diff --git a/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py b/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
index f30a8acf89..19d02d36fe 100644
--- a/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
+++ b/studio/backend/core/inference/llama_cpp.py
@@ -2996,6 +2996,16 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
 
         return str(mmproj)
 
+    def _mmproj_vram_bytes(self, launch_mmproj_path: Optional[str]) -> int:
+        """Return resolved mmproj VRAM bytes, or 0 when absent/unreadable."""
+        if not launch_mmproj_path:
+            return 0
+        try:
+            return self._get_gguf_size_bytes(launch_mmproj_path)
+        except OSError as e:
+            logger.debug(f"Could not size mmproj {launch_mmproj_path}: {e}")
+            return 0
+
     def _resolve_launch_mtp_path(self, *, mtp_draft_path: Optional[str]) -> Optional[str]:
         """Return mtp_draft_path iff it exists on disk, else None.
 
@@ -3561,8 +3571,29 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
                 effective_ctx = requested_ctx if requested_ctx > 0 else (self._context_length or 0)
                 max_available_ctx = self._context_length or effective_ctx
                 gpus: list[tuple[int, int]] = []
+                # Keep fit-budget and launch-flag mmproj resolution in sync.
+                launch_mmproj_path = None
+                if not extra_args_disable_mmproj(extra_args):
+                    launch_mmproj_path = self._resolve_launch_mmproj_path(
+                        model_path = model_path,
+                        mmproj_path = mmproj_path,
+                    )
+                # Need both a resolved mmproj AND the config vision flag; a stray
+                # mmproj passing the family-name heuristic must not flip a non-VLM
+                # GGUF into vision mode.
+                effective_is_vision = bool(launch_mmproj_path) and bool(is_vision)
+                if is_vision and not effective_is_vision:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Vision-capable GGUF loaded without a usable mmproj; "
+                        "image input will be disabled for this session"
+                    )
                 try:
-                    model_size = self._get_gguf_size_bytes(model_path)
+                    gguf_size = self._get_gguf_size_bytes(model_path)
+                    # Include GPU-loaded mmproj in the fit budget (#5825).
+                    mmproj_size = (
+                        self._mmproj_vram_bytes(launch_mmproj_path) if effective_is_vision else 0
+                    )
+                    model_size = gguf_size + mmproj_size
                     gpus = self._get_gpu_free_memory()
 
                     # Resolve effective context: 0 means let llama-server use
@@ -3802,8 +3833,12 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
                     kv_cache_bytes = self._estimate_kv_cache_bytes(
                         effective_ctx, cache_type_kv, n_parallel = n_parallel
                     )
+                    mmproj_note = (
+                        f"mmproj: {mmproj_size / (1024**3):.1f} GB, " if mmproj_size else ""
+                    )
                     logger.info(
-                        f"GGUF size: {model_size / (1024**3):.1f} GB, "
+                        f"GGUF size: {gguf_size / (1024**3):.1f} GB, "
+                        f"{mmproj_note}"
                         f"est. KV cache: {kv_cache_bytes / (1024**3):.1f} GB, "
                         f"context: {effective_ctx}, "
                         f"GPUs free: {gpus}, selected: {gpu_indices}, fit: {use_fit}"
@@ -3814,22 +3849,6 @@ class LlamaCppBackend:
                     tp_tensor_split = None
                     effective_ctx = requested_ctx  # fall back to original
 
-                launch_mmproj_path = None
-                if not extra_args_disable_mmproj(extra_args):
-                    launch_mmproj_path = self._resolve_launch_mmproj_path(
-                        model_path = model_path,
-                        mmproj_path = mmproj_path,
-                    )
-                # Need both a resolved mmproj AND the config vision flag; a stray
-                # mmproj passing the family-name heuristic must not flip a non-VLM
-                # GGUF into vision mode.
-                effective_is_vision = bool(launch_mmproj_path) and bool(is_vision)
-                if is_vision and not effective_is_vision:
-                    logger.warning(
-                        "Vision-capable GGUF loaded without a usable mmproj; "
-                        "image input will be disabled for this session"
-                    )
-
                 # Audio input straight from the mmproj (clip.has_audio_encoder),
                 # independent of token names.
                 self._mmproj_has_audio = False
diff --git a/studio/backend/tests/test_mmproj_vram_accounting.py b/studio/backend/tests/test_mmproj_vram_accounting.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bee289f183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/studio/backend/tests/test_mmproj_vram_accounting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+# Copyright 2026-present the Unsloth AI Inc. team. All rights reserved. See /studio/LICENSE.AGPL-3.0
+
+"""Tests for mmproj VRAM accounting in GGUF fit budgeting (#5825)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from core.inference.llama_cpp import LlamaCppBackend
+
+
+def _write(path: Path, n_bytes: int) -> Path:
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents = True, exist_ok = True)
+    path.write_bytes(b"\x00" * n_bytes)
+    return path
+
+
+def _backend() -> LlamaCppBackend:
+    return LlamaCppBackend.__new__(LlamaCppBackend)
+
+
+def test_counts_resolved_projector_size(tmp_path: Path):
+    mmproj = _write(tmp_path / "Qwen3.5-9B-BF16-mmproj.gguf", 1024)
+
+    got = _backend()._mmproj_vram_bytes(str(mmproj))
+
+    assert got == 1024
+
+
+def test_zero_when_no_projector_resolved(tmp_path: Path):
+    assert _backend()._mmproj_vram_bytes(None) == 0
+
+
+def test_zero_when_projector_missing_on_disk(tmp_path: Path):
+    missing = tmp_path / "Qwen3.5-9B-BF16-mmproj.gguf"  # never created
+
+    got = _backend()._mmproj_vram_bytes(str(missing))
+
+    assert got == 0