diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7c7ee5e1..35f4d766 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -255,3 +255,4 @@ examples/start_and_test.sh
 # Old tutorials directory (superseded by examples/tutorial_*.py)
 tutorials/
 site/
+.claude/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ce670825..b638b337 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def book_flight(flight_id: str, customer_id: str) -> dict:
     return billing.charge_and_book(flight_id, customer_id)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_flights, book_flight],
     system_prompt="You are a travel concierge. Find a flight, then book it.",
     reflexion=True,                                      # self-correct mid-run
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def book_meeting(date: str, attendees: list[str]) -> dict:
     return calendar.book(date, attendees)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[get_today_date, book_meeting],
     system_prompt="You are a scheduling assistant.",
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/agent-loop.md b/docs/concepts/agent-loop.md
index 4bc9b1d0..fe7cfde0 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/agent-loop.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/agent-loop.md
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ def submit_po(vendor_id: str, amount_usd: float) -> dict:
     return finance.submit(vendor_id, amount_usd)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_vendors, submit_po],
     system_prompt="You are a procurement officer.",
     reflexion=True,                    # turn Reflect on
diff --git a/docs/concepts/agent.md b/docs/concepts/agent.md
index cdf9d590..4662cf22 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/agent.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/agent.md
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ from locus import Agent
 from locus.agent import AgentConfig
 
 cfg = AgentConfig(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",   # see how-to/oci-models.md
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",   # see how-to/oci-models.md
     tools=[...],
     system_prompt="...",
     max_iterations=50,
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class VendorList(BaseModel):
     vendors: list[str]
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search, book_flight],
     output_schema=VendorList,
     termination=MaxIterations(8) | ToolCalled("book_flight"),
diff --git a/docs/concepts/conversation-management.md b/docs/concepts/conversation-management.md
index 1146f404..7612d2fc 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/conversation-management.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/conversation-management.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from locus import Agent
 from locus.memory.backends import OCIBucketBackend
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[...],
     checkpointer=OCIBucketBackend(
         bucket_name="locus-threads",
diff --git a/docs/concepts/executors.md b/docs/concepts/executors.md
index 1a37bc75..ba551b9f 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/executors.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/executors.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ time**:
 
 ```python
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_flights, search_hotels, search_restaurants],
     tool_execution="concurrent",   # default — fan out
     # tool_execution="sequential", # opt-in — one at a time
diff --git a/docs/concepts/interrupts.md b/docs/concepts/interrupts.md
index f5f58a66..2b19073f 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/interrupts.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/interrupts.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def submit_po(vendor_id: str, amount_usd: float) -> dict:
     return finance.submit(vendor_id, amount_usd)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_vendors, request_human_approval, submit_po],
     system_prompt=(
         "You are a procurement officer. "
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ from locus.hooks.builtin.steering import SteeringHook
 agent = Agent(
     ...,
     hooks=[SteeringHook(
-        judge_model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5-mini",
+        judge_model="oci:openai.gpt-5-mini",
         policy="Reject any tool call that doesn't match the user's stated request.",
     )],
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/models.md b/docs/concepts/models.md
index eda80673..67ab473b 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/models.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/models.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ A model is a string. Pick the provider's prefix; locus picks the
 client.
 
 ```python
-agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",                ...)  # OCI → V1
+agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5",                ...)  # OCI → V1
 agent = Agent(model="oci:cohere.command-r-plus",         ...)  # OCI → SDK
 agent = Agent(model="oci:meta.llama-3.3-70b-instruct",   ...)  # OCI → V1
 agent = Agent(model="openai:gpt-4o",                     ...)  # OpenAI direct
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ from locus.models.pooled import PooledModel
 
 agent = Agent(
     model=PooledModel(
-        primary="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+        primary="oci:openai.gpt-5",
         fallbacks=["openai:gpt-4o", "anthropic:claude-sonnet"],
     ),
     ...,
diff --git a/docs/concepts/multi-agent.md b/docs/concepts/multi-agent.md
index 70ef51be..9d4e983b 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/multi-agent.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/multi-agent.md
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ compliance  = Specialist(name="compliance",  agent=compliance_agent,
                          description="Vets vendors against SOC2 / ISO posture.")
 
