diff --git a/crates/switchyard-runner/src/route.rs b/crates/switchyard-runner/src/route.rs
index 2b594646f..e3640c5f4 100644
--- a/crates/switchyard-runner/src/route.rs
+++ b/crates/switchyard-runner/src/route.rs
@@ -14,27 +14,17 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 
 use crate::DecisionTarget;
 
-/// Capabilities that one route advertises on `GET /v1/models`.
+/// Capabilities declared for one route.
 ///
-/// An unset capability is undeclared: it serializes as `null` in the OpenAI
-/// `data` entry, and the Codex entry falls back to a safe default for it.
+/// `GET /v1/models` includes `context_window`, `tool_calling`, and `vision` in each
+/// standard `data` entry, using `null` for unset values. `reasoning` remains route metadata.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Default)]
 pub struct ModelCapabilities {
     pub context_window: Option<u32>,
     pub tool_calling: Option<bool>,
-    /// Whether the routed model takes reasoning controls. A serving surface cannot
-    /// probe this, so a route opts in via config; undeclared routes advertise as
-    /// non-reasoning to Codex (fail closed).
+    /// Whether the routed model accepts reasoning controls, as declared in config.
     pub reasoning: Option<bool>,
-    /// Whether the routed model accepts image input. Declared per route for the same
-    /// reason as `reasoning`, and failing closed matters more here: a route may
-    /// resolve to a target with no vision at all.
-    ///
-    /// This is not cosmetic metadata. Codex reads `input_modalities` from the model
-    /// card and, when it reads text-only, replaces an attached image with the literal
-    /// text `image content omitted because you do not support image input` *before
-    /// sending*. An undeclared vision-capable route therefore loses the image in the
-    /// client, and the proxy never receives one to forward.
+    /// Whether the routed model accepts image input, as declared in config.
     pub vision: Option<bool>,
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/switchyard-server/README.md b/crates/switchyard-server/README.md
index 885852a6c..c700c32ce 100644
--- a/crates/switchyard-server/README.md
+++ b/crates/switchyard-server/README.md
@@ -142,6 +142,18 @@ are required. All configured semantic names use exact ASCII case-insensitive mat
 handoff notes, per-tier system prompts, and a capability-judge fallback are documented in
 [Stage-Router Routing](../../docs/routing_algorithms/stage_router_routing.md).
 
+## Codex model discovery
+
+`GET /v1/models` returns the standard `data` list and an empty Codex `models` list.
+Codex keeps its own model catalog and instructions. Select a Switchyard route explicitly
+with `codex --model route-id`; route aliases do not appear automatically in Codex's model
+picker. Unknown aliases use Codex's generic defaults and do not receive Switchyard's
+route-specific context limits or tool settings.
+
+To add instructions for a target, set `system_prompt` on its `[targets.<name>]` entry.
+Switchyard prepends that text when the selected target serves a completion and retains
+the caller's instructions. Omit the setting to add no target instructions.
+
 ## Endpoints
 
 | Method | Path | Purpose |
diff --git a/crates/switchyard-server/src/lib.rs b/crates/switchyard-server/src/lib.rs
index d239d66ad..6ecb9fdda 100644
--- a/crates/switchyard-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/switchyard-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -1488,11 +1488,8 @@ fn model_list_payload<'a>(
     json!({
         "object": "list",
         "data": entries.iter().map(|(model, caps)| model_entry_json(model, *caps)).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
-        "models": entries
-            .iter()
-            .enumerate()
-            .map(|(priority, (model, caps))| codex_model_entry_json(model, *caps, priority))
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+        // Codex requires this key; an empty list preserves its own catalog and instructions.
+        "models": [],
         "first_id": first_id,
         "last_id": last_id,
         "has_more": false,
@@ -1523,83 +1520,6 @@ fn model_entry_json(model: &str, capabilities: ModelCapabilities) -> Value {
     })
 }
 
