diff --git a/open-sse/services/combo.js b/open-sse/services/combo.js
index 9216ab2f..fdfc189a 100644
--- a/open-sse/services/combo.js
+++ b/open-sse/services/combo.js
@@ -106,15 +106,32 @@ export function detectRequiredCapabilities(body) {
   const required = new Set();
   if (!body || typeof body !== "object") return required;
 
+  const addByMime = (mime) => {
+    if (typeof mime !== "string") return;
+    if (mime.startsWith("image/")) required.add("vision");
+    else if (mime === "application/pdf") required.add("pdf");
+    else if (mime.startsWith("audio/")) required.add("audioInput");
+    else if (mime.startsWith("video/")) required.add("videoInput");
+  };
+
   const scanBlock = (b) => {
     if (!b || typeof b !== "object") return;
     const t = b.type;
     if (t === "image_url" || t === "image" || t === "input_image") required.add("vision");
-    if (t === "file" || t === "document" || t === "input_file") required.add("pdf");
+    if (t === "input_audio" || t === "audio_url" || t === "audio") required.add("audioInput");
+    if (t === "input_video" || t === "video_url" || t === "video") required.add("videoInput");
+    if (t === "file" || t === "document" || t === "input_file") {
+      // Infer modality from embedded mime when available; fall back to pdf for generic files.
+      let fmime = null;
+      if (b.input_audio?.format) fmime = `audio/${b.input_audio.format}`;
+      else if (b.file?.file_data) fmime = String(b.file.file_data).match(/^data:([^;,]+)/)?.[1];
+      else if (b.source?.media_type) fmime = b.source.media_type;
+      else if (b.source?.data) fmime = String(b.source.data).match(/^data:([^;,]+)/)?.[1];
+      if (fmime) addByMime(fmime);
+      else required.add("pdf");
+    }
     // gemini parts: inlineData/fileData carry a mime
-    const mime = b.inlineData?.mimeType || b.fileData?.mimeType;
-    if (typeof mime === "string" && mime.startsWith("image/")) required.add("vision");
-    if (mime === "application/pdf") required.add("pdf");
+    addByMime(b.inlineData?.mimeType || b.fileData?.mimeType);
   };
 
   const scanContent = (content) => {
diff --git a/src/sse/handlers/chat.js b/src/sse/handlers/chat.js
index b44727ab..88353c50 100644
--- a/src/sse/handlers/chat.js
+++ b/src/sse/handlers/chat.js
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import { DEFAULT_HEADROOM_URL } from "@/lib/headroom/detect";
 import { getTransform as getPxpipeTransform } from "@/lib/pxpipe/loader.js";
 import { appendPxpipeEvent } from "@/lib/pxpipe/events.js";
 import { errorResponse, unavailableResponse } from "open-sse/utils/error.js";
-import { handleComboChat, handleFusionChat } from "open-sse/services/combo.js";
+import { handleComboChat, handleFusionChat, detectRequiredCapabilities } from "open-sse/services/combo.js";
+import { augmentModelsWithCapacityAdapter, withCapacityAdapterStripping, getActiveAdapterStrategy } from "open-sse/services/capacityAdapter.js";
 import { handleBypassRequest } from "open-sse/utils/bypassHandler.js";
 import { HTTP_STATUS } from "open-sse/config/runtimeConfig.js";
 import { detectFormatByEndpoint } from "open-sse/translator/formats.js";
@@ -83,6 +84,8 @@ export async function handleChat(request, clientRawRequest = null) {
   const bypassResponse = handleBypassRequest(body, modelStr, userAgent, !!settings.ccFilterNaming);
   if (bypassResponse) return bypassResponse.response || bypassResponse;
 
