diff --git a/bt-daemon/src/translate/codex.rs b/bt-daemon/src/translate/codex.rs
index de53562..dd3a571 100644
--- a/bt-daemon/src/translate/codex.rs
+++ b/bt-daemon/src/translate/codex.rs
@@ -473,6 +473,7 @@ impl CodexTranslator {
             "session_meta" => self.open_root(scope, &payload, ts, ops),
             "turn_context" => {
                 if let Some(m) = str_field(&payload, "model") {
+                    let model_turn_id = str_field(&payload, "turn_id");
                     scope.model = Some(m.clone());
                     if scope.root_created {
                         let input = if scope.kind == ScopeKind::Main {
@@ -492,6 +493,16 @@ impl CodexTranslator {
                             ..Default::default()
                         }));
                     }
+                    if let Some(turn) = model_turn_id.as_deref().and_then(|turn_id| {
+                        scope.open_turns.iter().find(|turn| turn.turn_id == turn_id)
+                    }) {
+                        ops.push(SpanOp::Merge(SpanRow {
+                            span_id: turn.span_id.clone(),
+                            root_span_id: self.root_span_id.clone(),
+                            metadata: Some(json!({ "model": m })),
+                            ..Default::default()
+                        }));
+                    }
                 }
             }
             "event_msg" => {
diff --git a/bt-daemon/tests/codex_translator.rs b/bt-daemon/tests/codex_translator.rs
index 955d574..1bc16ed 100644
--- a/bt-daemon/tests/codex_translator.rs
+++ b/bt-daemon/tests/codex_translator.rs
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ fn write_transcript(path: &std::path::Path) {
     let records = vec![
         json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:01Z", "type": "session_meta",
                 "payload": { "id": "session-1", "cwd": "/whatever/myapp", "cli_version": "1.2.3" } }),
-        json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:02Z", "type": "turn_context",
-                "payload": { "model": "gpt-5.5" } }),
-        json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:03Z", "type": "event_msg",
+        json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:02Z", "type": "event_msg",
                 "payload": { "type": "task_started", "turn_id": "t1" } }),
+        json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:03Z", "type": "turn_context",
+                "payload": { "turn_id": "t1", "model": "gpt-5.5" } }),
         json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:04Z", "type": "event_msg",
                 "payload": { "type": "user_message", "message": "list the files" } }),
         json!({ "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:05Z", "type": "response_item",
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@ fn codex_happy_path_builds_session_turn_llm_tool_tree() {
     assert_eq!(turn.parent_span_ids, vec![root.span_id.clone()]);
     assert_eq!(turn.input, Some(json!("list the files")));
     assert_eq!(turn.output, Some(json!("Here are the files.")));
+    assert_eq!(
+        turn.metadata.as_ref().unwrap()["model"],
+        json!("gpt-5.5"),
+        "model backfilled from turn_context"
+    );
     assert!(
         turn.end_ms.is_some(),
         "turn should be closed by task_complete"