-// Builds the metadata Codex requires when it discovers models from a direct provider.
-//
-// This mirrors Codex's `ModelInfo` card. The benchmark harness builds the same card in
-// `benchmark/codex_model_catalog_lib.py`; keep the two in sync when Codex changes
-// the shape. Every field below is either derived from the route's declared capabilities or a
-// required `ModelInfo` field the server has no better value for.
-//
-// Two kinds of fields live here. context_window, tool_calling, and reasoning are model
-// facts a backend can publish; the route declares them in config today. The rest
-// (shell_type, apply_patch_tool_type, base_instructions, the reasoning-level presets,
-// truncation_policy) are Codex client conventions no backend returns, so they stay
-// constant.
-//
-// TODO: source context_window, tool_calling, and reasoning from the backend, not route
-// config. Switchyard is a proxy, so it should re-publish what the backend advertises
-// when it can — OpenRouter's /api/v1/models exposes context_length and
-// supported_parameters — and fall back to the route's declared value. Some backends
-// publish nothing (the NVIDIA gateway returns id-only models and blocks /model/info),
-// so keep failing closed to config.
-fn codex_model_entry_json(model: &str, capabilities: ModelCapabilities, priority: usize) -> Value {
-    // Codex is non-functional without shell and apply_patch, so an undeclared tool
-    // capability defaults to enabled here; the OpenAI `data` entry reports the raw
-    // Option separately for clients that want the undeclared state.
-    let tool_calling = capabilities.tool_calling.unwrap_or(true);
-    let reasoning = capabilities.reasoning.unwrap_or(false);
-    json!({
-        "slug": model,
-        "display_name": model,
-        "description": "Switchyard-routed model.",
-        "default_reasoning_level": if reasoning { json!("xhigh") } else { Value::Null },
-        "supported_reasoning_levels": if reasoning { reasoning_levels() } else { json!([]) },
-        "shell_type": if tool_calling { "shell_command" } else { "disabled" },
-        "visibility": "list",
-        "supported_in_api": true,
-        // Catalog list position (routes are listed in sorted id order), not a quality rank.
-        "priority": priority,
-        "additional_speed_tiers": [],
-        "availability_nux": null,
-        "upgrade": null,
-        // Required `ModelInfo` string. Unlike the launcher, the server cannot read
-        // Codex's bundled prompt, so it sends a minimal stub.
-        "base_instructions": "You are Codex, a coding agent.",
-        "supports_reasoning_summaries": reasoning,
-        "default_reasoning_summary": "none",
-        "support_verbosity": reasoning,
-        "default_verbosity": if reasoning { json!("low") } else { Value::Null },
-        "apply_patch_tool_type": if tool_calling { Some("freeform") } else { None },
-        "web_search_tool_type": "text",
-        "truncation_policy": {"mode": "tokens", "limit": 10_000},
-        "supports_parallel_tool_calls": tool_calling,
-        "supports_image_detail_original": false,
-        "context_window": capabilities.context_window,
-        "max_context_window": capabilities.context_window,
-        "effective_context_window_percent": 95,
-        "experimental_supported_tools": [],
-        // Codex omits an attached image client-side when this says text-only, so a
-        // route whose target can see must declare `vision = true`. Fails closed.
-        "input_modalities": if capabilities.vision.unwrap_or(false) {
-            json!(["text", "image"])
-        } else {
-            json!(["text"])
-        },
-        "supports_search_tool": false,
-    })
-}
-
-// The reasoning-effort presets Codex offers for a reasoning-capable route. Kept in
-// step with the benchmark template in `codex_model_catalog_lib.py`.
-fn reasoning_levels() -> Value {
-    json!([
-        {"effort": "low", "description": "Fast responses with lighter reasoning"},
-        {"effort": "medium", "description": "Balances speed and reasoning depth"},
-        {"effort": "high", "description": "Greater reasoning depth"},
-        {"effort": "xhigh", "description": "Extra high reasoning depth"},
-    ])
-}
-
 fn startup_banner(options: &ServerRunOptions, state: &ServerState, color: bool) -> String {
     let scheme = if options.is_tls() { "https" } else { "http" };
     let listen_url = url_for_addr(scheme, options.addr);
diff --git a/crates/switchyard-server/tests/server.rs b/crates/switchyard-server/tests/server.rs
index 7097a7529..0734445d5 100644
--- a/crates/switchyard-server/tests/server.rs
+++ b/crates/switchyard-server/tests/server.rs
@@ -2628,6 +2628,7 @@ type = "passthrough"
 target = "shared"
 context_window = 1000000
 tool_calling = true
+vision = true
 
