diff --git a/changelog.d/fixes/9134-fix.plan.md b/changelog.d/fixes/9134-fix.plan.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..acf04acb1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixes/9134-fix.plan.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- fix(providers): resolve combo names in audio transcriptions route so /v1/models stays honest (#9134)
diff --git a/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts b/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts
index 0419622f36..a7aedf69d1 100644
--- a/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts
+++ b/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ interface AudioModel {
 
 export interface AudioProvider {
   id: string;
+  /**
+   * Provider key to look credentials up under. Dynamic provider nodes are exposed
+   * to callers under their `prefix` (that is what appears in `provider/model`),
+   * but their connections are stored under the node **id** — without this the
+   * credential lookup silently misses. Absent for hardcoded providers, where the
+   * id already is the credential key.
+   */
+  credentialProviderId?: string;
   baseUrl: string;
   authType: string;
   authHeader: string;
@@ -564,27 +572,49 @@ export function getSpeechProvider(providerId: string): AudioProvider | null {
 }
 
 export interface ProviderNodeRow {
+  /** provider_node row id — the key its connections (and credentials) are stored under. */
+  id?: string;
   prefix: string;
   name: string;
   baseUrl: string;
   apiType?: string;
 }
 
+/** Hosts reachable only from the operator's machine/Docker network. */
+export function isLoopbackNodeHost(baseUrl: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    const hostname = new URL(baseUrl).hostname;
+    return (
+      hostname === "localhost" ||
+      hostname === "127.0.0.1" ||
+      /^172\.(1[6-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}$/.test(hostname)
+    );
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Build a dynamic AudioProvider from a provider_node DB entry.
- * Only used for local providers (localhost/127.0.0.1) — remote nodes are
- * excluded by the caller to prevent auth bypass and SSRF.
+ *
+ * Loopback nodes keep `authType: "none"` — a local Ollama/LM Studio has no key and
+ * must not be blocked on a missing credential. A remote node is the opposite: it is
+ * only reachable when the operator opted in, and it must present the credential
+ * stored on its connection, so it is built as an api-key provider keyed by the node
+ * id (`credentialProviderId`) rather than by the caller-facing prefix.
  */
 export function buildDynamicAudioProvider(node: ProviderNodeRow, audioPath: string): AudioProvider {
   if (!node.prefix || !node.baseUrl) {
     throw new Error(`Invalid provider_node: missing prefix or baseUrl`);
   }
   const baseUrl = node.baseUrl.replace(/\/+$/, "");
+  const isLocal = isLoopbackNodeHost(node.baseUrl);
   return {
     id: node.prefix,
+    ...(node.id ? { credentialProviderId: node.id } : {}),
     baseUrl: `${baseUrl}${audioPath}`,
-    authType: "none",
-    authHeader: "none",
+    authType: isLocal ? "none" : "apikey",
+    authHeader: isLocal ? "none" : "bearer",
     models: [],
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes.ts b/src/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6d4acf6b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/**
+ * Shared provider-node resolution for the audio routes
+ * (`/v1/audio/transcriptions`, `/v1/audio/speech`, `/v1/audio/translations`).
+ *
+ * The three routes each carried an identical copy of this filter, and every copy
+ * accepted only nodes typed `chat`/`responses` — so a node explicitly typed
+ * `audio-transcriptions` was rejected by the very route it exists for, and its
+ * models fell through to the hardcoded registry's bare-id lookup (where an
+ * unrelated provider owning a model literally named `whisper` silently won).
+ *
+ * Two axes are resolved here:
+ *
+ * 1. **apiType** — a node qualifies when its type matches the route's own audio
+ *    type, or when it is a general `chat`/`responses` node (a multimodal gateway
+ *    that serves audio on the same base URL).
+ *
+ * 2. **host** — loopback/private nodes are always eligible. Remote nodes are
+ *    opt-in via `AUDIO_REMOTE_PROVIDER_NODES`, default OFF: routing audio to an
+ *    arbitrary remote host changes egress identity, so it must be an explicit
+ *    operator decision rather than a silent default (cf. #3963).
