diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.test.ts
index d48407dba..1b2ca185f 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.test.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.test.ts
@@ -452,4 +452,36 @@ describe("resolveCategoryExecution", () => {
 		cacheSpy.mockRestore()
 		agentsSpy.mockRestore()
 	})
+
+	test("does not inherit hardcoded fallbackChain when user configures a category model [regression #3040]", async () => {
+		//#given
+		const args = {
+			category: "quick",
+			prompt: "test prompt",
+			description: "Test task",
+			run_in_background: false,
+			load_skills: [],
+			blockedBy: undefined,
+			enableSkillTools: false,
+		}
+		const executorCtx = createMockExecutorContext()
+		executorCtx.userCategories = {
+			quick: {
+				model: "animal-gateway-xai/grok-4-fast-non-reasoning",
+			},
+		}
+
+		//#when
+		const result = await resolveCategoryExecution(args, executorCtx, undefined, "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6")
+
+		//#then
+		expect(result.error).toBeUndefined()
+		expect(result.actualModel).toBe("animal-gateway-xai/grok-4-fast-non-reasoning")
+		expect(result.categoryModel).toEqual({
+			providerID: "animal-gateway-xai",
+			modelID: "grok-4-fast-non-reasoning",
+			variant: undefined,
+		})
+		expect(result.fallbackChain).toBeUndefined()
+	})
 })
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.ts
index 5651f509d..ffcfd1881 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/category-resolver.ts
@@ -150,12 +150,12 @@ Available categories: ${allCategoryNames}`,
       const userModelOverride = explicitCategoryModel ?? overrideModel
       if (userModelOverride) {
         actualModel = userModelOverride
-        const parsedModel = parseModelString(actualModel)
+        const parsedModel = parseModelString(userModelOverride)
         const variantToUse = userCategories?.[args.category!]?.variant ?? resolved.config.variant
         categoryModel = parsedModel
           ? applyCategoryParams({ ...parsedModel, variant: variantToUse ?? parsedModel.variant }, resolved.config)
           : undefined
-        modelInfo = { model: actualModel, type: "user-defined", source: "override" }
+        modelInfo = { model: userModelOverride, type: "user-defined", source: "override" }
       }
     } else if (resolution) {
       const {
@@ -275,6 +275,6 @@ Available categories: ${categoryNames.join(", ")}`,
     actualModel,
     isUnstableAgent,
     // Don't use hardcoded fallback chain when resolution was skipped (cold cache)
-    fallbackChain: configuredFallbackChain ?? (isModelResolutionSkipped ? undefined : requirement?.fallbackChain),
+    fallbackChain: configuredFallbackChain ?? ((isModelResolutionSkipped || explicitCategoryModel) ? undefined : requirement?.fallbackChain),
   }
 }