diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/models/[...model]/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/models/[...model]/route.ts
index cb3d22e8b0..43da6fd487 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/models/[...model]/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/models/[...model]/route.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,18 @@ export async function OPTIONS() {
   return handleCorsOptions();
 }
 
+/**
+ * HEAD /v1/models/{model} — availability probe (RFC 9110 §9.3.2).
+ * Prevents Next.js auto-derived HEAD from streaming the full GET body,
+ * which caused ~6s hangs for SDK/gateway health probes (#6400).
+ */
+export async function HEAD() {
+  return new Response(null, {
+    status: 200,
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * GET /v1/models/{model} — OpenAI-compatible single-model retrieval (#4674).
  *
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/models/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/models/route.ts
index eb30a4daf7..f884388ae8 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/models/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/models/route.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,27 @@ import { getUnifiedModelsResponse } from "./catalog";
 export async function OPTIONS() {
   return new Response(null, {
     headers: {
-      "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "GET, OPTIONS",
+      "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "GET, HEAD, OPTIONS",
       "Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "*",
     },
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * HEAD /v1/models - availability probe (RFC 9110 §9.3.2: HEAD returns headers only)
+ *
+ * Explicit handler prevents Next.js auto-derived HEAD from streaming the full
+ * GET body (200+ providers enumerated on-demand), which caused ~6s hang for
+ * clients like the OpenAI SDK that use HEAD as a health/preflight probe.
+ * See: https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/issues/6400
+ */
+export async function HEAD() {
+  return new Response(null, {
+    status: 200,
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * GET /v1/models - OpenAI compatible models list
  */
diff --git a/tests/unit/head-request-v1-models-6400.test.ts b/tests/unit/head-request-v1-models-6400.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8481cb1c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/head-request-v1-models-6400.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import * as modelsRoute from "../../src/app/api/v1/models/route";
+
+/**
+ * Regression test for issue #6400.
+ *
+ * Before the fix, `src/app/api/v1/models/route.ts` exported only `OPTIONS` and
+ * `GET`. Next.js 16 App Router auto-derives `HEAD` from `GET` when no explicit
+ * handler exists, and the derived `HEAD` streams the full `GET` body (which
+ * the client discards). Because `getUnifiedModelsResponse()` enumerates 200+
+ * providers on-demand, the body stream stayed open ~6s — clients issuing HEAD
+ * as an availability probe (OpenAI SDK, openai-python, httpx, gateway
+ * health-checkers) stalled until their timeout fired.
+ *
+ * RFC 9110 §9.3.2: HEAD MUST close after the headers.
+ *
+ * Fix: explicit `HEAD` handler that returns `{ status: 200, body: null }`, and
+ * `OPTIONS` advertises `HEAD` in `Access-Control-Allow-Methods`.
+ */
+describe("issue #6400 — HEAD /v1/models returns immediately", () => {
+  it("exports an explicit HEAD handler", () => {
+    assert.equal(
+      typeof (modelsRoute as { HEAD?: unknown }).HEAD,
+      "function",
+      "HEAD export missing — Next.js will auto-derive from GET and stream the body"
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("HEAD returns 200 with a null body (no streaming)", async () => {
+    const head = (modelsRoute as unknown as {
+      HEAD: () => Promise<Response>;
+    }).HEAD;
+    const response = await head();
+    assert.equal(response.status, 200);
+    assert.equal(response.body, null, "HEAD body must be null per RFC 9110 §9.3.2");
+  });
+
+  it("OPTIONS advertises HEAD in Access-Control-Allow-Methods", async () => {
+    const response = await modelsRoute.OPTIONS();
+    const methods = response.headers.get("Access-Control-Allow-Methods") ?? "";
+    assert.ok(
+      /\bHEAD\b/.test(methods),
+      `expected HEAD in Access-Control-Allow-Methods, got: ${methods}`
+    );
+  });
+});