+ */
+
+import { getCachedProviderNodes } from "@/lib/localDb";
+import { isFeatureFlagEnabled } from "@/shared/utils/featureFlags";
+import {
+  buildDynamicAudioProvider,
+  isLoopbackNodeHost,
+  type AudioProvider,
+  type ProviderNodeRow,
+} from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts";
+
+/** Feature flag gating remote (non-loopback) audio provider nodes. Default OFF. */
+export const AUDIO_REMOTE_NODES_FLAG = "AUDIO_REMOTE_PROVIDER_NODES";
+
+/**
+ * Loopback / private-range hosts that never leave the operator's machine or
+ * Docker network. `::1` stays excluded, matching the previous SSRF hardening.
+ */
+export { isLoopbackNodeHost as isLocalAudioNodeHost };
+
+/**
+ * Pure selection step — no DB, no flag lookup, so the policy is directly testable.
+ *
+ * @param nodes       provider_node rows
+ * @param audioPath   endpoint suffix, e.g. "/audio/transcriptions"
+ * @param nodeApiType the audio apiType this route serves, e.g. "audio-transcriptions"
+ * @param allowRemote whether non-loopback nodes are eligible (feature-flagged)
+ */
+export function selectAudioProviderNodes(
+  nodes: ProviderNodeRow[],
+  {
+    audioPath,
+    nodeApiType,
+    allowRemote,
+  }: { audioPath: string; nodeApiType: string; allowRemote: boolean }
+): AudioProvider[] {
+  const eligible = nodes.filter((node) => {
+    // A node qualifies on its own audio type, or as a general chat/responses
+    // gateway that also serves audio on the same base URL.
+    if (node.apiType !== nodeApiType && node.apiType !== "chat" && node.apiType !== "responses") {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (!node.baseUrl) return false;
+    return isLoopbackNodeHost(node.baseUrl) || allowRemote;
+  });
+
+  const providers: AudioProvider[] = [];
+  for (const node of eligible) {
+    const byPrefix = buildDynamicAudioProvider(node, audioPath);
+    providers.push(byPrefix);
+    // A node is addressable two ways: by its `prefix` (what a human types) and by
+    // its row id (what combos and /v1/models store). Registering only the prefix
+    // made the id form — which the catalog itself advertises, and which combo
+    // expansion produces — parse as an unknown provider and 400.
+    if (node.id && node.id !== node.prefix) {
+      providers.push({ ...byPrefix, id: node.id });
+    }
+  }
+  return providers;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Load provider nodes and resolve the ones this audio route may use.
+ * Never throws — a DB failure degrades to the hardcoded registry only.
+ */
+export async function resolveDynamicAudioProviders(
+  audioPath: string,
+  nodeApiType: string
+): Promise<AudioProvider[]> {
+  try {
+    const nodes = await getCachedProviderNodes();
+    if (!Array.isArray(nodes)) return [];
+    let allowRemote = false;
+    try {
+      allowRemote = isFeatureFlagEnabled(AUDIO_REMOTE_NODES_FLAG);
+    } catch {
+      // Fail closed: an unreadable flag store keeps remote nodes disabled.
+      allowRemote = false;
+    }
+    return selectAudioProviderNodes(nodes as unknown as ProviderNodeRow[], {
+      audioPath,
+      nodeApiType,
+      allowRemote,
+    });
+  } catch {
+    return [];
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/audio/speech/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/audio/speech/route.ts
index 16eff17c77..11849be12b 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/audio/speech/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/audio/speech/route.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,11 @@ import {
 import {
   parseSpeechModel,
   getSpeechProvider,
-  buildDynamicAudioProvider,
-  type ProviderNodeRow,
 } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts";
+import { resolveDynamicAudioProviders } from "@/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes";
 import { errorResponse } from "@omniroute/open-sse/utils/error.ts";
 import { HTTP_STATUS } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/constants.ts";
 import { enforceApiKeyPolicy } from "@/shared/utils/apiKeyPolicy";
-import { getCachedProviderNodes } from "@/lib/localDb";
 import { v1AudioSpeechSchema } from "@/shared/validation/schemas";
 import { isValidationFailure, validateBody } from "@/shared/validation/helpers";
 import {
@@ -60,29 +58,9 @@ async function postHandler(request, context) {
   const policy = await enforceApiKeyPolicy(request, body.model);
   if (policy.rejection) return policy.rejection;
 
