diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/mod.rs b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/mod.rs
index 97bf842b9..13f785ff7 100644
--- a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/mod.rs
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ pub(crate) trait Codec: Send + Sync {
     /// Map a non-2xx response to an `Error`. `retry_after` is the
     /// transport-parsed `retry-after` header value in seconds (header parsing
     /// is the transport's job, like `rate_limit` on the decode methods).
-    /// Default = shared HTTP-status mapping, which openai_compatible and
-    /// anthropic use as-is; a codec overrides when its dialect's error bodies
-    /// need more (e.g. gemini's gRPC status).
+    /// Default = shared HTTP-status mapping, which anthropic uses as-is. A
+    /// codec overrides when its dialect's error bodies need more (for example,
+    /// OpenRouter's typed metadata or Gemini's gRPC status).
     fn decode_error(
         &self,
         status: u16,
diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/error.rs b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..941a887a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,420 @@
+//! Provider error normalization for the Chat Completions wire dialect.
+
+use crate::codec;
+use crate::error::{self as llm_error, Error, ProviderErrorDetail, ProviderErrorKind};
+
+const ROUTING_EXHAUSTED_MESSAGE: &str = "Upstream provider routing was exhausted";
+
+/// Structured fields used to classify an OpenAI-compatible provider error.
+///
+/// OpenRouter's current contract exposes `metadata.error_type`. Older
+/// responses can instead expose a list of failed provider attempts. Keep that
+/// compatibility input private to the wire boundary so retry code only sees
+/// Fabro's normal provider error taxonomy.
+struct ParsedProviderError {
+    message:           String,
+    canonical_code:    Option<String>,
+    native_code:       Option<String>,
+    provider_code:     Option<String>,
+    status_code:       Option<u16>,
+    previous_attempts: Option<Vec<u16>>,
+    raw:               serde_json::Value,
+}
+
+impl ParsedProviderError {
+    fn from_raw(raw: serde_json::Value, status_code: Option<u16>) -> Self {
+        let error = &raw["error"];
+        let metadata = error.get("metadata");
+
+        let message = error
+            .get("message")
+            .and_then(serde_json::Value::as_str)
+            .filter(|message| !message.is_empty())
+            .unwrap_or("Provider returned error")
+            .to_string();
+        let canonical_code = metadata
+            .and_then(|metadata| metadata.get("error_type"))
+            .and_then(nonempty_string);
+        let native_code = error.get("type").and_then(nonempty_string).or_else(|| {
+            error
+                .get("code")
+                .filter(|code| code.is_string())
+                .and_then(nonempty_string)
+        });
+        let provider_code = metadata
+            .and_then(|metadata| metadata.get("provider_code"))
+            .and_then(scalar_string);
+        let status_code = status_code.or_else(|| error.get("code").and_then(status_from_value));
+        let previous_attempts = metadata
+            .and_then(|metadata| metadata.get("previous_errors"))
+            .and_then(previous_attempt_statuses);
+
+        Self {
+            message,
+            canonical_code,
+            native_code,
+            provider_code,
+            status_code,
+            previous_attempts,
+            raw,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn error_code(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        self.canonical_code
+            .clone()
+            .or_else(|| self.native_code.clone())
+            .or_else(|| self.provider_code.clone())
+    }
+
+    fn routing_was_exhausted(&self) -> bool {
+        self.status_code == Some(400)
+            && self.canonical_code.is_none()
+            && self.previous_attempts.as_ref().is_some_and(|attempts| {
+                !attempts.is_empty() && attempts.iter().copied().all(is_transient_status_code)
+            })
+    }
+
+    fn into_error(self, provider: &str, retry_after: Option<f64>) -> Error {
+        if let Some(kind) = self
+            .canonical_code
+            .as_deref()
+            .and_then(kind_from_canonical_code)
+        {
+            return self.provider_error(kind, provider, retry_after);
+        }
+
+        // Do not let legacy routing metadata override a status with a clear
+        // meaning of its own.
+        if self.status_code.is_some_and(is_unambiguous_status_code) {
+            return self.status_error(provider, retry_after);
+        }
+
+        if self.routing_was_exhausted() {
+            return self.provider_error_with_message(
+                ProviderErrorKind::Server,
+                ROUTING_EXHAUSTED_MESSAGE,
+                provider,
+                retry_after,
+            );
+        }
+
+        if self.status_code.is_some() {
+            self.status_error(provider, retry_after)
+        } else {
+            // An in-band error with no status or canonical code happened after
+            // the HTTP stream opened. Treat that unknown provider failure as
+            // transient, while retaining all provider detail in `raw`.