 orchestrator = Orchestrator(
-    coordinator_model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    coordinator_model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     specialists=[procurement, compliance],
     system_prompt="You are the procurement lead. Delegate to the right specialist.",
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/a2a.md b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/a2a.md
index 7097678b..2896efbf 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/a2a.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/a2a.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ from locus import Agent
 from locus.a2a.protocol import A2AServer, AgentCard
 
 research_agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_corpus, summarise, cite],
     system_prompt="You read the vendor catalogue and quote prices.",
     checkpointer=OCIBucketBackend(bucket_name="research-threads"),
diff --git a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/handoff.md b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/handoff.md
index 51236687..6c0442a3 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/handoff.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/handoff.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ State, checkpointer, and `thread_id` survive.
 from locus.multiagent import Handoff
 
 triage = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[lookup_order, lookup_account],
     system_prompt=(
         "You triage incoming customer messages. "
@@ -64,17 +64,17 @@ triage = Agent(
     ),
 )
 billing = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[issue_refund, retry_charge],
     system_prompt="You handle billing escalations.",
 )
 shipping = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[track_shipment, request_redelivery],
     system_prompt="You handle shipping issues.",
 )
 returns = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[create_return_label],
     system_prompt="You handle returns.",
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/orchestrator.md b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/orchestrator.md
index 98ecffb0..4895bd4f 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/orchestrator.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/orchestrator.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ from locus.multiagent import Orchestrator, Specialist
 procurement = Specialist(
     name="procurement",
     agent=Agent(
-        model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
         tools=[search_vendors, quote_prices],
         system_prompt="You are the Procurement specialist.",
     ),
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ procurement = Specialist(
 compliance = Specialist(
     name="compliance",
     agent=Agent(
-        model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
         tools=[check_soc2, check_iso, search_legal_terms],
         system_prompt="You are the Compliance specialist.",
     ),
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ compliance = Specialist(
 approver = Specialist(
     name="approver",
     agent=Agent(
-        model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
         tools=[submit_po, email_cfo],          # ← idempotent writes
         system_prompt="You are the Approval Officer.",
     ),
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ approver = Specialist(
 )
 
 orchestrator = Orchestrator(
-    coordinator_model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    coordinator_model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     specialists=[procurement, compliance, approver],
     system_prompt=(
         "You are the procurement lead. Delegate research to procurement, "
diff --git a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/swarm.md b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/swarm.md
index d3173bb0..c7437b87 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/multi-agent/swarm.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/multi-agent/swarm.md
@@ -43,17 +43,17 @@ exits when the queue empties or `max_iterations` is hit.
 from locus.multiagent import Swarm
 
 researcher = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_corpus, summarise],
     system_prompt="You are a researcher. Read, summarise, post follow-ups.",
 )
 fact_checker = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[verify_claim, search_corpus],
     system_prompt="You are a fact-checker. Verify claims, flag conflicts.",
 )
 writer = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[draft, revise],
     system_prompt="You are a writer. Take vetted summaries, draft prose.",
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/prompts.md b/docs/concepts/prompts.md
index 2b605467..49361d2b 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/prompts.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/prompts.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ You don't usually configure 2 and 3 directly. You configure 1.
 
 ```python
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_flights, book_flight],
     system_prompt=(
         "You are a travel concierge. "
diff --git a/docs/concepts/providers/oci.md b/docs/concepts/providers/oci.md
index e1761391..c7a105ef 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/providers/oci.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/providers/oci.md
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ you know about prompting OpenAI carries over: real SSE streaming,
 OpenAI-style function calling, structured output, vision input.
 
 ```python
-agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5")           # OpenAI commercial
+agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5")           # OpenAI commercial
 agent = Agent(model="oci:meta.llama-3.3-70b-instruct")  # Meta Llama
 agent = Agent(model="oci:anthropic.claude-sonnet")  # Claude — no Anthropic key needed
 ```
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ export OCI_REGION=us-chicago-1
 from locus import Agent
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant.",
 )
 ```
diff --git a/docs/concepts/providers/ollama.md b/docs/concepts/providers/ollama.md
index 48ca4069..e4974405 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/providers/ollama.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/providers/ollama.md
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ swap one line to point at OCI / OpenAI / Anthropic for production.
 agent = Agent(model="ollama:llama3.3", tools=[...], system_prompt="...")
 
