diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1918a8a5b6..7031b13fa1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ _In development — bullets added per PR; finalized at release._
 
 - **fix(executors): strip `client_metadata` from forwarded body for Cerebras and Mistral** — Cerebras returns 400 (`wrong_api_format`) and Mistral returns 422 (`extra_forbidden`) when the passthrough body carries `client_metadata` (an OpenAI Codex / Claude CLI field with no equivalent on these upstreams). The default executor now drops it for these two providers before sending downstream; other providers (notably `openai`/`codex`) keep it. (thanks @saurabh321gupta)
 - **fix(codebuddy):** only send reasoning params when the client requests reasoning. (thanks @anki1kr)
+- **fix(sse):** keep streaming for forceStream providers when a JSON client requests it. Providers marked `forceStream:true` reject `stream:false` upstream (HTTP 400); `resolveStreamFlag` now guards against this so stream-only providers keep streaming even when the client sends `Accept: application/json` or `stream:false`. (thanks @anki1kr)
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/open-sse/config/providers/shared.ts b/open-sse/config/providers/shared.ts
index 0447b7bb23..5c0d7e5fb1 100644
--- a/open-sse/config/providers/shared.ts
+++ b/open-sse/config/providers/shared.ts
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ export interface RegistryEntry {
   defaultContextLength?: number;
   /** Optional session pool config for rate limit management */
   poolConfig?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  /**
+   * When true, the provider rejects non-streaming requests (HTTP 400).
+   * resolveStreamFlag will keep streaming even when the client requests JSON;
+   * OmniRoute accumulates the stream and converts it to a JSON body for the client. (#2081)
+   */
+  forceStream?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface LegacyProvider {
diff --git a/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
index 86f143b27c..f97931cfa3 100644
--- a/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
+++ b/open-sse/handlers/chatCore.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ import { normalizeClaudeAdaptiveThinking } from "../services/claudeAdaptiveThink
 import { normalizeClaudeHaikuConstraints } from "../services/claudeHaikuConstraints.ts";
 import { echoModelInObject } from "../services/responseModelEcho.ts";
 import { stripGpt5SamplingWhenReasoning } from "../services/gpt5SamplingGuard.ts";
-import { getUnsupportedParams } from "../config/providerRegistry.ts";
+import { getUnsupportedParams, REGISTRY } from "../config/providerRegistry.ts";
 import { supportsMaxTokens } from "@/lib/modelCapabilities.ts";
 import { normalizeThinkingForModel } from "@/shared/constants/modelSpecs.ts";
 import {
@@ -783,12 +783,17 @@ export async function handleChatCore({
   // sourceFormat="claude" applies the Anthropic Messages spec default (stream=false
   // when body omits stream), preventing STREAM_EARLY_EOF on /v1/messages when
   // clients send Accept: */* without an explicit stream flag.
+  // providerRequiresStreaming: providers with forceStream:true reject stream:false
+  // upstream (HTTP 400); keep streaming so OmniRoute can convert the stream to JSON
+  // for the client via handleForcedSSEToJson. (#2081)
+  const providerRequiresStreaming = REGISTRY[provider]?.forceStream === true;
   const stream =
     nativeCodexPassthrough && isCompactResponsesEndpoint(endpointPath)
       ? false
       : resolveStreamFlag(body?.stream, acceptHeader, sourceFormat, {
           userAgent: streamUserAgent,
           streamDefaultMode: apiKeyInfo?.streamDefaultMode,
+          providerRequiresStreaming,
         });
 
   // `settings` is already consolidated once near the top of handleChatCore
diff --git a/open-sse/utils/aiSdkCompat.ts b/open-sse/utils/aiSdkCompat.ts
index 5d84d1b52e..088e898b82 100644
--- a/open-sse/utils/aiSdkCompat.ts
+++ b/open-sse/utils/aiSdkCompat.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ export type StreamDefaultMode = "legacy" | "json";
 export interface ResolveStreamFlagOptions {
   userAgent?: unknown;
   streamDefaultMode?: unknown;
+  /**
+   * When true, the provider rejects non-streaming requests (e.g. forceStream providers
+   * such as CodeBuddy). resolveStreamFlag will keep streaming even when the client sends
+   * Accept: application/json or stream:false; the caller is responsible for accumulating
+   * the stream and converting it to a JSON response for the client. (#2081)
+   */
+  providerRequiresStreaming?: boolean;
 }
 
 function normalizeResolveStreamFlagOptions(optionsOrUserAgent?: unknown): ResolveStreamFlagOptions {
@@ -35,7 +42,9 @@ export function clientWantsJsonResponse(acceptHeader: unknown): boolean {
 
