diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index d2473c1163..252ee8d853 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1347,6 +1347,12 @@ APP_LOG_TO_FILE=true
 # Disable the OAuth token healthcheck loop during tests (default: true).
 # OMNIROUTE_DISABLE_TOKEN_HEALTHCHECK=true
 
+# Exclude specific providers from the PROACTIVE token-refresh sweep (comma-separated,
+# case-insensitive). Targeted alternative to OMNIROUTE_DISABLE_TOKEN_HEALTHCHECK: keeps
+# rotating-cascade providers (Codex/OpenAI share one Auth0 family) on the reactive 401
+# path only, while short-TTL providers like Kimi-coding keep being refreshed proactively.
+# OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS=codex,openai
+
 # Silence healthcheck noise in Playwright stdout (default: true).
 # OMNIROUTE_HIDE_HEALTHCHECK_LOGS=true
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/ENVIRONMENT.md b/docs/reference/ENVIRONMENT.md
index 92c02aa805..67e2b6156a 100644
--- a/docs/reference/ENVIRONMENT.md
+++ b/docs/reference/ENVIRONMENT.md
@@ -911,6 +911,7 @@ value below unset in production deployments.
 | `OMNIROUTE_E2E_PASSWORD`              | falls back to `INITIAL_PASSWORD` | `scripts/dev/run-next-playwright.mjs`     | Admin password injected into the Playwright environment.                                 |
 | `OMNIROUTE_DISABLE_LOCAL_HEALTHCHECK` | `true`                           | `scripts/dev/run-next-playwright.mjs`     | Disable the local healthcheck poll during Playwright runs.                               |
 | `OMNIROUTE_DISABLE_TOKEN_HEALTHCHECK` | `true`                           | `scripts/dev/run-next-playwright.mjs`     | Disable the OAuth token healthcheck loop during tests.                                   |
+| `OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS` | _(unset)_                       | `src/lib/tokenHealthCheck.ts`             | Comma-separated providers excluded from the proactive token-refresh sweep (e.g. `codex,openai`). Targeted alternative to fully disabling the healthcheck — short-TTL providers keep refreshing while cascade providers stay reactive-only. |
 | `OMNIROUTE_HIDE_HEALTHCHECK_LOGS`     | `true`                           | `scripts/dev/run-next-playwright.mjs`     | Silence healthcheck noise in Playwright stdout.                                          |
 | `OMNIROUTE_PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BUILD`     | `0`                              | `scripts/dev/run-next-playwright.mjs`     | Skip the Next.js production build before Playwright starts (CI optimization).            |
 | `OMNIROUTE_SKIP_UNINSTALL_HOOK`       | `0`                              | `scripts/build/uninstall.mjs`             | Skip the OmniRoute uninstall hook (used by CI to keep `node_modules` intact).            |
diff --git a/src/lib/tokenHealthCheck.ts b/src/lib/tokenHealthCheck.ts
index d06aefcdae..1166238f04 100644
--- a/src/lib/tokenHealthCheck.ts
+++ b/src/lib/tokenHealthCheck.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,25 @@ function isHealthCheckDisabled(): boolean {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Providers excluded from the PROACTIVE refresh sweep, comma-separated and
+ * case-insensitive (e.g. "codex,openai"). A targeted alternative to the blunt
+ * OMNIROUTE_DISABLE_TOKEN_HEALTHCHECK switch: it lets an operator keep the
+ * rotating-token cascade providers (Codex/OpenAI share one Auth0 family) off the
+ * proactive sweep — leaving their refresh to the reactive, serialized 401 path —
+ * WITHOUT also starving short-TTL providers like Kimi-coding, whose tokens expire
+ * while idle when the whole sweep is disabled.
+ */
+function getHealthCheckSkipProviders(): Set<string> {
+  const raw = process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS || "";
+  return new Set(
+    raw
+      .split(",")
+      .map((s) => s.trim().toLowerCase())
+      .filter(Boolean)
+  );
+}
+
 // ── Logging helper ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 let cachedHideLogs: boolean | null = null;
 let cacheTimestamp = 0;
@@ -265,6 +284,13 @@ export async function checkConnection(conn) {
   const latestConnection = (await getProviderConnectionById(conn.id)) || conn;
   conn = latestConnection;
 
+  // Per-provider opt-out of proactive refresh (e.g. Codex/OpenAI cascade
+  // providers) — their token stays on the reactive, serialized 401 path while
+  // other providers keep being refreshed proactively.
+  if (getHealthCheckSkipProviders().has(String(conn.provider || "").toLowerCase())) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   // Determine interval (0 = disabled)
   const intervalMin = conn.healthCheckInterval ?? DEFAULT_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL_MIN;
   if (intervalMin <= 0) return;
diff --git a/tests/unit/token-health-check.test.ts b/tests/unit/token-health-check.test.ts
index 8f7cb92fcd..cb0b912d42 100644
--- a/tests/unit/token-health-check.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/token-health-check.test.ts
@@ -398,3 +398,74 @@ test("checkConnection skips interval refresh when token expiry is known and stil
     }
   );
 });
+
+test("checkConnection skips providers listed in OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS (#kimi-15)", async () => {
+  await resetStorage();
+
+  const providerId = "custom-oauth-skip-list";
+  const refreshRequests: string[] = [];
+  const prevSkip = process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS;
+
+  await withHttpServer(
+    (req, res) => {
+      let body = "";
+      req.setEncoding("utf8");
+      req.on("data", (chunk) => {
+        body += chunk;
+      });
+      req.on("end", () => {
+        refreshRequests.push(body);
+        res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
+        res.end(
+          JSON.stringify({
+            access_token: "should-not-be-fetched",
+            refresh_token: "should-not-be-fetched",
+            expires_in: 3600,
+          })
+        );
+      });
+    },
+    async (tokenServer) => {
+      await withPatchedProvider(
+        providerId,
+        {
+          tokenUrl: `${tokenServer.url}/token`,
+          clientId: "skip-client-id",
+          clientSecret: "skip-client-secret",
+        },
+        async () => {
+          const connection = await providersDb.createProviderConnection({
+            provider: providerId,
+            authType: "oauth",
+            name: "Skip-list Account",
+            email: "skip@example.com",
+            accessToken: "stale-access-token",
+            refreshToken: "refresh-token-skip",
+            isActive: true,
+          });
+
+          // The connection is due for refresh (no known expiry, never checked).
+          // With the provider listed, the proactive sweep must skip it entirely —
+          // NO refresh request is made.
+          process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS = `foo, ${providerId} ,bar`;
+          await tokenHealthCheck.checkConnection(connection);
+          assert.equal(
+            refreshRequests.length,
+            0,
+            "listed provider must NOT trigger a proactive refresh"
+          );
+
+          // Control: with the provider no longer listed, the same due connection
+          // IS refreshed — proving the skip (not token freshness) gated it.
+          process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS = "some-other-provider";
+          const stillStale = await providersDb.getProviderConnectionById((connection as any).id);
+          await tokenHealthCheck.checkConnection(stillStale);
+          assert.equal(refreshRequests.length, 1, "non-listed provider must refresh");
+        }
+      );
+    }
+  );
+
+  if (prevSkip === undefined) delete process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS;
+  else process.env.OMNIROUTE_HEALTHCHECK_SKIP_PROVIDERS = prevSkip;
+});