auto Mode tiers get their own section (not when drilling into one provider).
+    const { modes: modeOptions, rest: readyRest } = props.providerID
+      ? { modes: [], rest: readyOptions }
+      : splitModeRows(readyOptions)
+
     if (needle) {
       return [
-        ...fuzzysort.go(needle, readyOptions, { keys: ["title", "description"] }).map((x) => x.obj),
+        ...fuzzysort.go(needle, modeOptions, { keys: ["title", "description"] }).map((x) => x.obj),
+        ...fuzzysort.go(needle, readyRest, { keys: ["title", "description"] }).map((x) => x.obj),
         ...fuzzysort.go(needle, setupOptions, { keys: ["title", "description"] }).map((x) => x.obj),
       ]
     }
 
-    return [...readyOptions, ...setupOptions]
+    return [...modeOptions, ...readyRest, ...setupOptions]
   })
 
   const provider = createMemo(() =>
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/prompt/index.tsx b/packages/tui/src/component/prompt/index.tsx
index defb14f13a..cdb4e595e5 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/component/prompt/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/prompt/index.tsx
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ import { useDialog } from "../../ui/dialog"
 import { DialogProvider as DialogProviderConnect, WARNLIST } from "../dialog-provider"
 // altimate_change — first-run submit gate: open the curated welcome picker instead
 // of erroring when no model is ready yet (see altimate-onboarding.tsx).
-import { DialogModelWelcome, markFirstRunActive, useReady, useReadyPending } from "../altimate-onboarding"
+// altimate_change — Auto Mode tier lookup for the prompt chip
+import { altimateMode } from "../altimate-modes"
+import { DialogModelWelcome,markFirstRunActive, useReady, useReadyPending } from "../altimate-onboarding"
 import { DialogAlert } from "../../ui/dialog-alert"
 import { useToast } from "../../ui/toast"
 import { useKV } from "../../context/kv"
@@ -275,6 +277,11 @@ export function Prompt(props: PromptProps) {
   // separate accessor rather than folded into `ready` itself.
   const readyPending = useReadyPending()
   const unreliableModel = createMemo(() => Boolean(WARNLIST[local.model.parsed().model]))
+  // altimate_change — active Auto Mode tier (undefined for non-altimate models)
+  const activeMode = createMemo(() => {
+    const m = local.model.current()
+    return m ? altimateMode(m.providerID, m.modelID) : undefined
+  })
   // altimate_change end
 
   function promptModelWarning() {
@@ -1684,6 +1691,16 @@ export function Prompt(props: PromptProps) {
                           </span>
                         </text>
                       </Show>
+                      {/* altimate_change — Auto Mode tier chip */}
+                      <Show when={activeMode()}>
+                        {(mode) => (
+                          <text>
+                            <span style={{ fg: fadeColor(theme.accent, variantMetaAlpha()), bold: true }}>
+                              {`[${mode().label}]`}
+                            </span>
+                          </text>
+                        )}
+                      </Show>
                       {/* altimate_change — persistent chip for models on WARNLIST
                           (known-bad tool-callers) */}
                       <Show when={unreliableModel()}>