diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run.ts
index 6815a92e91..e8d5f8aa0d 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import type { ThinkLevel } from "../../auto-reply/thinking.js";
+import type { PluginHookBeforeAgentStartResult } from "../../plugins/types.js";
 import type { RunEmbeddedPiAgentParams } from "./run/params.js";
 import type { EmbeddedPiAgentMeta, EmbeddedPiRunResult } from "./types.js";
+import { getGlobalHookRunner } from "../../plugins/hook-runner-global.js";
 import { enqueueCommandInLane } from "../../process/command-queue.js";
 import { isMarkdownCapableMessageChannel } from "../../utils/message-channel.js";
 import { resolveOpenClawAgentDir } from "../agent-paths.js";
@@ -198,13 +200,43 @@ export async function runEmbeddedPiAgent(
       }
       const prevCwd = process.cwd();
 
-      const provider = (params.provider ?? DEFAULT_PROVIDER).trim() || DEFAULT_PROVIDER;
-      const modelId = (params.model ?? DEFAULT_MODEL).trim() || DEFAULT_MODEL;
+      let provider = (params.provider ?? DEFAULT_PROVIDER).trim() || DEFAULT_PROVIDER;
+      let modelId = (params.model ?? DEFAULT_MODEL).trim() || DEFAULT_MODEL;
       const agentDir = params.agentDir ?? resolveOpenClawAgentDir();
       const fallbackConfigured =
         (params.config?.agents?.defaults?.model?.fallbacks?.length ?? 0) > 0;
       await ensureOpenClawModelsJson(params.config, agentDir);
 
+      // Run before_agent_start hooks early so plugins can override the model
+      // before it gets resolved. The hook result is passed downstream to
+      // attempt.ts to avoid double-firing.
+      let earlyHookResult: PluginHookBeforeAgentStartResult | undefined;
+      const hookRunner = getGlobalHookRunner();
+      if (hookRunner?.hasHooks("before_agent_start")) {
+        try {
+          earlyHookResult = await hookRunner.runBeforeAgentStart(
+            { prompt: params.prompt },
+            {
+              agentId: params.agentId,
+              sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+              sessionId: params.sessionId,
+              workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
+              messageProvider: params.messageProvider ?? undefined,
+            },
+          );
+          if (earlyHookResult?.providerOverride) {
+            provider = earlyHookResult.providerOverride;
+            log.info(`[hooks] provider overridden to ${provider}`);
+          }
+          if (earlyHookResult?.modelOverride) {
+            modelId = earlyHookResult.modelOverride;
+            log.info(`[hooks] model overridden to ${modelId}`);
+          }
+        } catch (hookErr) {
+          log.warn(`before_agent_start hook (early) failed: ${String(hookErr)}`);
+        }
+      }
+
       const { model, error, authStorage, modelRegistry } = resolveModel(
         provider,
         modelId,
@@ -479,6 +511,7 @@ export async function runEmbeddedPiAgent(
             streamParams: params.streamParams,
             ownerNumbers: params.ownerNumbers,
             enforceFinalTag: params.enforceFinalTag,
+            earlyHookResult,
           });
 
           const {
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/attempt.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/attempt.ts
index 084b84a39a..6489aad876 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/attempt.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/attempt.ts
@@ -850,31 +850,37 @@ export async function runEmbeddedAttempt(
       try {
         const promptStartedAt = Date.now();
 
-        // Run before_agent_start hooks to allow plugins to inject context
+        // Run before_agent_start hooks to allow plugins to inject context.
+        // If run.ts already fired the hook (for model override), reuse its result.
         let effectivePrompt = params.prompt;
-        if (hookRunner?.hasHooks("before_agent_start")) {
-          try {
-            const hookResult = await hookRunner.runBeforeAgentStart(
-              {
-                prompt: params.prompt,
-                messages: activeSession.messages,
-              },
-              {
-                agentId: hookAgentId,
-                sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
-                sessionId: params.sessionId,
-                workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
-                messageProvider: params.messageProvider ?? undefined,
-              },
+        const hookResult =
+          params.earlyHookResult ??
+          (hookRunner?.hasHooks("before_agent_start")
+            ? await hookRunner
+                .runBeforeAgentStart(
+                  {
+                    prompt: params.prompt,
+                    messages: activeSession.messages,
+                  },
+                  {
+                    agentId: hookAgentId,
+                    sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+                    sessionId: params.sessionId,
+                    workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
+                    messageProvider: params.messageProvider ?? undefined,
+                  },
+                )
+                .catch((hookErr: unknown) => {
+                  log.warn(`before_agent_start hook failed: ${String(hookErr)}`);
+                  return undefined;
+                })
+            : undefined);
+        {
+          if (hookResult?.prependContext) {
+            effectivePrompt = `${hookResult.prependContext}\n\n${params.prompt}`;
+            log.debug(
+              `hooks: prepended context to prompt (${hookResult.prependContext.length} chars)`,
             );
-            if (hookResult?.prependContext) {
-              effectivePrompt = `${hookResult.prependContext}\n\n${params.prompt}`;
-              log.debug(
-                `hooks: prepended context to prompt (${hookResult.prependContext.length} chars)`,
-              );
-            }
-          } catch (hookErr) {
-            log.warn(`before_agent_start hook failed: ${String(hookErr)}`);
           }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/types.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/types.ts
index 8436f0e2e5..db29b79455 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/types.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/types.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { AgentMessage } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
 import type { Api, AssistantMessage, Model } from "@mariozechner/pi-ai";
 import type { ThinkLevel } from "../../../auto-reply/thinking.js";
 import type { SessionSystemPromptReport } from "../../../config/sessions/types.js";
+import type { PluginHookBeforeAgentStartResult } from "../../../plugins/types.js";
 import type { MessagingToolSend } from "../../pi-embedded-messaging.js";
 import type { AuthStorage, ModelRegistry } from "../../pi-model-discovery.js";
 import type { NormalizedUsage } from "../../usage.js";
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ export type EmbeddedRunAttemptParams = EmbeddedRunAttemptBase & {
   authStorage: AuthStorage;
   modelRegistry: ModelRegistry;
   thinkLevel: ThinkLevel;
+  /** Pre-computed hook result from run.ts to avoid double-firing before_agent_start. */
+  earlyHookResult?: PluginHookBeforeAgentStartResult;
 };
 
 export type EmbeddedRunAttemptResult = {
diff --git a/src/plugins/hooks.ts b/src/plugins/hooks.ts
index d05774089c..12f69eb848 100644
--- a/src/plugins/hooks.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/hooks.ts
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ export function createHookRunner(registry: PluginRegistry, options: HookRunnerOp
           acc?.prependContext && next.prependContext
             ? `${acc.prependContext}\n\n${next.prependContext}`
             : (next.prependContext ?? acc?.prependContext),
+        modelOverride: next.modelOverride ?? acc?.modelOverride,
+        providerOverride: next.providerOverride ?? acc?.providerOverride,
       }),
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/plugins/types.ts b/src/plugins/types.ts
index ad9d283ccd..25ee3ced18 100644
--- a/src/plugins/types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/types.ts
@@ -332,6 +332,10 @@ export type PluginHookBeforeAgentStartEvent = {
 export type PluginHookBeforeAgentStartResult = {
   systemPrompt?: string;
   prependContext?: string;
+  /** Override the model for this agent run. E.g. "llama3.3:8b" */
+  modelOverride?: string;
+  /** Override the provider for this agent run. E.g. "ollama" */
+  providerOverride?: string;
 };
 
 // llm_input hook