 /**
  * Resolves stream behavior from request body + Accept header.
- * Priority: explicit `stream: true/false` in body wins.
+ * Priority: explicit `stream: true/false` in body wins, UNLESS the provider
+ * requires streaming (`providerRequiresStreaming: true`) — in that case the
+ * result is always `true` regardless of client preference (#2081).
  * Accept header only acts as fallback when stream is not explicitly set.
  * Fixes #656: clients sending both `stream: true` and `Accept: application/json`
  * should still get streaming responses — body intent takes precedence.
@@ -53,11 +62,18 @@ export function resolveStreamFlag(
   sourceFormat?: string,
   optionsOrUserAgent?: unknown
 ): boolean {
-  // Explicit body value always wins
+  const options = normalizeResolveStreamFlagOptions(optionsOrUserAgent);
+
+  // Stream-only providers must keep streaming even when the client asked for JSON;
+  // OmniRoute accumulates the provider stream and converts it to JSON for the client
+  // downstream (handleForcedSSEToJson). Sending stream:false to such a provider
+  // returns HTTP 400. (#2081)
+  if (options.providerRequiresStreaming) return true;
+
+  // Explicit body value always wins (for non-stream-only providers)
   if (bodyStream === true) return true;
   if (bodyStream === false) return false;
 
-  const options = normalizeResolveStreamFlagOptions(optionsOrUserAgent);
   const streamDefaultMode = normalizeStreamDefaultMode(options.streamDefaultMode);
 
   const acceptsEventStream =
diff --git a/tests/unit/resolve-stream-flag.test.ts b/tests/unit/resolve-stream-flag.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..caf544b960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/resolve-stream-flag.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// Port of upstream #2081 — forceStream (stream-only) providers must keep streaming even
+// when the client asks for a non-streaming/JSON response. OmniRoute then accumulates the
+// provider stream and returns a normal JSON body to the client (handleForcedSSEToJson).
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { resolveStreamFlag } from "../../open-sse/utils/aiSdkCompat.ts";
+
+describe("resolveStreamFlag — forceStream / providerRequiresStreaming guard (#2081)", () => {
+  it("keeps streaming for a forceStream provider even when client prefers JSON and sets stream:false", () => {
+    // The bug: Accept: application/json + stream:false used to override providerRequiresStreaming,
+    // sending stream:false to a stream-only provider (e.g. CodeBuddy) → HTTP 400.
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(
+      false, // body.stream = false
+      "application/json", // Accept header
+      undefined, // sourceFormat
+      { providerRequiresStreaming: true }
+    );
+    assert.equal(result, true, "stream-only provider must stay streaming even when client prefers JSON");
+  });
+
+  it("non-forceStream provider: client prefers JSON + stream:false → non-streaming (unchanged behavior)", () => {
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(
+      false,
+      "application/json",
+      undefined,
+      { providerRequiresStreaming: false }
+    );
+    assert.equal(result, false, "normal provider should respect client JSON preference");
+  });
+
+  it("forceStream provider: no explicit stream flag → streams by default", () => {
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(
+      undefined,
+      undefined,
+      undefined,
+      { providerRequiresStreaming: true }
+    );
+    assert.equal(result, true);
+  });
+
+  it("ordinary provider with no special flags streams by default (backward compat)", () => {
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(undefined, undefined);
+    assert.equal(result, true);
+  });
+
+  it("forceStream provider: client explicitly sends stream:true → stays true", () => {
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(
+      true,
+      "application/json",
+      undefined,
+      { providerRequiresStreaming: true }
+    );
+    assert.equal(result, true);
+  });
+
+  it("forceStream provider: client sends Accept: text/event-stream + stream:false → stays true", () => {
+    // SSE Accept header alone shouldn't be needed for stream-only providers,
+    // but providerRequiresStreaming should still force true.
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(
+      false,
+      "text/event-stream",
+      undefined,
+      { providerRequiresStreaming: true }
+    );
+    assert.equal(result, true);
+  });
+
+  it("without providerRequiresStreaming option, JSON client + stream:false still gets non-streaming", () => {
+    // Verify backward compatibility — no regression for callers that don't pass the option
+    const result = resolveStreamFlag(false, "application/json");
+    assert.equal(result, false);
+  });
+});