diff --git a/scripts/ci/strix_required_workflow_smoke.sh b/scripts/ci/strix_required_workflow_smoke.sh
index 3e33475eb..53d35f2df 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/strix_required_workflow_smoke.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/strix_required_workflow_smoke.sh
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ assert_file_contains "$gate_script" "NPM_CONFIG_IGNORE_SCRIPTS" "Strix gate disa
 assert_file_contains "$full_gate_test" "assert_strix_workflow_pr_trigger_hardened" "Full Strix harness remains available outside the required path"
 
 assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "nvidia_nim/nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b" "Strix defaults public scans to the current hosted NVIDIA NIM model"
-assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "openrouter/free openai-direct/gpt-5.4" "Strix crosses to OpenRouter's free router before direct OpenAI when NVIDIA is exhausted"
 fallback_expression="$(grep 'STRIX_FALLBACK_MODELS:' "$workflow_file")"
 if printf '%s' "$fallback_expression" | grep -Fq "nvidia_nim/nvidia/llama-3.3-nemotron-super-49b-v1.5"; then
 	record_failure "Strix must not route to the retired NVIDIA fallback model"
@@ -177,15 +176,9 @@ assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "STRIX_OPENROUTER_FALLBACK_KEY_FILE" "Stri
 assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "STRIX_OPENROUTER_FALLBACK_API_BASE_FILE" "Strix workflow provisions a trusted OpenRouter fallback API base file"
 assert_file_contains_either \
 	"$workflow_file" \
-	"steps.resolve_nvidia_models.outputs.fallback" \
-	"nvidia_nim/nvidia/llama-3.3-nemotron-super-49b-v1.5" \
-	"Strix accepts the legacy fallback or a live catalog-resolved fallback during migration"
-assert_file_contains_either \
-	"$workflow_file" \
-	"openai_direct/gpt-5.4" \
-	"openai-direct/gpt-5.4" \
-	"Strix retains the cross-provider direct-OpenAI fallback"
-# ponytail: transitional compatibility; require only the dynamic fallback after its workflow lands.
+	"steps.gate.outputs.provider_mode == 'nvidia_nim' && 'openrouter/free openai-direct/gpt-5.4'" \
+	"steps.gate.outputs.provider_mode == 'nvidia_nim' && format('{0} openrouter/free openai-direct/gpt-5.4', steps.resolve_nvidia_models.outputs.fallback)" \
+	"Strix accepts the current static fallback or a live catalog fallback crossing OpenRouter before direct OpenAI"
 assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" "github_models/openai/o3" "Strix fallback list must not depend on GitHub Models, which is in platform-wide retirement"
 assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "Nvidia_nimException" "Strix workflow recognizes provider-scoped NVIDIA NIM failures"
 assert_file_contains "$gate_script" "is_nvidia_nim_not_found_error" "Strix gate classifies NVIDIA NIM model-catalog 404s"