-  // Load local provider_nodes for audio routing (only localhost — prevents auth bypass/SSRF)
-  let dynamicProviders: ReturnType<typeof buildDynamicAudioProvider>[] = [];
-  try {
-    const nodes = await getCachedProviderNodes();
-    dynamicProviders = (Array.isArray(nodes) ? (nodes as unknown as ProviderNodeRow[]) : [])
-      .filter((n: ProviderNodeRow) => {
-        if (n.apiType !== "chat" && n.apiType !== "responses") return false;
-        try {
-          const hostname = new URL(n.baseUrl).hostname;
-          // Strictly matching 172.16.0.0/12 (Docker/local) and explicitly blocking ::1 per SSRF hardening
-          return (
-            hostname === "localhost" ||
-            hostname === "127.0.0.1" ||
-            /^172\.(1[6-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}$/.test(hostname)
-          );
-        } catch {
-          return false;
-        }
-      })
-      .map((n) => buildDynamicAudioProvider(n, "/audio/speech"));
-  } catch {
-    // DB error — fall back to hardcoded providers only
-  }
+  // Provider nodes eligible for speech: this route's own audio type plus general
+  // chat/responses gateways. Remote hosts are opt-in (default OFF).
+  const dynamicProviders = await resolveDynamicAudioProviders("/audio/speech", "audio-speech");
 
   const { provider, model: resolvedModel } = parseSpeechModel(body.model, dynamicProviders);
   if (!provider) {
@@ -99,7 +77,8 @@ async function postHandler(request, context) {
   // Get credentials — skip for local providers (authType: "none")
   let credentials = null;
   if (providerConfig && providerConfig.authType !== "none") {
-    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(provider);
+    const credentialKey = providerConfig.credentialProviderId || provider;
+    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(credentialKey);
     if (!credentials) {
       return errorResponse(HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST, `No credentials for provider: ${provider}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/audio/transcriptions/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/audio/transcriptions/route.ts
index 548f3e8993..0e89fd38b8 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/audio/transcriptions/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/audio/transcriptions/route.ts
@@ -8,19 +8,35 @@ import {
 import {
   parseTranscriptionModel,
   getTranscriptionProvider,
-  buildDynamicAudioProvider,
-  type ProviderNodeRow,
 } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts";
+import { resolveDynamicAudioProviders } from "@/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes";
 import { errorResponse } from "@omniroute/open-sse/utils/error.ts";
 import { HTTP_STATUS } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/constants.ts";
 import { enforceApiKeyPolicy } from "@/shared/utils/apiKeyPolicy";
-import { getCachedProviderNodes } from "@/lib/localDb";
 import {
   isAllRateLimitedCredentials,
   rateLimitedProviderResponse,
 } from "@/app/api/v1/_shared/rateLimit";
 import { attachOmniRouteMetaToResponse } from "@/domain/omnirouteResponseMeta";
 import { generateRequestId } from "@/shared/utils/requestId";
+import { getComboByName, getCombos, getDatabaseSettings } from "@/lib/localDb";
+import { handleComboChat } from "@omniroute/open-sse/services/combo.ts";
+import { log } from "@omniroute/open-sse/utils/logger.ts";
+
+/**
+ * Copy a multipart body, swapping only the `model` field. Combo fan-out needs one
+ * body per target, and the uploaded file part is reused as-is (a Blob can be read
+ * more than once).
+ */
+function withModel(formData: FormData, modelStr: string): FormData {
+  const next = new FormData();
+  for (const [key, value] of formData.entries()) {
+    if (key === "model") continue;
+    next.append(key, value as string | Blob);
+  }
+  next.set("model", modelStr);
+  return next;
+}
 