 # Production — same agent, swap the model id:
-agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5", tools=[...], system_prompt="...")
+agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5", tools=[...], system_prompt="...")
 ```
 
 Everything else — tools, hooks, checkpointers, termination, RAG —
diff --git a/docs/concepts/providers/openai.md b/docs/concepts/providers/openai.md
index d3c21c8e..58105012 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/providers/openai.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/providers/openai.md
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ That's the only setup. locus reads the env var automatically.
 ```python
 from locus import Agent
 
-agent = Agent(model="openai:gpt-5.5", system_prompt="You are helpful.")
+agent = Agent(model="openai:gpt-5", system_prompt="You are helpful.")
 ```
 
-The string `"openai:gpt-5.5"` does two things: tells locus to use the
+The string `"openai:gpt-5"` does two things: tells locus to use the
 OpenAI provider (`openai:` prefix), and which model id to call
-(`gpt-5.5`). Any model id OpenAI accepts, locus accepts.
+(`gpt-5`). Any model id OpenAI accepts, locus accepts.
 
 ### 3. Run it
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ without further configuration.
 
 ### Chat completions across the GPT family
 
-Every chat-shaped OpenAI model: `gpt-4o`, `gpt-4.1`, `gpt-5`, `gpt-5.5`,
+Every chat-shaped OpenAI model: `gpt-4o`, `gpt-4.1`, `gpt-5`, `gpt-5`,
 `gpt-image-1`. Vision input (image URLs / base64), audio input, and
 function calling work the same way you'd use them on the OpenAI SDK
 directly — locus just normalises the events the model emits.
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class Answer(BaseModel):
     confidence: float
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="openai:gpt-5.5",
+    model="openai:gpt-5",
     output_schema=Answer,
     system_prompt="Reply as JSON matching the schema.",
 )
diff --git a/docs/concepts/reasoning.md b/docs/concepts/reasoning.md
index 7b3dd530..93fd531d 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/reasoning.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/reasoning.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ single argument on `Agent(...)`.
 
 ```python
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search, summarise, validate_claim],
     reflexion=True,    # self-evaluate per turn
     grounding=True,    # LLM-as-judge claim verification
diff --git a/docs/concepts/retry.md b/docs/concepts/retry.md
index c9fe2b34..d5f42688 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/retry.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/retry.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from locus.hooks.builtin.retry import ModelRetryHook
 from locus import Agent
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[...],
     hooks=[
         ModelRetryHook(
diff --git a/docs/concepts/safety.md b/docs/concepts/safety.md
index 94756a3e..be20eb53 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/safety.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/safety.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ agent = Agent(
     tools=[search, send_email, transfer],
     hooks=[
         SteeringHook(
-            judge_model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5-mini",
+            judge_model="oci:openai.gpt-5-mini",
             policy="The user came in to ask about flights. Reject any tool call unrelated to flights.",
         ),
     ],
diff --git a/docs/how-to/deploy.md b/docs/how-to/deploy.md
index 72f91be9..26e44a3b 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/deploy.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/deploy.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from locus.server import AgentServer
 from locus.memory.backends import OCIBucketBackend
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[...],
     system_prompt="...",
     checkpointer=OCIBucketBackend(
diff --git a/docs/how-to/oci-dac.md b/docs/how-to/oci-dac.md
index ab7d510f..b2072fd4 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/oci-dac.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/oci-dac.md
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 OCI GenAI exposes two serving modes:
 
-- **On-demand** — pay-per-token against a shared model id (`openai.gpt-5.5`,
-  `cohere.command-r-plus-08-2024`, …). What `Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5")`
+- **On-demand** — pay-per-token against a shared model id (`openai.gpt-5`,
+  `cohere.command-r-plus-08-2024`, …). What `Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5")`
   has been using by default.
 - **Dedicated AI Cluster (DAC)** — provisioned capacity exposed as a
   *generative AI endpoint* OCID
diff --git a/docs/how-to/oci-models.md b/docs/how-to/oci-models.md
index d0b1d1bc..d9cdd9f6 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/oci-models.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/oci-models.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from locus import Agent
 from locus.models import OCIOpenAIModel
 
 model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-    model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="openai.gpt-5",
     profile="DEFAULT",        # any [profile] in ~/.oci/config
 )
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ import os
 from locus.models import OCIOpenAIModel
 
 model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-    model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="openai.gpt-5",
     auth_type="instance_principal",     # or "resource_principal"
     compartment_id=os.environ["OCI_COMPARTMENT_ID"],
 )
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ identity.
 - **Real SSE streaming** — `agent.run(...)` yields events as the model
   produces tokens, not after the full response arrives.
 - **Day-0 model coverage** — when OCI publishes a new model id (e.g.
-  `openai.gpt-5.5` on launch day), it works immediately. No `oci`
+  `openai.gpt-5` on launch day), it works immediately. No `oci`
   package release needed.
 - **Standard OpenAI request shape** — tool calls, system messages,
   multimodal content, and seed/penalty/top_p knobs work the same way as
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ an OCI-side limitation of the legacy endpoint, not a locus issue.
 from locus.models import get_model
 
 # Uses OCIOpenAIModel
-m1 = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5.5", profile="DEFAULT")
+m1 = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5", profile="DEFAULT")
 
