diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/metadata-model-unification.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/metadata-model-unification.test.ts
index 799b9537e..9cdfba190 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/metadata-model-unification.test.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/metadata-model-unification.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { DelegateTaskArgs, ToolContextWithMetadata } from "./types"
 import type { ParentContext } from "./executor-types"
 
 const MODEL = { providerID: "anthropic", modelID: "claude-sonnet-4-6" }
+const MODEL_WITH_VARIANT = { providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro", variant: "high" }
 
 function makeMockCtx(): ToolContextWithMetadata & { captured: any[] } {
   const captured: any[] = []
@@ -344,4 +345,148 @@ describe("metadata model unification", () => {
       expect(meta.metadata.model).toBeUndefined()
     })
   })
+
+  describe("#given category model with variant", () => {
+    describe("#when executors publish metadata", () => {
+      test("#then sync-task metadata includes variant", async () => {
+        const { executeSyncTask } = require("./sync-task")
+        const ctx = makeMockCtx()
+        const deps = {
+          createSyncSession: async () => ({ ok: true, sessionID: "ses_sync_variant" }),
+          sendSyncPrompt: async () => null,
+          pollSyncSession: async () => null,
+          fetchSyncResult: async () => ({ ok: true as const, textContent: "done" }),
+        }
+        const args: DelegateTaskArgs = {
+          description: "test", prompt: "do it",
+          category: "visual-engineering", load_skills: [], run_in_background: false,
+        }
+
+        await executeSyncTask(args, ctx, {
+          client: { session: { create: async () => ({ data: { id: "ses_sync_variant" } }) } },
+          directory: "/tmp",
+          onSyncSessionCreated: null,
+        }, parentContext, "explore", MODEL_WITH_VARIANT, undefined, undefined, undefined, deps)
+
+        const meta = ctx.captured.find((metadataEvent: any) => metadataEvent.metadata?.sessionId)
+        expect(meta).toBeDefined()
+        expect(meta.metadata.model).toEqual(MODEL_WITH_VARIANT)
+      })
+
+      test("#then background-task metadata includes variant", async () => {
+        const { executeBackgroundTask } = require("./background-task")
+        const ctx = makeMockCtx()
+        const args: DelegateTaskArgs = {
+          description: "test", prompt: "do it",
+          category: "visual-engineering", load_skills: [], run_in_background: true, subagent_type: "explore",
+        }
+
+        await executeBackgroundTask(args, ctx, {
+          manager: {
+            launch: async () => ({
+              id: "bg_variant", description: "test", agent: "explore",
+              status: "pending", sessionID: "ses_bg_variant", model: MODEL_WITH_VARIANT,
+            }),
+            getTask: () => undefined,
+          },
+        } as any, parentContext, "explore", MODEL_WITH_VARIANT, undefined)
+
+        const meta = ctx.captured.find((metadataEvent: any) => metadataEvent.metadata?.sessionId)
+        expect(meta).toBeDefined()
+        expect(meta.metadata.model).toEqual(MODEL_WITH_VARIANT)
+      })
+
+      test("#then unstable-agent-task metadata includes variant", async () => {
+        const { executeUnstableAgentTask } = require("./unstable-agent-task")
+        const ctx = makeMockCtx()
+        const args: DelegateTaskArgs = {
+          description: "test", prompt: "do it",
+          category: "visual-engineering", load_skills: [], run_in_background: false,
+        }
+
+        const launchedTask = {
+          id: "bg_unstable_variant", description: "test", agent: "explore",
+          status: "completed", sessionID: "ses_unstable_variant", model: MODEL_WITH_VARIANT,
+        }
+
+        await executeUnstableAgentTask(
+          args, ctx,
+          {
+            manager: {
+              launch: async () => launchedTask,
+              getTask: () => launchedTask,
+            },
+            client: {
+              session: {
+                status: async () => ({ data: { ses_unstable_variant: { type: "idle" } } }),
+                messages: async () => ({
+                  data: [{
+                    info: { role: "assistant", time: { created: 1 } },
+                    parts: [{ type: "text", text: "done" }],
+                  }],
+                }),
+              },
+            },
+            syncPollTimeoutMs: 100,
+          } as any,
+          parentContext, "explore", MODEL_WITH_VARIANT, undefined, "google/gemini-3.1-pro high",
+        )
+
+        const meta = ctx.captured.find((metadataEvent: any) => metadataEvent.metadata?.sessionId)
+        expect(meta).toBeDefined()
+        expect(meta.metadata.model).toEqual(MODEL_WITH_VARIANT)
+      })
+
+      test("#then background-continuation metadata includes variant from task", async () => {
+        const { executeBackgroundContinuation } = require("./background-continuation")
+        const ctx = makeMockCtx()
+        const args: DelegateTaskArgs = {
+          description: "continue", prompt: "keep going",
+          load_skills: [], run_in_background: true, task_id: "ses_resumed_variant",
+        }
+
+        await executeBackgroundContinuation(args, ctx, {
+          manager: {
+            resume: async () => ({
+              id: "bg_resume_variant", description: "continue", agent: "explore",
+              status: "running", sessionID: "ses_resumed_variant", model: MODEL_WITH_VARIANT,
+            }),
+          },
+        } as any, parentContext)
+
+        const meta = ctx.captured.find((metadataEvent: any) => metadataEvent.metadata?.sessionId)
+        expect(meta).toBeDefined()
+        expect(meta.metadata.model).toEqual(MODEL_WITH_VARIANT)
+      })
+
+      test("#then sync-continuation metadata includes variant from resumed session", async () => {
+        const { executeSyncContinuation } = require("./sync-continuation")
+        const ctx = makeMockCtx()
+        const args: DelegateTaskArgs = {
+          description: "continue", prompt: "keep going",
+          load_skills: [], run_in_background: false, task_id: "ses_cont_variant",
+        }
+
+        const deps = {
+          pollSyncSession: async () => null,
+          fetchSyncResult: async () => ({ ok: true as const, textContent: "done" }),
+        }
+
+        await executeSyncContinuation(args, ctx, {
+          client: {
+            session: {
+              messages: async () => ({
+                data: [{ info: { agent: "explore", model: MODEL_WITH_VARIANT, providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro" } }],
+              }),
+              prompt: async () => ({}),
+            },
+          },
+        } as any, parentContext, deps)
+
+        const meta = ctx.captured.find((metadataEvent: any) => metadataEvent.metadata?.sessionId)
+        expect(meta).toBeDefined()
+        expect(meta.metadata.model).toEqual(MODEL_WITH_VARIANT)
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/tools/delegate-task/resolve-metadata-model.test.ts b/src/tools/delegate-task/resolve-metadata-model.test.ts
index 50b29f253..3c13a7710 100644
--- a/src/tools/delegate-task/resolve-metadata-model.test.ts
+++ b/src/tools/delegate-task/resolve-metadata-model.test.ts
@@ -39,12 +39,55 @@ describe("resolveMetadataModel", () => {
   })
 
