diff --git a/packages/core/src/catalog.ts b/packages/core/src/catalog.ts
index 1945024b54..a98902f01d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/catalog.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/catalog.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,12 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
 
     const projectModel = (model: ModelV2.Info, provider: ProviderV2.Info) => {
       const api =
-        model.api.type === "native" && !model.api.url && Object.keys(model.api.settings).length === 0
+        // A native api with a package is explicitly targeted; only package-less,
+        // settings-less native apis are placeholders that inherit the provider api.
+        model.api.type === "native" &&
+        model.api.package === undefined &&
+        !model.api.url &&
+        Object.keys(model.api.settings).length === 0
           ? { ...provider.api, id: model.api.id }
           : model.api.type === "aisdk" && provider.api.type === "aisdk" && !model.api.url
             ? { ...model.api, url: provider.api.url, settings: { ...provider.api.settings, ...model.api.settings } }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/catalog.test.ts b/packages/core/test/catalog.test.ts
index 6c736cde1e..8444bec813 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/catalog.test.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,40 @@ describe("CatalogV2", () => {
     }),
   )
 
+  it.effect("keeps an explicit native package api over the provider api", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const catalog = yield* Catalog.Service
+      const providerID = ProviderV2.ID.make("test")
+      const modelID = ModelV2.ID.make("model")
+      yield* catalog.transform((catalog) => {
+        catalog.provider.update(providerID, (provider) => {
+          provider.api = {
+            type: "aisdk",
+            package: "@ai-sdk/openai",
+          }
+        })
+        catalog.model.update(providerID, modelID, (model) => {
+          // Plugins retarget models at explicit native packages (e.g. ChatGPT
+          // subscription models at the codex package); empty settings must not
+          // demote the api back to the provider placeholder rule.
+          model.api = {
+            type: "native",
+            id: model.api.id,
+            package: "@opencode-ai/llm/providers/openai/codex",
+            settings: {},
+          }
+        })
+      })
+
+      expect(required(yield* catalog.model.get(providerID, modelID)).api).toEqual({
+        id: modelID,
+        type: "native",
+        package: "@opencode-ai/llm/providers/openai/codex",
+        settings: {},
+      })
+    }),
+  )
+
   it.effect("resolves provider and model request merges", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const catalog = yield* Catalog.Service