 # Uses OCIModel (Cohere R-series)
 m2 = get_model("oci:cohere.command-r-plus", profile_name="DEFAULT", auth_type="api_key")
@@ -131,9 +131,9 @@ side-by-side.
 - **OpenAI Responses API on OCI.** Locus deliberately stays on
   chat/completions — the Responses API is built around server-side
   conversation state which conflicts with locus's own memory and tool
-  layers. Practical consequence: `openai.gpt-5.5-pro` (Responses-only on
+  layers. Practical consequence: `openai.gpt-5-pro` (Responses-only on
   OCI per the day-0 announcement) is not reachable from locus today.
-  Regular `openai.gpt-5.5` works fine on V1.
+  Regular `openai.gpt-5` works fine on V1.
 - **Cohere R-series on V1.** OCI's `/openai/v1` returns `400 Unsupported
   OpenAI operation` for these. Use `OCIModel`.
 - **GenAI API key auth (Bearer token).** A "create an API key in the
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ side-by-side.
 # V1 path (any non-Cohere-R model)
 OCI_PROFILE=DEFAULT \
 OCI_REGION=us-chicago-1 \
-OCI_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5.5 \
+OCI_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5 \
 pytest tests/integration/test_oci_openai_compat_integration.py
 
 # SDK path (Cohere R-series)
diff --git a/docs/how-to/persist-conversations.md b/docs/how-to/persist-conversations.md
index 13ca3fda..fbf37295 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/persist-conversations.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/persist-conversations.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ checkpointer = OCIBucketBackend(
 )
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",   # any OCI model — see how-to/oci-models.md
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",   # any OCI model — see how-to/oci-models.md
     tools=[...],
     checkpointer=checkpointer,
 )
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ from locus.memory.backends import postgresql_checkpointer
 checkpointer = postgresql_checkpointer(
     dsn="postgresql://locus:locus@db.example.com:5432/locus",
 )
-agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5", tools=[...], checkpointer=checkpointer)
+agent = Agent(model="oci:openai.gpt-5", tools=[...], checkpointer=checkpointer)
 ```
 
 If you build a storage backend directly (`RedisBackend(...)`,
diff --git a/docs/how-to/quickstart.md b/docs/how-to/quickstart.md
index 6bb8f704..7b605e03 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/quickstart.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/quickstart.md
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def search_books(topic: str) -> list[str]:
     return [f"{topic} for Beginners", f"Advanced {topic}"]
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[add, search_books],
     system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant.",
 )
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ checkpointer and a `thread_id`:
 from locus.memory.backends.file import FileCheckpointer
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[...],
     system_prompt="...",
     checkpointer=FileCheckpointer(directory="./threads"),
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ def submit_order(item_id: str, qty: int) -> dict:
     return shop.submit(item_id, qty)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_catalog, submit_order],
     system_prompt="...",
     reflexion=True,
diff --git a/docs/img/sequence-26ai.svg b/docs/img/sequence-26ai.svg
index 0173c8e5..609a3ed6 100644
--- a/docs/img/sequence-26ai.svg
+++ b/docs/img/sequence-26ai.svg
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
   <g filter="url(#card)">
     <rect x="700" y="148" width="140" height="44" rx="8" fill="#312D2A"/>
     <text x="770" y="169" text-anchor="middle" font-size="13" font-weight="700" fill="#FFFFFF">OCI GenAI</text>
-    <text x="770" y="184" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#D6D3D1" font-family="ui-monospace, monospace">gpt-5.5 · cohere-embed</text>
+    <text x="770" y="184" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#D6D3D1" font-family="ui-monospace, monospace">gpt-5 · cohere-embed</text>
   </g>
 
   <g filter="url(#card)">
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index e957f6aa..c9ae0c1c 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def book_flight(flight_id: str, customer_id: str) -> dict:
     return billing.charge_and_book(flight_id, customer_id)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[search_flights, book_flight],
     system_prompt="You are a travel concierge. Find a flight, then book it.",
     reflexion=True,                                 # self-correct mid-run
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ def book_flight(flight_id: str, customer_id: str) -> dict:
     return billing.charge_and_book(flight_id, customer_id)
 
 agent = Agent(
-    model="oci:openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="oci:openai.gpt-5",
     tools=[book_flight],