 [routes.restricted]
 id = "restricted"
@@ -2635,12 +2636,7 @@ type = "passthrough"
 target = "shared"
 context_window = 262000
 tool_calling = false
-
-[routes.reasoning]
-id = "reasoning"
-type = "passthrough"
-target = "shared"
-reasoning = true
+vision = false
 
 [routes.undeclared]
 id = "undeclared"
@@ -2648,7 +2644,7 @@ type = "passthrough"
 target = "shared"
 "#;
     let app = build_switchyard_router(load_test_config(CONFIG)?);
-    let models = send(&app, "GET", "/v1/models", None).await?;
+    let models = send(&app, "GET", "/v1/models?client_version=0.152.0", None).await?;
     assert_eq!(models.status, StatusCode::OK);
     let body = models.json()?;
     let data = body["data"].as_array().cloned().unwrap_or_default();
@@ -2664,88 +2660,11 @@ target = "shared"
     assert_eq!(capabilities["undeclared"]["context_window"], json!(null));
     assert_eq!(capabilities["undeclared"]["tool_calling"], json!(null));
 
-    let codex_models = body["models"].as_array().cloned().unwrap_or_default();
-    let codex_metadata = codex_models
-        .iter()
-        .filter_map(|entry| entry["slug"].as_str().map(|slug| (slug, entry)))
-        .collect::<BTreeMap<_, _>>();
-    // This checks the shape the server emits. That Codex 0.144.5 actually decodes it
-    // (context_window: null included) is verified by a live Codex run in SWITCH-1225.
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata.len(), 4);
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["declared"]["context_window"],
-        json!(1_000_000)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["declared"]["shell_type"], "shell_command");
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["declared"]["apply_patch_tool_type"],
-        "freeform"
-    );
-    // Constant fields Codex requires: a typo here would fail its decode, so pin them.
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["declared"]["visibility"], "list");
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["declared"]["supported_in_api"], json!(true));
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["declared"]["web_search_tool_type"], "text");
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["declared"]["input_modalities"],
-        json!(["text"])
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["declared"]["truncation_policy"],
-        json!({"mode": "tokens", "limit": 10_000})
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["restricted"]["context_window"],
-        json!(262_000)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["restricted"]["shell_type"], "disabled");
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["restricted"]["apply_patch_tool_type"],
-        json!(null)
-    );
-    // A reasoning route advertises the effort presets and reasoning controls.
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["reasoning"]["default_reasoning_level"],
-        "xhigh"
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["reasoning"]["supported_reasoning_levels"]
-            .as_array()
-            .map(Vec::len),
-        Some(4)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["reasoning"]["supports_reasoning_summaries"],
-        json!(true)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["reasoning"]["support_verbosity"],
-        json!(true)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["reasoning"]["default_verbosity"], "low");
-    // An undeclared route: null context window, non-reasoning, but tools default on so Codex
-    // remains usable when connected directly to the server.
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["undeclared"]["context_window"], json!(null));
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["undeclared"]["supported_reasoning_levels"],
-        json!([])
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["undeclared"]["default_reasoning_level"],
-        json!(null)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["undeclared"]["supports_reasoning_summaries"],
-        json!(false)
-    );
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["undeclared"]["shell_type"], "shell_command");
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["undeclared"]["apply_patch_tool_type"],
-        "freeform"
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["undeclared"]["supports_parallel_tool_calls"],
-        json!(true)
-    );
+    assert_eq!(capabilities["declared"]["vision"], json!(true));
+    assert_eq!(capabilities["restricted"]["vision"], json!(false));
+    assert_eq!(capabilities["undeclared"]["vision"], json!(null));
+    assert_eq!(body["models"], json!([]));
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -4366,75 +4285,3 @@ async fn upstream_headers_forward_on_streaming_responses() -> TestResult {
     );
     Ok(())
 }
-
-// Verifies a route declaring `vision = true` advertises image input, and that an
-// undeclared route still fails closed to text-only.
-//
-// This is not cosmetic metadata. Codex reads `input_modalities` from the model card
-// and, when it reads text-only, replaces an attached image with the literal text
-// "image content omitted because you do not support image input" before sending — so
-// a route whose target can see but which does not say so loses the image in the
-// client, and Switchyard never receives one to forward.
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn models_endpoint_advertises_image_input_only_for_vision_routes() -> TestResult {
-    const CONFIG: &str = r#"
-schema_version = 1
-
-[llm_clients.shared]
-format = "openai_responses"
-base_url = "http://127.0.0.1:1/v1"
-
-[targets.shared]
-id = "shared-model"
-llm_client = "shared"
-
-[routes.sees]
-id = "sees"
-type = "passthrough"
-target = "shared"
-vision = true
-
-[routes.blind]
-id = "blind"
-type = "passthrough"
-target = "shared"
-"#;
-    let app = build_switchyard_router(load_test_config(CONFIG)?);
-    let models = send(&app, "GET", "/v1/models", None).await?;
-    assert_eq!(models.status, StatusCode::OK);
-    let body = models.json()?;
-
-    let codex_metadata = body["models"]
-        .as_array()
-        .cloned()
-        .unwrap_or_default()
-        .iter()
-        .filter_map(|entry| {
-            entry["slug"]
-                .as_str()
-                .map(|slug| (slug.to_string(), entry.clone()))
-        })
-        .collect::<BTreeMap<_, _>>();
-    assert_eq!(
-        codex_metadata["sees"]["input_modalities"],
-        json!(["text", "image"])
-    );
-    assert_eq!(codex_metadata["blind"]["input_modalities"], json!(["text"]));
-
-    // The OpenAI `data` entry reports the raw Option, so an undeclared route stays
-    // distinguishable from one that declared `false`.
-    let capabilities = body["data"]
-        .as_array()
-        .cloned()
-        .unwrap_or_default()
-        .iter()
-        .filter_map(|entry| {
-            entry["id"]
-                .as_str()
-                .map(|id| (id.to_string(), entry["capabilities"].clone()))
-        })
-        .collect::<BTreeMap<_, _>>();
-    assert_eq!(capabilities["sees"]["vision"], json!(true));
-    assert_eq!(capabilities["blind"]["vision"], json!(null));
-    Ok(())
-}
diff --git a/docs/core_concepts.md b/docs/core_concepts.md
index 87a3eeb4e..9688a501d 100644
--- a/docs/core_concepts.md
+++ b/docs/core_concepts.md
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ inside the TOML file. Their `id` fields have different external meanings:
 