   describe("#given primary has extra fields", () => {
-    test("#when resolving #then strips to providerID and modelID only", () => {
+    test("#when resolving #then preserves variant and strips unrelated fields", () => {
       const extended = { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5.4", variant: "high", temperature: 0.7 } as const
 
       const result = resolveMetadataModel(extended, undefined)
 
+      expect(result).toEqual({ providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5.4", variant: "high" })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("#given primary has variant", () => {
+    test("#when resolving metadata model #then variant is preserved", () => {
+      const primary = { providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro", variant: "high" }
+
+      const result = resolveMetadataModel(primary, undefined)
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro", variant: "high" })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("#given primary lacks variant but fallback has variant", () => {
+    test("#when primary provided #then fallback variant is not used", () => {
+      const primary = { providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro" }
+      const fallback = { providerID: "anthropic", modelID: "claude", variant: "max" }
+
+      const result = resolveMetadataModel(primary, fallback)
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ providerID: "google", modelID: "gemini-3.1-pro" })
+      expect(result?.variant).toBeUndefined()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("#given primary is undefined and fallback has variant", () => {
+    test("#when resolving metadata model #then fallback variant is preserved", () => {
+      const fallback = { providerID: "anthropic", modelID: "claude", variant: "max" }
+
+      const result = resolveMetadataModel(undefined, fallback)
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ providerID: "anthropic", modelID: "claude", variant: "max" })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("#given both lack variant", () => {
+    test("#when resolving metadata model #then variant is not on result", () => {
+      const primary = { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5.4" }
+
+      const result = resolveMetadataModel(primary, undefined)
+
       expect(result).toEqual({ providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5.4" })
+      expect(result?.variant).toBeUndefined()
     })
   })
 })