+  const requiredCapabilities = detectRequiredCapabilities(body);
+
   // Check if model is a combo (has multiple models with fallback)
   const comboModels = await getComboModels(modelStr);
   if (comboModels) {
@@ -90,6 +93,8 @@ export async function handleChat(request, clientRawRequest = null) {
     const comboStrategies = settings.comboStrategies || {};
     const comboSpecificStrategy = comboStrategies[modelStr]?.fallbackStrategy;
     const comboStrategy = comboSpecificStrategy || settings.comboStrategy || "fallback";
+    const augmentedModels = augmentModelsWithCapacityAdapter(comboModels, requiredCapabilities, settings);
+    const adapterAdded = augmentedModels.filter((m) => !comboModels.includes(m));
 
     if (comboStrategy === "fusion") {
       log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${comboModels.length} models (strategy: fusion)`);
@@ -112,11 +117,14 @@ export async function handleChat(request, clientRawRequest = null) {
     }
 
     const comboStickyLimit = settings.comboStickyRoundRobinLimit;
-    log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${comboModels.length} models (strategy: ${comboStrategy}, sticky: ${comboStickyLimit})`);
+    log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${augmentedModels.length} models (strategy: ${comboStrategy}, sticky: ${comboStickyLimit})`);
     return handleComboChat({
       body,
-      models: comboModels,
-      handleSingleModel: (b, m) => handleSingleModelChat(b, m, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey),
+      models: augmentedModels,
+      handleSingleModel: withCapacityAdapterStripping(
+        (b, m) => handleSingleModelChat(b, m, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey),
+        adapterAdded
+      ),
       log,
       comboName: modelStr,
       comboStrategy,
@@ -124,7 +132,25 @@ export async function handleChat(request, clientRawRequest = null) {
     });
   }
 
-  // Single model request
+  // Single model request — may still switch to a capacity-adapter model if the
+  // target lacks a capability the request needs (e.g. no vision, request has an image).
+  const soloAugmented = augmentModelsWithCapacityAdapter([modelStr], requiredCapabilities, settings);
+  if (soloAugmented.length > 1) {
+    const adapterAdded = soloAugmented.filter((m) => m !== modelStr);
+    log.info("CHAT", `Capacity adapter for [${[...requiredCapabilities].join(",")}] on "${modelStr}" → trying ${soloAugmented.join(", ")}`);
+    return handleComboChat({
+      body,
+      models: soloAugmented,
+      handleSingleModel: withCapacityAdapterStripping(
+        (b, m) => handleSingleModelChat(b, m, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey),
+        adapterAdded
+      ),
+      log,
+      comboName: modelStr,
+      comboStrategy: getActiveAdapterStrategy(requiredCapabilities, settings)
+    });
+  }
+
   return handleSingleModelChat(body, modelStr, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey);
 }
 
@@ -143,6 +169,9 @@ async function handleSingleModelChat(body, modelStr, clientRawRequest = null, re
       const comboStrategies = chatSettings.comboStrategies || {};
       const comboSpecificStrategy = comboStrategies[modelStr]?.fallbackStrategy;
       const comboStrategy = comboSpecificStrategy || chatSettings.comboStrategy || "fallback";
+      const requiredCapabilities = detectRequiredCapabilities(body);
+      const augmentedModels = augmentModelsWithCapacityAdapter(comboModels, requiredCapabilities, chatSettings);
+      const adapterAdded = augmentedModels.filter((m) => !comboModels.includes(m));
 
       if (comboStrategy === "fusion") {
         log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${comboModels.length} models (strategy: fusion)`);
@@ -165,11 +194,14 @@ async function handleSingleModelChat(body, modelStr, clientRawRequest = null, re
       }
 
       const comboStickyLimit = chatSettings.comboStickyRoundRobinLimit;
-      log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${comboModels.length} models (strategy: ${comboStrategy}, sticky: ${comboStickyLimit})`);
+      log.info("CHAT", `Combo "${modelStr}" with ${augmentedModels.length} models (strategy: ${comboStrategy}, sticky: ${comboStickyLimit})`);
       return handleComboChat({
         body,
-        models: comboModels,
-        handleSingleModel: (b, m) => handleSingleModelChat(b, m, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey),
+        models: augmentedModels,
+        handleSingleModel: withCapacityAdapterStripping(
+          (b, m) => handleSingleModelChat(b, m, clientRawRequest, request, apiKey),
+          adapterAdded
+        ),
         log,
         comboName: modelStr,
         comboStrategy,