 /**
  * Handle CORS preflight
@@ -34,6 +50,68 @@ export async function OPTIONS() {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Transcribe with one concrete `provider/model` string. Split out of POST so combo
+ * fan-out can invoke it once per target.
+ */
+async function transcribeWithModel(
+  formData: FormData,
+  modelStr: string,
+  startTime: number
+): Promise<Response> {
+  // Provider nodes eligible for transcription: this route's own audio type plus
+  // general chat/responses gateways. Remote hosts are opt-in (default OFF).
+  const dynamicProviders = await resolveDynamicAudioProviders(
+    "/audio/transcriptions",
+    "audio-transcriptions"
+  );
+
+  const { provider, model: resolvedModel } = parseTranscriptionModel(modelStr, dynamicProviders);
+  if (!provider) {
+    return errorResponse(
+      HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST,
+      `Invalid transcription model: ${modelStr}. Use format: provider/model`
+    );
+  }
+
+  // Check provider config — hardcoded first, then dynamic
+  const providerConfig =
+    getTranscriptionProvider(provider) || dynamicProviders.find((dp) => dp.id === provider) || null;
+
+  // Get credentials — skip for local providers (authType: "none").
+  // A dynamic node is addressed by its prefix but stores connections under the node
+  // id, so credentials must be looked up under `credentialProviderId` when present.
+  let credentials = null;
+  if (providerConfig && providerConfig.authType !== "none") {
+    const credentialKey = providerConfig.credentialProviderId || provider;
+    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(credentialKey);
+    if (!credentials) {
+      return errorResponse(HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST, `No credentials for provider: ${provider}`);
+    }
+    if (isAllRateLimitedCredentials(credentials)) {
+      return rateLimitedProviderResponse(provider, credentials);
+    }
+  }
+
+  let response = await handleAudioTranscription({
+    formData,
+    credentials,
+    resolvedProvider: providerConfig,
+    resolvedModel,
+  });
+  if (response?.ok) {
+    await clearRecoveredProviderState(credentials);
+    response = attachOmniRouteMetaToResponse(response, {
+      provider,
+      model: resolvedModel,
+      costUsd: 0,
+      latencyMs: Date.now() - startTime,
+      requestId: generateRequestId(),
+    });
+  }
+  return response;
+}
+
 /**
  * POST /v1/audio/transcriptions — transcribe audio files
  * OpenAI Whisper API compatible (multipart/form-data)
@@ -52,79 +130,45 @@ export async function POST(request) {
   if (!model) {
     return errorResponse(HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST, "Missing model");
   }
+  const modelStr = String(model);
 
   // Enforce API key policies (model restrictions + budget limits)
-  const policy = await enforceApiKeyPolicy(request, model as string);
+  const policy = await enforceApiKeyPolicy(request, modelStr);
   if (policy.rejection) return policy.rejection;
 
