diff --git a/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
index 0544a90db3..dd733d926c 100644
--- a/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
+++ b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
@@ -249,11 +249,7 @@ import {
   getTokenLimit,
   resolveComboContextLimit,
 } from "../services/contextManager.ts";
-import {
-  getBackgroundTaskReason,
-  getDegradedModel,
-  getBackgroundDegradationConfig,
-} from "../services/backgroundTaskDetector.ts";
+import { resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect } from "./chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts";
 import type { CompressionConfig, CompressionPipelineStep } from "../services/compression/types.ts";
 import { prepareWebSearchFallbackBody } from "../services/webSearchFallback.ts";
 import {
@@ -904,35 +900,35 @@ export async function handleChatCore({
   // Detect source format and get target format
   // Model-specific targetFormat takes priority over provider default
 
-  // ── Background Task Redirection (T41) ──
-  const bgConfig = getBackgroundDegradationConfig();
-  const backgroundReason = bgConfig.enabled
-    ? getBackgroundTaskReason(body, clientRawRequest?.headers)
-    : null;
-  if (backgroundReason) {
-    const degradedModel = getDegradedModel(model);
-    if (degradedModel !== model) {
-      const originalModel = model;
-      log?.info?.(
-        "BACKGROUND",
-        `Background task redirect (${backgroundReason}): ${originalModel} → ${degradedModel}`
-      );
-      model = degradedModel;
-      if (body && typeof body === "object") {
-        body.model = model;
-      }
-
-      logAuditEvent({
-        action: "routing.background_task_redirect",
-        actor: apiKeyInfo?.name || "system",
-        target: connectionId || provider || "chat",
-        details: {
-          original_model: originalModel,
-          redirected_to: degradedModel,
-          reason: backgroundReason,
-        },
-      });
+  // ── Background Task Redirection (T41) — decision extracted to chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts (#3501)
+  // backgroundReason is the detection signal (threaded into memory/skills injection below); redirect
+  // is the actual model downgrade to apply, if any.
+  const { backgroundReason, redirect: bgRedirect } = resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({
+    body,
+    headers: clientRawRequest?.headers,
+    model,
+  });
+  if (bgRedirect) {
+    const originalModel = model;
+    log?.info?.(
+      "BACKGROUND",
+      `Background task redirect (${bgRedirect.reason}): ${originalModel} → ${bgRedirect.degradedModel}`
+    );
+    model = bgRedirect.degradedModel;
+    if (body && typeof body === "object") {
+      body.model = model;
     }
+
+    logAuditEvent({
+      action: "routing.background_task_redirect",
+      actor: apiKeyInfo?.name || "system",
+      target: connectionId || provider || "chat",
+      details: {
+        original_model: originalModel,
+        redirected_to: bgRedirect.degradedModel,
+        reason: bgRedirect.reason,
+      },
+    });
   }
 
   // Apply custom model aliases (Settings → Model Aliases → Pattern→Target) before routing (#315, #472)
diff --git a/open-sse/handlers/chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3aa6c645a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * chatCore Background Task Redirection decision (T41) (Quality Gate v2 / Fase 9 — chatCore god-file
+ * decomposition, #3501).
+ *
+ * Decides whether a request should be downgraded to a cheaper "degraded" model: only when the
+ * feature is enabled, the request looks like a background/utility task, AND the model has a
+ * degradation mapping. Returns the target model + the detection reason, or null for no redirect.
+ * The handler keeps the side effects byte-identically (the BACKGROUND log, the model + body.model
+ * mutation, and the audit event). Reads the live backgroundTaskDetector config, mirroring the
+ * previous inline block.
+ */
+
+import {
+  getBackgroundDegradationConfig,
+  getBackgroundTaskReason,
+  getDegradedModel,
+} from "../../services/backgroundTaskDetector.ts";
+
+export function resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect(opts: {
+  body: unknown;
+  headers: Record<string, string> | null | undefined;
+  model: string;
+}): {
+  /** The background-task detection reason (truthy iff the request looks like a background task),
+   * threaded downstream into memory/skills injection — independent of whether a redirect happens. */
+  backgroundReason: string | null;
+  /** The actual model redirect to apply, or null when there is none (disabled, not a background
+   * task, or the model has no — or a self — degradation mapping). */
+  redirect: { degradedModel: string; reason: string } | null;
+} {
+  const bgConfig = getBackgroundDegradationConfig();
+  const backgroundReason = bgConfig.enabled
+    ? getBackgroundTaskReason(opts.body, opts.headers ?? null)
+    : null;
+  if (!backgroundReason) return { backgroundReason: null, redirect: null };
+
+  const degradedModel = getDegradedModel(opts.model);
+  if (degradedModel === opts.model) return { backgroundReason, redirect: null };
+
+  return { backgroundReason, redirect: { degradedModel, reason: backgroundReason } };
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/chatcore-background-redirect.test.ts b/tests/unit/chatcore-background-redirect.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4873c0172a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/chatcore-background-redirect.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// tests/unit/chatcore-background-redirect.test.ts
+// Characterization of resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect — the Background Task Redirection (T41)
+// decision extracted from handleChatCore (chatCore god-file decomposition, #3501). Decides whether
+// a request should be downgraded to a cheaper model: only when the feature is enabled, the request
+// looks like a background task, AND the model has a degradation mapping. The handler keeps the
+// effects (log, model/body mutation, audit). Uses the real backgroundTaskDetector config via its
+// setter so the decision is exercised end-to-end.
+import { test, afterEach } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect } from "../../open-sse/handlers/chatCore/backgroundRedirect.ts";
+import { setBackgroundDegradationConfig } from "../../open-sse/services/backgroundTaskDetector.ts";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: false, degradationMap: {} });
+});
+
+test("disabled config → no detection, no redirect (even for a clear background task)", () => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: false, degradationMap: { "gpt-5": "gpt-5-mini" } });
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({ body: { max_tokens: 10 }, headers: null, model: "gpt-5" }),
+    { backgroundReason: null, redirect: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test("enabled + low-max-tokens background + mapped model → detection + redirect", () => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: true, degradationMap: { "gpt-5": "gpt-5-mini" } });
+  const r = resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({
+    body: { max_tokens: 10 },
+    headers: null,
+    model: "gpt-5",
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(r, {
+    backgroundReason: "low_max_tokens",
+    redirect: { degradedModel: "gpt-5-mini", reason: "low_max_tokens" },
+  });
+});
+
+test("enabled + x-task-type:background header → reason header_background", () => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: true, degradationMap: { "gpt-5": "gpt-5-mini" } });
+  const r = resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({
+    body: { messages: [{ role: "user", content: "hi" }] },
+    headers: { "x-task-type": "background" },
+    model: "gpt-5",
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(r, {
+    backgroundReason: "header_background",
+    redirect: { degradedModel: "gpt-5-mini", reason: "header_background" },
+  });
+});
+
+test("enabled but the request is not a background task → no detection, no redirect", () => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: true, degradationMap: { "gpt-5": "gpt-5-mini" } });
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({
+      body: { max_tokens: 4096, messages: [{ role: "user", content: "write an essay" }] },
+      headers: null,
+      model: "gpt-5",
+    }),
+    { backgroundReason: null, redirect: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test("enabled + background but the model has no degradation mapping → detection but no redirect", () => {
+  setBackgroundDegradationConfig({ enabled: true, degradationMap: { "gpt-5": "gpt-5-mini" } });
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    resolveBackgroundTaskRedirect({ body: { max_tokens: 10 }, headers: null, model: "claude-opus-4" }),
+    { backgroundReason: "low_max_tokens", redirect: null }
+  );
+});