 The server lists route IDs on `GET /v1/models`. A request selects a route by
 putting that ID in its `model` field. The native Rust server does not discover
-or register additional provider models automatically. The same response also
-carries a Codex-compatible `models` array so Codex can use the server as a direct
-provider; each entry reflects the route's declared context window, tool support,
-and reasoning.
+or register additional provider models automatically. The response includes an empty
+Codex `models` array so Codex keeps its own catalog and instructions. Select route
+aliases explicitly; they do not appear automatically in Codex's model picker.
 
 ## Routing Algorithms
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/toml_schema.md b/docs/reference/toml_schema.md
index b482ecb6e..c820d21d1 100644
--- a/docs/reference/toml_schema.md
+++ b/docs/reference/toml_schema.md
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ Every route takes the common keys below, plus the keys for its type.
 | `type` | Yes | — | Routing algorithm for this route. |
 | `context_window` | No | unset | Positive token count advertised for this route by `GET /v1/models`. Unset values appear as `null`. This does not enforce a request limit. |
 | `tool_calling` | No | unset | Whether `GET /v1/models` advertises tool-calling support for this route. Unset values appear as `null`. |
-| `reasoning` | No | unset | Whether `GET /v1/models` advertises reasoning support to Codex direct-provider discovery. Unset routes are advertised as non-reasoning. |
-| `vision` | No | unset | Whether `GET /v1/models` advertises **image input** to Codex direct-provider discovery. Unset routes are advertised as text-only. This is not cosmetic: Codex reads `input_modalities` from the model card and, when it reads text-only, replaces an attached image with the text `image content omitted because you do not support image input` **before sending**, so a route whose target can see but which does not declare `vision = true` loses the image in the client. Declare it only when every target the route can select accepts images. |
+| `reasoning` | No | unset | Declared reasoning support, stored in route metadata. The server does not include it in `GET /v1/models`. |
+| `vision` | No | unset | Image-input support advertised in `GET /v1/models` under `data[].capabilities.vision`. Unset values appear as `null`. Declare `true` only when every target the route can select accepts images. |
 
 ### `noop`