-  // Load local provider_nodes for audio routing (only localhost — prevents auth bypass/SSRF)
-  let dynamicProviders: ReturnType<typeof buildDynamicAudioProvider>[] = [];
-  try {
-    const nodes = await getCachedProviderNodes();
-    dynamicProviders = (Array.isArray(nodes) ? (nodes as unknown as ProviderNodeRow[]) : [])
-      .filter((n: ProviderNodeRow) => {
-        if (n.apiType !== "chat" && n.apiType !== "responses") return false;
+  // A bare name (no "/") may be a combo. /v1/models advertises combos, and chat and
+  // embeddings both resolve them — resolving here too keeps the catalog honest and
+  // frees callers from hardcoding a provider's internal model id.
+  if (!modelStr.includes("/")) {
+    try {
+      const combo = await getComboByName(modelStr);
+      if (combo) {
+        let allCombos: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getCombos>> = [];
         try {
-          const hostname = new URL(n.baseUrl).hostname;
-          // Strictly matching 172.16.0.0/12 (Docker/local) and explicitly blocking ::1 per SSRF hardening
-          return (
-            hostname === "localhost" ||
-            hostname === "127.0.0.1" ||
-            /^172\.(1[6-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}$/.test(hostname)
-          );
-        } catch {
-          return false;
-        }
-      })
-      .map((n) => buildDynamicAudioProvider(n, "/audio/transcriptions"));
-  } catch {
-    // DB error — fall back to hardcoded providers only
-  }
+          allCombos = await getCombos();
+        } catch {}
+        let settings = {};
+        try {
+          settings = getDatabaseSettings();
+        } catch {}
 
-  const { provider, model: resolvedModel } = parseTranscriptionModel(
-    model as string,
-    dynamicProviders
-  );
-  if (!provider) {
-    return errorResponse(
-      HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST,
-      `Invalid transcription model: ${model}. Use format: provider/model`
-    );
-  }
-
-  // Check provider config — hardcoded first, then dynamic
-  const providerConfig =
-    getTranscriptionProvider(provider) || dynamicProviders.find((dp) => dp.id === provider) || null;
-
-  // Get credentials — skip for local providers (authType: "none")
-  let credentials = null;
-  if (providerConfig && providerConfig.authType !== "none") {
-    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(provider);
-    if (!credentials) {
-      return errorResponse(HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST, `No credentials for provider: ${provider}`);
-    }
-    if (isAllRateLimitedCredentials(credentials)) {
-      return rateLimitedProviderResponse(provider, credentials);
+        return handleComboChat({
+          body: { model: modelStr } as any,
+          combo: combo as any,
+          handleSingleModel: async (_reqBody: any, targetModelStr: string) =>
+            transcribeWithModel(withModel(formData, targetModelStr), targetModelStr, startTime),
+          isModelAvailable: undefined,
+          log,
+          settings,
+          allCombos: allCombos as any,
+          relayOptions: undefined,
+          signal: undefined,
+        } as any);
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      log.error("AUDIO", `Combo resolution failed for ${modelStr}: ${err}`);
     }
   }
 
-  let response = await handleAudioTranscription({
-    formData,
-    credentials,
-    resolvedProvider: providerConfig,
-    resolvedModel,
-  });
-  if (response?.ok) {
-    await clearRecoveredProviderState(credentials);
-    // No text body / playback duration available from the multipart upload, so
-    // per-second pricing cannot be applied → cost 0 (ADD-only headers, body intact).
-    response = attachOmniRouteMetaToResponse(response, {
-      provider,
-      model: resolvedModel,
-      costUsd: 0,
-      latencyMs: Date.now() - startTime,
-      requestId: generateRequestId(),
-    });
-  }
-  return response;
+  return transcribeWithModel(formData, modelStr, startTime);
 }
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/audio/translations/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/audio/translations/route.ts
index 7283dda555..f0c0acfa4e 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/audio/translations/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/audio/translations/route.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,11 @@ import {
 import {
   parseTranslationModel,
   getTranslationProvider,
-  buildDynamicAudioProvider,
-  type ProviderNodeRow,
 } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/audioRegistry.ts";
+import { resolveDynamicAudioProviders } from "@/app/api/v1/_shared/audioProviderNodes";
 import { errorResponse } from "@omniroute/open-sse/utils/error.ts";
 import { HTTP_STATUS } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/constants.ts";
 import { enforceApiKeyPolicy } from "@/shared/utils/apiKeyPolicy";
-import { getCachedProviderNodes } from "@/lib/localDb";
 import {
   isAllRateLimitedCredentials,
   rateLimitedProviderResponse,
@@ -59,29 +57,13 @@ export async function POST(request) {
   const policy = await enforceApiKeyPolicy(request, model as string);
   if (policy.rejection) return policy.rejection;
 