+            self.provider_error(ProviderErrorKind::Server, provider, retry_after)
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn status_error(self, provider: &str, retry_after: Option<f64>) -> Error {
+        let Some(status_code) = self.status_code else {
+            return self.provider_error(ProviderErrorKind::Server, provider, retry_after);
+        };
+        let error_code = self.error_code();
+        llm_error::error_from_status_code(
+            status_code,
+            self.message,
+            provider.to_string(),
+            error_code,
+            Some(self.raw),
+            retry_after,
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn provider_error(
+        self,
+        kind: ProviderErrorKind,
+        provider: &str,
+        retry_after: Option<f64>,
+    ) -> Error {
+        self.build_provider_error(kind, None, provider, retry_after)
+    }
+
+    fn provider_error_with_message(
+        self,
+        kind: ProviderErrorKind,
+        message: &str,
+        provider: &str,
+        retry_after: Option<f64>,
+    ) -> Error {
+        self.build_provider_error(kind, Some(message.to_string()), provider, retry_after)
+    }
+
+    fn build_provider_error(
+        self,
+        kind: ProviderErrorKind,
+        message: Option<String>,
+        provider: &str,
+        retry_after: Option<f64>,
+    ) -> Error {
+        let error_code = self.error_code();
+        Error::Provider {
+            kind,
+            detail: Box::new(ProviderErrorDetail {
+                message: message.unwrap_or(self.message),
+                provider: provider.to_string(),
+                status_code: self.status_code,
+                error_code,
+                retry_after,
+                raw: Some(self.raw),
+            }),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub(super) fn decode_http(
+    status: u16,
+    body: &str,
+    provider: &str,
+    retry_after: Option<f64>,
+) -> Error {
+    let (message, code, raw) = codec::parse_error_body(body, "type");
+    let Some(raw) = raw else {
+        return llm_error::error_from_status_code(
+            status,
+            message,
+            provider.to_string(),
+            code,
+            None,
+            retry_after,
+        );
+    };
+    if raw.get("error").is_none() {
+        return llm_error::error_from_status_code(
+            status,
+            message,
+            provider.to_string(),
+            code,
+            Some(raw),
+            retry_after,
+        );
+    }
+    let parsed = ParsedProviderError::from_raw(raw, Some(status));
+
+    parsed.into_error(provider, retry_after)
+}
+
+pub(super) fn decode_stream(raw: serde_json::Value, provider: &str) -> Error {
+    ParsedProviderError::from_raw(raw, None).into_error(provider, None)
+}
+
+fn kind_from_canonical_code(code: &str) -> Option<ProviderErrorKind> {
+    let kind = match code {
+        "authentication" => ProviderErrorKind::Authentication,
+        "permission_denied" => ProviderErrorKind::AccessDenied,
+        "not_found" => ProviderErrorKind::NotFound,
+        "payment_required" => ProviderErrorKind::QuotaExceeded,
+        "rate_limit_exceeded" => ProviderErrorKind::RateLimit,
+        "provider_overloaded" | "provider_unavailable" | "server" | "timeout" | "unmapped" => {
+            ProviderErrorKind::Server
+        }
+        "context_length_exceeded"
+        | "max_tokens_exceeded"
+        | "token_limit_exceeded"
+        | "string_too_long" => ProviderErrorKind::ContextLength,
+        "content_policy_violation" | "refusal" => ProviderErrorKind::ContentFilter,
+        "invalid_request"
+        | "invalid_prompt"
+        | "precondition_failed"
+        | "payload_too_large"
+        | "unprocessable"
+        | "invalid_image"
+        | "image_too_large"
+        | "image_too_small"
+        | "unsupported_image_format"
+        | "image_not_found"
+        | "image_download_failed" => ProviderErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+        _ => return None,
+    };
+    Some(kind)
+}
+
+fn previous_attempt_statuses(value: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<Vec<u16>> {
+    let attempts = value.as_array()?;
+    if attempts.is_empty() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    attempts
+        .iter()
+        .map(|attempt| attempt.get("code").and_then(status_from_value))
+        .collect()
+}
+
+fn status_from_value(value: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<u16> {
+    u16::try_from(value.as_u64()?).ok()
+}
+
+fn nonempty_string(value: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<String> {
+    value
+        .as_str()
+        .filter(|value| !value.is_empty())
+        .map(str::to_string)
+}
+
+fn scalar_string(value: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<String> {
+    nonempty_string(value).or_else(|| {
+        value
+            .as_i64()
+            .map(|value| value.to_string())
+            .or_else(|| value.as_u64().map(|value| value.to_string()))
+    })
+}
+
+const fn is_unambiguous_status_code(status: u16) -> bool {
+    matches!(status, 401 | 403 | 404 | 408 | 413 | 429 | 500..=599)
+}
+
+const fn is_transient_status_code(status: u16) -> bool {
+    matches!(status, 408 | 429 | 500..=599)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exhausted_transient_routes_are_retryable() {