     system_prompt="You are a travel concierge. Book the flight the user asks for.",
 )
diff --git a/examples/.env.example b/examples/.env.example
index cb39aa72..e888c908 100644
--- a/examples/.env.example
+++ b/examples/.env.example
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=mock
 
 # Recommended for OpenAI / Meta / xAI / Mistral / Gemini families:
 # LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=oci
-# LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5.5
+# LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5
 # LOCUS_OCI_PROFILE=DEFAULT
 # LOCUS_OCI_REGION=us-chicago-1                 # default
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=mock
 
 # Workload identity on OCI compute / OKE / Functions:
 # LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=oci
-# LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5.5
+# LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5
 # LOCUS_OCI_AUTH_TYPE=instance_principal           # or resource_principal
 # LOCUS_OCI_COMPARTMENT=ocid1.compartment.oc1...   # required for principal auth
 
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index ddb5def6..e6b7d258 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from locus import Agent
 from locus.models import OCIOpenAIModel
 
 model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-    model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+    model="openai.gpt-5",
     profile="MY_PROFILE",  # any profile in ~/.oci/config
 )
 
diff --git a/examples/agent_gist.py b/examples/agent_gist.py
index 8f498e75..f2653756 100644
--- a/examples/agent_gist.py
+++ b/examples/agent_gist.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 def main():
     model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-        model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="openai.gpt-5",
         profile=os.environ.get("OCI_PROFILE", "DEFAULT"),
     )
 
diff --git a/examples/coding_assistant.py b/examples/coding_assistant.py
index 0a41fa37..de20bc7c 100755
--- a/examples/coding_assistant.py
+++ b/examples/coding_assistant.py
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def get_model():
     """
     profile = os.getenv("OCI_PROFILE")
     if profile:
-        model_id = os.getenv("OCI_MODEL_ID", "openai.gpt-5.5")
+        model_id = os.getenv("OCI_MODEL_ID", "openai.gpt-5")
         if model_id.lower().startswith("cohere.command-r"):
             from locus.models import OCIModel
 
diff --git a/examples/complex_agent.py b/examples/complex_agent.py
index d821bbc7..33022636 100644
--- a/examples/complex_agent.py
+++ b/examples/complex_agent.py
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ async def run_complex_agent():
 
     # Create model
     model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-        model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="openai.gpt-5",
         profile=os.environ.get("OCI_PROFILE", "DEFAULT"),
         region=os.environ.get("OCI_REGION", "us-chicago-1"),
         max_tokens=2048,
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ async def run_structured_output_demo():
     print()
 
     model = OCIOpenAIModel(
-        model="openai.gpt-5.5",
+        model="openai.gpt-5",
         profile=os.environ.get("OCI_PROFILE", "DEFAULT"),
         region=os.environ.get("OCI_REGION", "us-chicago-1"),
     )
diff --git a/examples/config.py b/examples/config.py
index b3de6a9f..d7764707 100644
--- a/examples/config.py
+++ b/examples/config.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
     # Run with OCI GenAI (V1 transport, OpenAI-compatible endpoint):
     export LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=oci
-    export LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5.5
+    export LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5
     export LOCUS_OCI_PROFILE=MY_PROFILE
     python examples/tutorial_01_basic_agent.py
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
     # Run with OCI on an OCI VM / OKE node (workload identity):
     export LOCUS_MODEL_PROVIDER=oci
-    export LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5.5
+    export LOCUS_MODEL_ID=openai.gpt-5
     export LOCUS_OCI_AUTH_TYPE=instance_principal
     export LOCUS_OCI_COMPARTMENT=ocid1.compartment.oc1...
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def _pick_oci_transport(model_id: str) -> str:
 
 def _get_oci_model(**kwargs: Any) -> Any:
     """Get an OCI GenAI model — picks V1 vs SDK transport per model family."""
-    model_id = os.environ.get("LOCUS_MODEL_ID", "openai.gpt-5.5")
+    model_id = os.environ.get("LOCUS_MODEL_ID", "openai.gpt-5")
     transport = _pick_oci_transport(model_id)
     if transport == "v1":
         return _get_oci_v1_model(model_id, **kwargs)
diff --git a/examples/tutorial_29_model_providers.py b/examples/tutorial_29_model_providers.py
index d5e1e7d2..687c8595 100644
--- a/examples/tutorial_29_model_providers.py
