diff --git a/changelog.d/fixes/12897-vllm-max-model-len.md b/changelog.d/fixes/12897-vllm-max-model-len.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a58c084bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixes/12897-vllm-max-model-len.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- **fix(providers):** vLLM connections now advertise the real context window: model discovery reads `max_model_len` instead of falling back to the 128K default ([#12897](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/pull/12897), closes [#12858](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/issues/12858))
diff --git a/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts b/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
index 3f79163d36..f2dcf77c15 100644
--- a/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
+++ b/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
@@ -426,10 +426,16 @@ export function normalizeDiscoveredModels(
     // Keep the total context window distinct from an explicit maximum-input limit. Existing
     // providers historically stored context_length as inputTokenLimit, so retain that compatibility
     // outside Vertex while persisting the separate contextWindow field for new consumers.
+    // vLLM — and every server that copies its /v1/models shape — reports the
+    // window as `max_model_len`, the value the engine was actually started with.
+    // Without it a vLLM model syncs with no window at all and the resolver hands
+    // out the 128K default, understating a 250K deployment by half. #12858
     const contextWindow = firstPositiveNumber(
       record.context_length,
       record.contextLength,
       record.contextWindow,
+      record.max_model_len,
+      record.maxModelLen,
       topProvider.context_length
     );
     const isVertexProvider = providerId === "vertex" || providerId === "vertex-partner";
diff --git a/tests/unit/vllm-max-model-len-12858.test.ts b/tests/unit/vllm-max-model-len-12858.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..621f4f0917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/vllm-max-model-len-12858.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { normalizeDiscoveredModels } from "@/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery";
+
+// Regression guard for #12858.
+//
+// vLLM's /v1/models reports the context window as `max_model_len` — the value
+// the engine was started with — and nothing else. The native `vllm` provider is
+// `passthroughModels: true`, and the OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible custom
+// providers pass the same raw records through, so all three connection shapes
+// land here. Before the fix no window field matched, the model was persisted
+// with no `inputTokenLimit`, and `/v1/models` advertised the 128K provider
+// default for a deployment serving 250K.
+//
+// Same class of bug as #3202 (OpenRouter's `context_length`): the provider
+// declares the window under a name the normalizer does not read.
+
+test("#12858 maps vLLM max_model_len into inputTokenLimit", () => {
+  const [model] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([
+    { id: "qwen3.8", owned_by: "vllm", root: "/models/Qwen3.8-27B-FP8", max_model_len: 250000 },
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(model.id, "qwen3.8");
+  assert.equal(model.inputTokenLimit, 250000);
+});
+
+test("#12858 accepts the camelCase spelling too", () => {
+  // `contextLength` is already accepted next to `context_length`; keep the two
+  // spellings of this field symmetric with that pair.
+  const [model] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([{ id: "vendor/camel", maxModelLen: 131072 }]);
+
+  assert.equal(model.inputTokenLimit, 131072);
+});
+
+test("#12858 preserves an explicit inputTokenLimit over max_model_len", () => {
+  const [model] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([
+    { id: "vendor/explicit-wins", inputTokenLimit: 200000, max_model_len: 999999 },
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(model.inputTokenLimit, 200000);
+});
+
+test("#12858 keeps context_length ahead of max_model_len when a record has both", () => {
+  // OpenRouter-style catalogs are the older contract (#3202); a record carrying
+  // both fields must not change meaning because this one was added.
+  const [model] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([
+    { id: "vendor/both", context_length: 262144, max_model_len: 131072 },
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(model.inputTokenLimit, 262144);
+});
+
+test("#12858 ignores a non-positive or non-numeric max_model_len", () => {
+  const [zero] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([{ id: "vendor/zero", max_model_len: 0 }]);
+  const [negative] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([{ id: "vendor/negative", max_model_len: -1 }]);
+  const [text] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([{ id: "vendor/text", max_model_len: "250000" }]);
+
+  assert.equal(zero.inputTokenLimit, undefined);
+  assert.equal(negative.inputTokenLimit, undefined);
+  assert.equal(text.inputTokenLimit, undefined);
+});
+
+test("#12858 leaves inputTokenLimit unset when no window field is present", () => {
+  const [model] = normalizeDiscoveredModels([{ id: "vendor/no-window" }]);
+
+  assert.equal(model.inputTokenLimit, undefined);
+});