-  // Load local provider_nodes for audio routing (only localhost — prevents auth bypass/SSRF)
-  let dynamicProviders: ReturnType<typeof buildDynamicAudioProvider>[] = [];
-  try {
-    const nodes = await getCachedProviderNodes();
-    dynamicProviders = (Array.isArray(nodes) ? (nodes as unknown as ProviderNodeRow[]) : [])
-      .filter((n: ProviderNodeRow) => {
-        if (n.apiType !== "chat" && n.apiType !== "responses") return false;
-        try {
-          const hostname = new URL(n.baseUrl).hostname;
-          // Strictly matching 172.16.0.0/12 (Docker/local) and explicitly blocking ::1 per SSRF hardening
-          return (
-            hostname === "localhost" ||
-            hostname === "127.0.0.1" ||
-            /^172\.(1[6-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}$/.test(hostname)
-          );
-        } catch {
-          return false;
-        }
-      })
-      .map((n) => buildDynamicAudioProvider(n, "/audio/translations"));
-  } catch {
-    // DB error — fall back to hardcoded providers only
-  }
+  // Translation is served by the transcription-capable nodes (Whisper-style
+  // endpoints expose both), plus general chat/responses gateways. Remote hosts are
+  // opt-in (default OFF).
+  const dynamicProviders = await resolveDynamicAudioProviders(
+    "/audio/translations",
+    "audio-transcriptions"
+  );
 