+        let body = r#"{
+            "error": {
+                "message": "Provider returned error",
+                "code": 400,
+                "metadata": {
+                    "raw": "{\"error\":{\"message\":\"Failed to start generation: no model registered\",\"type\":\"invalid_request_error\"}}",
+                    "provider_name": "Together",
+                    "is_byok": false,
+                    "previous_errors": [
+                        {"code": 429, "provider_name": "Fireworks"},
+                        {"code": 429, "provider_name": "DigitalOcean"},
+                        {"code": 429, "provider_name": "BaseTen"}
+                    ]
+                }
+            },
+            "user_id": "org_test"
+        }"#;
+
+        let error = decode_http(400, body, "openrouter", None);
+        assert!(error.retryable());
+        assert!(error.failover_eligible());
+        match error {
+            Error::Provider { kind, detail } => {
+                assert_eq!(kind, ProviderErrorKind::Server);
+                assert_eq!(detail.message, ROUTING_EXHAUSTED_MESSAGE);
+                assert_eq!(detail.provider, "openrouter");
+                assert_eq!(detail.status_code, Some(400));
+                assert_eq!(detail.error_code, None);
+                assert_eq!(detail.retry_after, None);
+                assert_eq!(detail.raw, serde_json::from_str(body).ok());
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected provider error, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn canonical_provider_unavailable_overrides_ambiguous_status() {
+        let body = r#"{
+            "error": {
+                "code": 400,
+                "message": "Provider returned an invalid response",
+                "metadata": {
+                    "error_type": "provider_unavailable",
+                    "provider_code": "no_endpoint"
+                }
+            }
+        }"#;
+
+        let error = decode_http(400, body, "openrouter", None);
+        assert!(error.retryable());
+        match error {
+            Error::Provider { kind, detail } => {
+                assert_eq!(kind, ProviderErrorKind::Server);
+                assert_eq!(detail.error_code.as_deref(), Some("provider_unavailable"));
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected provider error, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn canonical_rate_limit_preserves_provider_detail() {
+        let body = r#"{
+            "error": {
+                "code": 400,
+                "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
+                "metadata": {"error_type": "rate_limit_exceeded"}
+            }
+        }"#;
+
+        let error = decode_http(400, body, "openrouter", Some(2.5));
+        assert!(error.retryable());
+        match error {
+            Error::Provider { kind, detail } => {
+                assert_eq!(kind, ProviderErrorKind::RateLimit);
+                assert_eq!(detail.provider, "openrouter");
+                assert_eq!(detail.status_code, Some(400));
+                assert_eq!(detail.retry_after, Some(2.5));
+                assert_eq!(detail.error_code.as_deref(), Some("rate_limit_exceeded"));
+                assert_eq!(detail.raw, serde_json::from_str(body).ok());
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected provider error, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn plain_bad_request_remains_non_retryable() {
+        let body = r#"{"error":{"message":"Bad request","type":"invalid_request_error"}}"#;
+
+        let error = decode_http(400, body, "openrouter", None);
+        assert!(!error.retryable());
+        assert!(matches!(error, Error::Provider {
+            kind: ProviderErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+            ..
+        }));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unambiguous_status_precedes_legacy_route_history() {
+        let body = serde_json::json!({
+            "error": {
+                "message": "Invalid API key",
+                "code": 401,
+                "metadata": {
+                    "previous_errors": [{"code": 429}, {"code": 503}]
+                }
+            }
+        })
+        .to_string();
+
+        let error = decode_http(401, &body, "openrouter", None);
+        assert!(!error.retryable());
+        assert!(matches!(error, Error::Provider {
+            kind: ProviderErrorKind::Authentication,
+            ..
+        }));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn malformed_or_deterministic_previous_attempts_do_not_change_bad_request() {
+        for previous_errors in [
+            serde_json::json!([{"code": 429}, {"message": "missing code"}]),
+            serde_json::json!([{"code": 429}, {"code": 400}]),
+        ] {
+            let body = serde_json::json!({
+                "error": {
+                    "message": "Bad request",
+                    "code": 400,
+                    "metadata": {"previous_errors": previous_errors}
+                }
+            })
+            .to_string();
+
+            let error = decode_http(400, &body, "openrouter", None);
+            assert!(!error.retryable());
+            assert!(matches!(error, Error::Provider {
+                kind: ProviderErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+                ..