+++ b/examples/tutorial_29_model_providers.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def example_providers():
 
     print("\nUsage:")
     print('  model = get_model("openai:gpt-4o")')
-    print('  model = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5.5", profile="DEFAULT")  # → OCIOpenAIModel')
+    print('  model = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5", profile="DEFAULT")  # → OCIOpenAIModel')
     print(
         '  model = get_model("oci:cohere.command-r-plus", '
         'profile_name="DEFAULT", auth_type="api_key")  # → OCIModel'
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ def example_direct():
     # OCI GenAI — V1 transport (recommended for OpenAI/Meta/xAI/Mistral/Gemini)
     print("OCI GenAI — V1 (/openai/v1):")
     print("  from locus.models import OCIOpenAIModel")
-    print('  model = OCIOpenAIModel(model="openai.gpt-5.5", profile="DEFAULT")')
+    print('  model = OCIOpenAIModel(model="openai.gpt-5", profile="DEFAULT")')
     print()
     print("  # Workload identity on OCI VM / OKE / Functions:")
     print("  model = OCIOpenAIModel(")
-    print('      model="openai.gpt-5.5",')
+    print('      model="openai.gpt-5",')
     print('      auth_type="instance_principal",   # or "resource_principal"')
     print('      compartment_id="ocid1.compartment.oc1...",')
     print("  )")
diff --git a/src/locus/memory/backends/oci_bucket.py b/src/locus/memory/backends/oci_bucket.py
index c34fe8e0..b30b464a 100644
--- a/src/locus/memory/backends/oci_bucket.py
+++ b/src/locus/memory/backends/oci_bucket.py
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ def __init__(
         profile_name: str = "DEFAULT",
         auth_type: str = "api_key",
         region: str | None = None,
+        retry_strategy: Any = None,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> None:
         self.config = OCIBucketConfig(
@@ -107,6 +108,22 @@ def __init__(
         )
         self._client: ObjectStorageClient | None = None
         self._initialized = False
+        # Override the default retry strategy by passing one explicitly.
+        # Default (None) resolves to ``oci.retry.DEFAULT_RETRY_STRATEGY`` at
+        # first call — exponential backoff with jitter on 429 / 5xx /
+        # transport errors. Pass ``oci.retry.NoneRetryStrategy()`` to
+        # disable retries (e.g. for tests).
+        self._retry_strategy: Any = retry_strategy
+
+    def _get_retry_strategy(self) -> Any:
+        """Return the OCI retry strategy used for every transient-prone call."""
+        if self._retry_strategy is not None:
+            return self._retry_strategy
+        try:
+            import oci
+        except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+            return None
+        return oci.retry.DEFAULT_RETRY_STRATEGY
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Capabilities
@@ -173,10 +190,12 @@ async def _ensure_bucket(self) -> None:
 
         def check_bucket():
             client = self._get_client()
+            retry = self._get_retry_strategy()
             try:
                 client.get_bucket(
                     namespace_name=self.config.namespace,
                     bucket_name=self.config.bucket_name,
+                    retry_strategy=retry,
                 )
             except Exception as e:
                 if "BucketNotFound" in str(e) and self.config.compartment_id:
@@ -190,6 +209,7 @@ def check_bucket():
                             storage_tier="Standard",
                             public_access_type="NoPublicAccess",
                         ),
+                        retry_strategy=retry,
                     )
                 else:
                     raise
@@ -223,6 +243,7 @@ async def _put_json(self, object_name: str, payload: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
 
     async def _put_bytes(self, object_name: str, body: bytes, content_type: str) -> None:
         client = self._get_client()
+        retry = self._get_retry_strategy()
 
         def _put():
             client.put_object(
@@ -231,6 +252,7 @@ def _put():
                 object_name=object_name,
                 put_object_body=body,
                 content_type=content_type,
+                retry_strategy=retry,
             )
 
         await asyncio.to_thread(_put)
@@ -243,6 +265,7 @@ async def _get_json(self, object_name: str) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
 
     async def _get_bytes(self, object_name: str) -> bytes | None:
         client = self._get_client()
+        retry = self._get_retry_strategy()
 
         def _get() -> bytes | None:
             try:
@@ -250,6 +273,7 @@ def _get() -> bytes | None:
                     namespace_name=self.config.namespace,
                     bucket_name=self.config.bucket_name,
                     object_name=object_name,
+                    retry_strategy=retry,
                 )
                 return response.data.content
             except Exception as e:
@@ -261,6 +285,7 @@ def _get() -> bytes | None:
 