   const { provider, model: resolvedModel } = parseTranslationModel(
     model as string,
@@ -101,7 +83,8 @@ export async function POST(request) {
   // Get credentials — skip for local providers (authType: "none")
   let credentials = null;
   if (providerConfig && providerConfig.authType !== "none") {
-    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(provider);
+    const credentialKey = providerConfig.credentialProviderId || provider;
+    credentials = await getProviderCredentialsWithQuotaPreflight(credentialKey);
     if (!credentials) {
       return errorResponse(HTTP_STATUS.BAD_REQUEST, `No credentials for provider: ${provider}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/shared/constants/featureFlagDefinitions.ts b/src/shared/constants/featureFlagDefinitions.ts
index d08fc7e329..d6b4a28c3f 100644
--- a/src/shared/constants/featureFlagDefinitions.ts
+++ b/src/shared/constants/featureFlagDefinitions.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,18 @@ export const FEATURE_FLAG_DEFINITIONS: FeatureFlagDefinition[] = [
     requiresRestart: true,
     warningLevel: "info",
   },
+  {
+    key: "AUDIO_REMOTE_PROVIDER_NODES",
+    label: "Remote Audio Provider Nodes",
+    description:
+      "Allow the /v1/audio/* routes to use OpenAI-compatible provider nodes hosted outside localhost. Off by default — routing audio to a remote host changes egress identity and must be an explicit operator decision. Loopback nodes are always allowed and unaffected.",
+    descriptionI18nKey: "settings.featureFlags.audioRemoteProviderNodes",
+    category: "network",
+    defaultValue: "false",
+    type: "boolean",
+    requiresRestart: false,
+    warningLevel: "danger",
+  },
   {
     key: "ONEPROXY_ENABLED",
     label: "OneProxy Enabled",
diff --git a/tests/unit/9134-repro-audio-combo-rejection.test.ts b/tests/unit/9134-repro-audio-combo-rejection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cdf26933cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/9134-repro-audio-combo-rejection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+// Repro test for #9134 — /v1/audio/transcriptions rejects combo names.
+//
+// Run: node --import tsx/esm --test tests/unit/9134-repro-audio-combo-rejection.test.ts
+// Expected to PASS once the fix is applied, RED before.
+
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+
+const TEST_DATA_DIR = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "omniroute-9134-repro-"));
+process.env.DATA_DIR = TEST_DATA_DIR;
+
+const core = await import("../../src/lib/db/core.ts");
+const { createCombo } = await import("../../src/lib/db/combos.ts");
+const { createProviderNode } = await import("../../src/lib/db/providers.ts");
+const route = await import("../../src/app/api/v1/audio/transcriptions/route.ts");
+
+const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+
+test.after(() => {
+  globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+  core.resetDbInstance();
+  fs.rmSync(TEST_DATA_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+/** Minimal but structurally valid WAV so nothing rejects the upload shape. */
+function makeWav(): Blob {
+  const dataLen = 1600;
+  const b = Buffer.alloc(44 + dataLen);
+  b.write("RIFF", 0, "ascii");
+  b.writeUInt32LE(36 + dataLen, 4);
+  b.write("WAVE", 8, "ascii");
+  b.write("fmt ", 12, "ascii");
+  b.writeUInt32LE(16, 16);
+  b.writeUInt16LE(1, 20);
+  b.writeUInt16LE(1, 22);
+  b.writeUInt32LE(16000, 24);
+  b.writeUInt32LE(32000, 28);
+  b.writeUInt16LE(2, 32);
+  b.writeUInt16LE(16, 34);
+  b.write("data", 36, "ascii");
+  b.writeUInt32LE(dataLen, 40);
+  return new Blob([b], { type: "audio/wav" });
+}
+
+function transcriptionRequest(model: string) {
+  const fd = new FormData();
+  fd.set("model", model);
+  fd.set("file", makeWav(), "t.wav");
+  return new Request("http://localhost/v1/audio/transcriptions", { method: "POST", body: fd });
+}
+
+test("#9134 combo name is rejected instead of resolved", async () => {
+  await createProviderNode({
+    id: "openai-compatible-audio-transcriptions-test",
+    type: "openai-compatible",
+    name: "Local STT",
+    prefix: "localstt",
+    apiType: "audio-transcriptions",
+    baseUrl: "http://localhost:9000/v1",
+  } as Parameters<typeof createProviderNode>[0]);
+
+  await createCombo({
+    name: "transcricao",
+    strategy: "priority",
+    models: [{ provider: "localstt", model: "whisper-1" }],
+  } as Parameters<typeof createCombo>[0]);
+
+  globalThis.fetch = (async () =>
+    new Response(JSON.stringify({ text: "ok" }), {
+      status: 200,
+      headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+    })
+  ) as typeof fetch;
+
+  const res = await route.POST(transcriptionRequest("transcricao"));
+  const body = await res.text();
+
+  // The bug: the combo name "transcricao" is NOT resolved. The route returns 400
+  // with "Invalid transcription model: transcricao. Use format: provider/model"
+  // even though /v1/models advertises this combo and chat/embeddings resolve it.
+  // Regression guard: combo names must be resolved before model parsing. This
+  // was failing as `400 Invalid transcription model: transcricao` before the fix.
+  assert.notEqual(
+    res.status,
+    400,
+    `BUG #9134: combo name "transcricao" was rejected as invalid model — got status ${res.status}: ${body}`
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    !body.includes("Invalid transcription model"),
+    `BUG #9134: combo name was not resolved — got: ${body}`
+  );
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/feature-flags-settings.test.ts b/tests/unit/feature-flags-settings.test.ts
index f52f964f69..befd5cd8db 100644
--- a/tests/unit/feature-flags-settings.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/feature-flags-settings.test.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const {
   isControlPlaneProxyDirectFallbackEnabled,
 } = await import("../../src/shared/utils/featureFlags.ts");
 
-const EXPECTED_FEATURE_FLAG_COUNT = 43;
+const EXPECTED_FEATURE_FLAG_COUNT = 44;
 
 // ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Test group 1 — Flag definitions registry