+            }));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/mod.rs b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/mod.rs
index 42a2fde09..8fbb37526 100644
--- a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/mod.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 //!
 //! Serves every "OpenAI-compatible" route (kimi, zai, minimax, venice,
 //! inception, ollama, litellm, …). Pure translation: no HTTP, auth, or base
-//! URL — the adapter shell owns those. Count-tokens and error mapping use the
-//! `Codec` trait defaults (this dialect has no count route and uses the shared
-//! HTTP-status error mapping).
+//! URL — the adapter shell owns those. This dialect has no count route. Error
+//! mapping also understands the typed provider errors and routing-attempt
+//! metadata returned by OpenRouter.
 
+mod error;
 mod request;
 mod response;
 mod stream;
@@ -40,4 +41,14 @@ impl Codec for OpenAiCompatible {
     ) -> Box<dyn StreamDecoder> {
         Box::new(stream::StreamState::new(ctx, rate_limit))
     }
+
+    fn decode_error(
+        &self,
+        status: u16,
+        body: &str,
+        ctx: &CodecCtx<'_>,
+        retry_after: Option<f64>,
+    ) -> Error {
+        error::decode_http(status, body, ctx.provider_name, retry_after)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/stream.rs b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/stream.rs
index f389ee086..722c7996b 100644
--- a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/stream.rs
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/stream.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //! Byte reading and `data:` framing live in the transport; this decoder is fed
 //! already-stripped payloads (including the `[DONE]` sentinel) via `on_event`.
 
+use super::error;
 use super::translate::{map_finish_reason, parse_tool_arguments};
 use super::wire::{AccumulatedToolCall, ReasoningDetails, StreamChunk};
 use crate::codec::{CodecCtx, RawEvent, StreamDecoder};
@@ -258,6 +259,12 @@ impl StreamDecoder for StreamState {
         let chunk: StreamChunk = serde_json::from_str(ev.data)
             .map_err(|e| Error::stream_error(format!("failed to parse SSE chunk: {e}"), e))?;
 
+        if chunk.error.is_some() {
+            let raw = serde_json::from_str(ev.data)
+                .map_err(|e| Error::stream_error(format!("failed to parse SSE error: {e}"), e))?;
+            return Err(error::decode_stream(raw, &self.provider_name));
+        }
+
         Ok(self.process_chunk(chunk).unwrap_or_default())
     }
 
@@ -277,6 +284,7 @@ impl StreamDecoder for StreamState {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::codec::CodecParams;
+    use crate::error::ProviderErrorKind;
     use crate::types::Request;
 
     /// Build a decoder through `StreamState::new` (with a minimal request) for
@@ -362,6 +370,43 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(choices[0].finish_reason.as_deref(), Some("stop"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn in_band_openrouter_error_uses_provider_error_classifier() {
+        let mut state = test_state("openrouter", "openai/gpt-4o");
+        let data = r#"{
+            "id": "gen-test",
+            "object": "chat.completion.chunk",
+            "model": "openai/gpt-4o",
+            "provider": "OpenAI",
+            "error": {
+                "code": 502,
+                "message": "Provider disconnected mid-stream",
+                "metadata": {"error_type": "provider_unavailable"}
+            },
+            "choices": [{
+                "index": 0,
+                "delta": {"content": ""},
+                "finish_reason": "error"
+            }]
+        }"#;
+
+        let error = state
+            .on_event(RawEvent { event: None, data })
+            .expect_err("an in-band provider error should fail the stream");
+
+        assert!(error.retryable());
+        match error {
+            Error::Provider { kind, detail } => {
+                assert_eq!(kind, ProviderErrorKind::Server);
+                assert_eq!(detail.provider, "openrouter");
+                assert_eq!(detail.status_code, Some(502));
+                assert_eq!(detail.error_code.as_deref(), Some("provider_unavailable"));
+                assert_eq!(detail.raw, serde_json::from_str(data).ok());
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected provider error, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn process_text_chunks() {
         let mut state = test_state("test", "model");
diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/wire.rs b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/wire.rs
index 3e1de949d..aae3b757b 100644
--- a/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/wire.rs
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-llm/src/codec/openai_compatible/wire.rs
@@ -364,6 +364,9 @@ pub(super) struct StreamChunk {
     pub model:   Option<String>,
     pub choices: Option<Vec<StreamChoice>>,
     pub usage:   Option<ApiUsage>,
+    /// Top-level in-band provider error. OpenRouter includes this after the
+    /// HTTP 200 response has already committed.
+    pub error:   Option<serde_json::Value>,
 }
 
 #[derive(serde::Deserialize)]