     async def _delete_object(self, object_name: str) -> bool:
         client = self._get_client()
+        retry = self._get_retry_strategy()
 
         def _delete() -> bool:
             try:
@@ -268,6 +293,7 @@ def _delete() -> bool:
                     namespace_name=self.config.namespace,
                     bucket_name=self.config.bucket_name,
                     object_name=object_name,
+                    retry_strategy=retry,
                 )
                 return True
             except Exception as e:
@@ -285,6 +311,7 @@ async def _list_objects(
     ) -> tuple[list[Any], list[str]]:
         """Return (objects, prefixes) from a ListObjects call."""
         client = self._get_client()
+        retry = self._get_retry_strategy()
 
         def _list():
             kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {
@@ -293,6 +320,7 @@ def _list():
                 "prefix": prefix,
                 "limit": min(limit, 1000),
                 "fields": "name,timeModified,size",
+                "retry_strategy": retry,
             }
             if delimiter is not None:
                 kwargs["delimiter"] = delimiter
diff --git a/src/locus/models/__init__.py b/src/locus/models/__init__.py
index 4cfb4878..14d5c0f6 100644
--- a/src/locus/models/__init__.py
+++ b/src/locus/models/__init__.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
     # OCI GenAI — V1 transport (recommended)
     from locus.models import OCIOpenAIModel
-    model = OCIOpenAIModel(model="openai.gpt-5.5", profile="DEFAULT")
+    model = OCIOpenAIModel(model="openai.gpt-5", profile="DEFAULT")
 
     # OCI GenAI — Cohere R-series
     from locus.models import OCIModel
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
     # String factory — auto-routes to the right transport
     from locus.models import get_model
-    model = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5.5", profile="DEFAULT")
+    model = get_model("oci:openai.gpt-5", profile="DEFAULT")
 """
 
 from locus.models.base import (
diff --git a/src/locus/models/native/openai.py b/src/locus/models/native/openai.py
index 1eade27f..93578d86 100644
--- a/src/locus/models/native/openai.py
+++ b/src/locus/models/native/openai.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def _uses_max_completion_tokens(model: str) -> bool:
 
         Detects the o1 / o3 / gpt-5* families. Tolerates a leading
         purely-alphabetic namespace segment so OCI-style model ids
-        (``openai.gpt-5.5``, ``meta.llama-3.3-…``) are treated the same as
+        (``openai.gpt-5``, ``meta.llama-3.3-…``) are treated the same as
         native OpenAI names (``gpt-5.1-chat-latest``). Native ids start
         with a token containing digits/hyphens (``gpt-5``, ``o1-…``) so
         the namespace strip is a no-op for them.
diff --git a/src/locus/models/providers/oci/openai_compat.py b/src/locus/models/providers/oci/openai_compat.py
index e2ad82a1..7ef5a989 100644
--- a/src/locus/models/providers/oci/openai_compat.py
+++ b/src/locus/models/providers/oci/openai_compat.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def __init__(
         """Initialize the OCI OpenAI-compat model.
 
         Args:
-            model: OCI model identifier (e.g. ``openai.gpt-5.5``,
+            model: OCI model identifier (e.g. ``openai.gpt-5``,
                 ``meta.llama-3.3-70b-instruct``).
             profile: OCI config profile name from ``config_file``. Mutually
                 exclusive with ``auth_type``.
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_model_id_consistency.py b/tests/unit/test_model_id_consistency.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50a99914
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_model_id_consistency.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"""Regression test: prevent the deprecated `gpt-5.5` model id from re-entering
+the docs / examples / source.
+
+`openai.gpt-5.5` is not a real model in OCI's catalogue (the actual id is
+`openai.gpt-5`). This test scans the codebase and fails if the deprecated
+form reappears, so a future copy-paste can't quietly reintroduce a bad
+quickstart.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+
+# Files / directories scanned for the deprecated identifier.
+SCAN_ROOTS = [
+    REPO_ROOT / "src" / "locus",
+    REPO_ROOT / "examples",
+    REPO_ROOT / "docs",
+    REPO_ROOT / "README.md",
+]
+
+# Files we cannot easily change (binary, third-party). Empty for now.
+ALLOWLIST: set[Path] = set()
+
+# Regex that matches the deprecated identifier in any context.
+DEPRECATED_PATTERN = re.compile(r"\bgpt-5\.5\b")
+
+
+def _iter_files(root: Path) -> list[Path]:
+    if root.is_file():
+        return [root]
+    if not root.exists():
+        return []
+    return [
+        p
+        for p in root.rglob("*")
+        if p.is_file()
+        and p.suffix in {".py", ".md", ".rst", ".svg", ".yaml", ".yml", ".toml"}
+        and "__pycache__" not in p.parts
