diff --git a/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve.go b/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve.go
index e76baded..65e27d74 100644
--- a/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve.go
+++ b/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve.go
@@ -78,13 +78,28 @@ func (t *ReadAudioTool) callProvider(ctx context.Context, cp credentialProvider,
 	data, _ := params["data"].([]byte)
 	mime := GetParamString(params, "mime", "audio/mpeg")
 
-	// Provider-specific paths require API credentials; skip when cp is nil
-	// (e.g. OAuth-based providers that don't expose static keys).
+	// Provider-specific paths require API credentials. Fail-fast (no silent
+	// fallback to chat/completions) for any path we know won't work without
+	// keys: gemini File API, openai input_audio, and any transcription-named
+	// model under any ptype (e.g. openai_compat → DashScope qwen-audio).
 	ptype := GetParamString(params, "_provider_type", providerTypeFromName(providerName))
-	if cp == nil && (ptype == "gemini" || ptype == "openai") {
-		slog.Info("read_audio: no API credentials, falling back to Chat API", "provider", providerName)
+	if cp == nil && (ptype == "gemini" || ptype == "openai" || isTranscriptionModel(model)) {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read_audio: provider %q requires API credentials for model %q", providerName, model)
 	}
 	if cp != nil {
+		// Transcription models always go to /v1/audio/transcriptions regardless
+		// of ptype — orthogonal to chat-vs-input_audio routing. Covers both
+		// native openai (whisper-1, gpt-4o-transcribe) and openai_compat
+		// providers exposing a /v1/audio/transcriptions endpoint.
+		if isTranscriptionModel(model) {
+			slog.Info("read_audio: using openai transcription API", "provider", providerName, "model", model, "size", len(data), "mime", mime)
+			resp, err := openaiTranscriptionCall(ctx, cp.APIKey(), cp.APIBase(), model, data, mime)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("openai transcription call: %w", err)
+			}
+			return []byte(resp.Content), resp.Usage, nil
+		}
+
 		// Gemini: use File API (inlineData doesn't work for audio).
 		if ptype == "gemini" {
 			slog.Info("read_audio: using gemini file API", "provider", providerName, "model", model, "size", len(data), "mime", mime)
@@ -95,17 +110,8 @@ func (t *ReadAudioTool) callProvider(ctx context.Context, cp credentialProvider,
 			return []byte(resp.Content), resp.Usage, nil
 		}
 
-		// OpenAI: transcription models need /v1/audio/transcriptions (multipart);
-		// chat-audio models use /chat/completions with input_audio content part.
+		// Native OpenAI chat-audio (gpt-4o-audio-preview etc.): input_audio content part.
 		if ptype == "openai" {
-			if isTranscriptionModel(model) {
-				slog.Info("read_audio: using openai transcription API", "provider", providerName, "model", model, "size", len(data), "mime", mime)
-				resp, err := openaiTranscriptionCall(ctx, cp.APIKey(), cp.APIBase(), model, data, mime)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("openai transcription call: %w", err)
-				}
-				return []byte(resp.Content), resp.Usage, nil
-			}
 			slog.Info("read_audio: using openai input_audio API", "provider", providerName, "model", model, "size", len(data), "mime", mime)
 			resp, err := openaiAudioCall(ctx, cp.APIKey(), cp.APIBase(), model, prompt, data, mime)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve_test.go b/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0323a9d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/tools/read_audio_resolve_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package tools
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestReadAudioCallProvider_TranscriptionModelWithoutCreds_FailsFast asserts
+// that when no API credentials are present, a transcription-named model
+// returns a clear error rather than silently falling back to chat/completions
+// (which would then explode in a confusing way for transcription-only setups).
+func TestReadAudioCallProvider_TranscriptionModelWithoutCreds_FailsFast(t *testing.T) {
+	tool := &ReadAudioTool{}
+
+	params := map[string]any{
+		"_provider_type": "openai",
+		"data":           []byte{0x00, 0x01},
+		"mime":           "audio/mpeg",
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := tool.callProvider(context.Background(), nil, "openai", "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe", params)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fail-fast error for transcription model with nil credentials, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(err.Error()), "credential") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention credentials, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReadAudioCallProvider_TranscriptionModelWithoutCreds_OpenAICompat_FailsFast
+// covers the openai_compat ptype variant — the bug the original PR found:
+// previously a transcription model under openai_compat fell through to the
+// generic chat-API fallback because only ptype=="openai" entered the
+// transcription branch.
+func TestReadAudioCallProvider_TranscriptionModelWithoutCreds_OpenAICompat_FailsFast(t *testing.T) {
+	tool := &ReadAudioTool{}
+
+	params := map[string]any{
+		"_provider_type": "openai_compat",
+		"data":           []byte{0x00, 0x01},
+		"mime":           "audio/mpeg",
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := tool.callProvider(context.Background(), nil, "dashscope", "whisper-1", params)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fail-fast error for transcription model with nil credentials (openai_compat), got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(err.Error()), "credential") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention credentials, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReadAudioCallProvider_GeminiWithoutCreds_FailsFast preserves the existing
+// gemini fail-fast behavior (was previously a soft log + fallback that would
+// then NPE on the registry path in tests; the broader guard makes it explicit).
+func TestReadAudioCallProvider_GeminiWithoutCreds_FailsFast(t *testing.T) {
+	tool := &ReadAudioTool{}
+
+	params := map[string]any{
+		"_provider_type": "gemini",
+		"data":           []byte{0x00, 0x01},
+		"mime":           "audio/mpeg",
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := tool.callProvider(context.Background(), nil, "gemini", "gemini-2.5-flash", params)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fail-fast error for gemini with nil credentials, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(err.Error()), "credential") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention credentials, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}