diff --git a/crates/agent-registry/src/lib.rs b/crates/agent-registry/src/lib.rs
index 6579d19f6..ec624c701 100644
--- a/crates/agent-registry/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/agent-registry/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ pub use registry::{
     clinepass_model_for_claude, headless_args, json_output_args, resume_arg, spec,
 };
 pub use router::{
-    RouteDecision, RouterConfig, RouterRule, RuleMatch, TaskContext, parse_router_config, route,
+    RouteDecision, RouterConfig, RouterRule, RuleMatch, TaskContext, model_for_task,
+    parse_router_config, route,
 };
diff --git a/crates/agent-registry/src/router.rs b/crates/agent-registry/src/router.rs
index d13c1c795..39ffddb38 100644
--- a/crates/agent-registry/src/router.rs
+++ b/crates/agent-registry/src/router.rs
@@ -202,6 +202,22 @@ pub fn parse_router_config(text: &str) -> Result<RouterConfig, String> {
     Ok(RouterConfig { default, rules })
 }
 
+/// The model configured by the first `[router]` rule matching `task`,
+/// independent of whether that rule's own `use_agents` is installed or even
+/// relevant — for callers where the agent is already fixed (an explicit
+/// assignment, or an operator's `--agent` flag) and only a rule's `model`
+/// still needs to apply. Mirrors `route()`'s first-match-wins precedence: a
+/// matching rule with no `model` set yields `None`, even if a later rule
+/// would have one.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn model_for_task(task: &TaskContext, config: &RouterConfig) -> Option<String> {
+    config
+        .rules
+        .iter()
+        .find(|rule| rule.when.matches(task))
+        .and_then(|rule| rule.model.clone())
+}
+
 /// Decides which agent should run `task`, or `None` if nothing local fits —
 /// the caller's cue to fall back (e.g. cede via the bridge).
 ///
@@ -234,7 +250,7 @@ pub fn route(
     if let Some(agent) = task.assigned_agent {
         return Some(RouteDecision {
             agent,
-            model: None,
+            model: model_for_task(task, config),
             reason: "explicit assignment on task".to_string(),
         });
     }
@@ -340,6 +356,34 @@ mod tests {
         let decision = route(&task, &config, &[Agent::ClaudeCode], &mut no_rotation()).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(decision.agent, Agent::Codex);
         assert_eq!(decision.reason, "explicit assignment on task");
+        assert_eq!(decision.model, None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn explicit_assignment_still_picks_up_a_matching_rules_model() {
+        // Item #162: an assigned agent used to make `route()` bail with
+        // `model: None` before ever consulting `[router]` rules — which
+        // meant a rule's `model` could never reach a daemon-dispatched item
+        // (every daemon dispatch carries an explicit `assigned_agent`).
+        let task = TaskContext {
+            labels: vec!["docs".to_string()],
+            assigned_agent: Some(Agent::Cline),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let config = RouterConfig {
+            default: None,
+            rules: vec![RouterRule {
+                model: Some("sonnet".to_string()),
+                ..rule(&["docs"], &[Agent::Opencode])
+            }],
+        };
+        // Opencode (the rule's `use`) isn't even installed — the matched
+        // rule's model should still apply, since the agent is already fixed
+        // by the assignment and the rule isn't being consulted for agent
+        // selection here.
+        let decision = route(&task, &config, &[Agent::ClaudeCode], &mut no_rotation()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(decision.agent, Agent::Cline);
+        assert_eq!(decision.model.as_deref(), Some("sonnet"));
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/cli/work.rs b/src/cli/work.rs
index 500085149..c5563bdcb 100644
--- a/src/cli/work.rs
+++ b/src/cli/work.rs
@@ -360,10 +360,23 @@ fn resolve_agent(
     ),
     String,
 > {
+    let task_context =
+        |assigned_agent: Option<agent_registry::Agent>| agent_registry::TaskContext {
+            labels: labels.to_vec(),
+            kind: crate::mcp_server::item::parsed_kind(&item.metadata),
+            size: crate::mcp_server::item::parsed_size(&item.metadata),
+            repo: None,
+            assigned_agent,
+            role: role.map(str::to_string),
+        };
+
     if let Some(name) = explicit {
-        return agent_registry::agent_by_name(name)
-            .map(|agent| (agent, "explicit --agent flag".to_string(), None, None))
-            .ok_or_else(|| format!("unknown agent: {name} — use `agentflare agents list`"));
+        let agent = agent_registry::agent_by_name(name)
+            .ok_or_else(|| format!("unknown agent: {name} — use `agentflare agents list`"))?;
+        // Agent is already fixed by the flag/dispatch — still consult
+        // `[router]` rules for a model (item #162).
+        let model = agent_registry::model_for_task(&task_context(None), config);
+        return Ok((agent, "explicit --agent flag".to_string(), None, model));
     }
 
     let assigned_agent = item
@@ -372,14 +385,7 @@ fn resolve_agent(
         .map(agentflare_backend::item::agent_part)
         .as_deref()
         .and_then(agent_registry::agent_by_name);
-    let task = agent_registry::TaskContext {
-        labels: labels.to_vec(),
-        kind: crate::mcp_server::item::parsed_kind(&item.metadata),
-        size: crate::mcp_server::item::parsed_size(&item.metadata),
-        repo: None,
-        assigned_agent,
-        role: role.map(str::to_string),
-    };
+    let task = task_context(assigned_agent);
     let decision = agent_registry::route(&task, config, installed, rotation).ok_or_else(|| {
         "no --agent given, and no route decision (item has no assignee and no router \
          rule matched) — pass --agent explicitly"
diff --git a/src/cli/work_model_routing_tests.rs b/src/cli/work_model_routing_tests.rs
index 6a41ff092..eb41ebc8c 100644
--- a/src/cli/work_model_routing_tests.rs
+++ b/src/cli/work_model_routing_tests.rs
@@ -131,3 +131,36 @@ fn resolve_dispatch_model_passes_through_a_non_claude_name_for_cline_unchanged()
     );
     assert_eq!(model, Some("cline-pass/glm-5.3".to_string()));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn resolve_agent_explicit_flag_still_picks_up_a_matching_rules_model() {
+    // Item #162: this path used to always return `model: None` without
+    // ever consulting `[router]` rules. It's the path every normal
+    // daemon dispatch takes (the daemon always passes an explicit
+    // agent), so a rule's `model` never reached dispatch in practice.
+    let item = test_item();
+    let config = agent_registry::RouterConfig {
+        default: None,
+        rules: vec![agent_registry::RouterRule {
+            when: agent_registry::RuleMatch {
+                labels: vec!["urgent".to_string()],
+                ..Default::default()
+            },
+            use_agents: vec![agent_registry::Agent::Opencode],
+            rotate: false,
+            model: Some("sonnet".to_string()),
+        }],
+    };
+    let (agent, _, _, model) = resolve_agent(
+        Some("cline"),
+        &item,
+        &["urgent".to_string()],
+        &config,
+        &[],
+        None,
+        &mut Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(agent, agent_registry::Agent::Cline);
+    assert_eq!(model.as_deref(), Some("sonnet"));
+}