+        and ".venv" not in p.parts
+        and "site" not in p.parts
+    ]
+
+
+def test_no_deprecated_gpt_5_5_anywhere():
+    """Fail fast if `gpt-5.5` reappears in any documented surface."""
+    offenders: list[tuple[Path, int, str]] = []
+
+    for root in SCAN_ROOTS:
+        for path in _iter_files(root):
+            if path in ALLOWLIST:
+                continue
+            try:
+                lines = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8").splitlines()
+            except (UnicodeDecodeError, OSError):
+                continue
+            for lineno, line in enumerate(lines, start=1):
+                if DEPRECATED_PATTERN.search(line):
+                    offenders.append((path.relative_to(REPO_ROOT), lineno, line.strip()))
+
+    assert not offenders, (
+        "Deprecated model id `gpt-5.5` found in:\n"
+        + "\n".join(f"  {p}:{lineno}  {line}" for p, lineno, line in offenders[:20])
+        + (f"\n  ... and {len(offenders) - 20} more" if len(offenders) > 20 else "")
+        + "\n\nUse `openai.gpt-5` (or a specific successor like `openai.gpt-5.1`) instead."
+    )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_oci_bucket_retry.py b/tests/unit/test_oci_bucket_retry.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9044f8e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_oci_bucket_retry.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+"""Unit tests for OCIBucketBackend retry strategy wiring.
+
+These verify that the retry strategy passed at construction time
+(or the default `oci.retry.DEFAULT_RETRY_STRATEGY`) is actually
+threaded through to every OCI Object Storage call.
+
+We do not need a real bucket — the OCI client is mocked so we can
+inspect the kwargs passed to each method.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+
+oci = pytest.importorskip("oci")  # skip the whole module if oci SDK isn't installed
+
+from locus.memory.backends.oci_bucket import OCIBucketBackend
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def backend_with_explicit_retry() -> tuple[OCIBucketBackend, MagicMock, object]:
+    """Build a backend whose `_client` is mocked so we can spy on kwargs.
+
+    Returns the backend, the mock client, and the retry strategy instance
+    we passed in (so the test can assert identity).
+    """
+    sentinel_retry = oci.retry.NoneRetryStrategy()
+    backend = OCIBucketBackend(
+        bucket_name="test-bucket",
+        namespace="test-ns",
+        retry_strategy=sentinel_retry,
+    )
+    mock_client = MagicMock()
+    backend._client = mock_client  # bypass real client construction
+    return backend, mock_client, sentinel_retry
+
+
+def test_default_retry_strategy_is_oci_default():
+    """Without an explicit retry, the backend uses oci.retry.DEFAULT_RETRY_STRATEGY."""
+    backend = OCIBucketBackend(bucket_name="b", namespace="n")
+    resolved = backend._get_retry_strategy()
+    assert resolved is oci.retry.DEFAULT_RETRY_STRATEGY
+
+
+def test_explicit_retry_strategy_preserved(backend_with_explicit_retry):
+    backend, _, sentinel = backend_with_explicit_retry
+    assert backend._get_retry_strategy() is sentinel
+
+
+def test_put_object_passes_retry_strategy(backend_with_explicit_retry):
+    """Saving a checkpoint must thread retry_strategy through to put_object."""
+    import asyncio
+
+    backend, mock_client, sentinel = backend_with_explicit_retry
+
+    asyncio.run(backend._put_bytes("some/key.json", b"{}", "application/json"))
+
+    mock_client.put_object.assert_called_once()
+    kwargs = mock_client.put_object.call_args.kwargs
+    assert kwargs["retry_strategy"] is sentinel
+
+
+def test_get_object_passes_retry_strategy(backend_with_explicit_retry):
+    import asyncio
+
+    backend, mock_client, sentinel = backend_with_explicit_retry
+    mock_client.get_object.return_value.data.content = b"{}"
+
+    asyncio.run(backend._get_bytes("some/key.json"))
+
+    mock_client.get_object.assert_called_once()
+    kwargs = mock_client.get_object.call_args.kwargs
+    assert kwargs["retry_strategy"] is sentinel
+
+
+def test_delete_object_passes_retry_strategy(backend_with_explicit_retry):
+    import asyncio
+
+    backend, mock_client, sentinel = backend_with_explicit_retry
+
+    asyncio.run(backend._delete_object("some/key.json"))
+
+    mock_client.delete_object.assert_called_once()
+    kwargs = mock_client.delete_object.call_args.kwargs
+    assert kwargs["retry_strategy"] is sentinel
+
+
+def test_list_objects_passes_retry_strategy(backend_with_explicit_retry):
+    import asyncio
+
+    backend, mock_client, sentinel = backend_with_explicit_retry
+    mock_client.list_objects.return_value.data.objects = []
+    mock_client.list_objects.return_value.data.prefixes = []
+
+    asyncio.run(backend._list_objects("some/prefix/"))
+
+    mock_client.list_objects.assert_called_once()
+    kwargs = mock_client.list_objects.call_args.kwargs
+    assert kwargs["retry_strategy"] is sentinel