feat(providers): catalog refresh + image_gen.model + OpenRouter caching (WS-6)

Surfaces the v0.13 provider catalog work in Scarf v2.8.0. Five new model IDs
(deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro, x-ai/grok-4.3, openrouter/owl-alpha,
tencent/hy3-preview, arcee/trinity-large-thinking) flow through
models_dev_cache.json on next refresh — no manual catalog entries
needed; the picker reaches them automatically. The grok-4.20-beta →
grok-4.20 rename is handled via a new ModelCatalogService.modelAliases
map plus resolveModelAlias() helper, called from validateModel(),
model(_:_:), and provider(for:) at read time. Lossless: stored configs
are never rewritten.

Vercel AI Gateway is demoted to the bottom of the picker via a new
demotedProviders set + sort-comparator axis (between subscription-gated
and alphabetical). Always-on, no capability gate — sort-order
consistency across Hermes versions.

image_gen.model (top-level v0.13 YAML key) and
openrouter.response_cache.enabled (provisional key shape per
TODO(WS-6-Q1)) are surfaced as new SettingsSection rows in
AuxiliaryTab, capability-gated on hasImageGenModel +
hasOpenRouterResponseCache so pre-v0.13 hosts hide them. Image-gen
picker has a curated 7-entry allowlist (HermesImageGenModel) plus
free-form Custom model ID entry.

CLAUDE.md gains two schema-drift bullets next to the existing
overlayOnlyProviders requirement (modelAliases + demotedProviders
mirror with hermes_cli/providers.py).

Tests: 4 new M0cServicesTests (sort axis, alias resolution + cross-
provider isolation, image-gen allowlist, demoted-set sentinel) and 2
new M6ConfigCronTests (YAML round-trip + empty-default).

Implements WS-6 of Scarf v2.8.0 (Hermes v0.13.0 catch-up).
Plan: scarf/docs/v2.8/WS-6-providers-v0.13-plan.md
(on coordination/v2.8.0-plans).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

CLAUDE.md

@@ -113,9 +113,29 @@ Public documentation lives in the GitHub wiki at https://github.com/awizemann/sc
 
 ## Hermes Version
 
-Targets Hermes v2026.4.30 (v0.12.0). Log lines may carry an optional `[session_id]` tag between the level and logger name — `HermesLogService.parseLine` treats the session tag as an optional capture group, so older untagged lines still parse.
+Targets Hermes v2026.5.7 (v0.13.0). Log lines may carry an optional `[session_id]` tag between the level and logger name — `HermesLogService.parseLine` treats the session tag as an optional capture group, so older untagged lines still parse.
 
-**Capability gating.** Scarf detects the target's Hermes version once per server connection via [HermesCapabilities](scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Services/HermesCapabilities.swift) (`hermes --version` → semver + `YYYY.M.D` parse). The resulting `HermesCapabilitiesStore` is injected on `ContextBoundRoot` (Mac) and `ScarfGoTabRoot` (iOS) via `.environment(_:)` and `.hermesCapabilities(_:)`; UI that depends on a v0.12+ surface (Curator, Kanban, ACP image input, `auxiliary.curator`, `prompt_caching.cache_ttl`, Piper TTS, Vercel terminal) reads it through the typed environment key. Pre-v0.12 hosts gracefully hide the new affordances rather than throwing on unknown CLI subcommands. Add a new flag at the top of `HermesCapabilities` whenever Scarf gains a release-gated UI surface.
+**Capability gating.** Scarf detects the target's Hermes version once per server connection via [HermesCapabilities](scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Services/HermesCapabilities.swift) (`hermes --version` → semver + `YYYY.M.D` parse). The resulting `HermesCapabilitiesStore` is injected on `ContextBoundRoot` (Mac) and `ScarfGoTabRoot` (iOS) via `.environment(_:)` and `.hermesCapabilities(_:)`; UI that depends on a release-gated surface reads it through the typed environment key. Pre-target hosts gracefully hide the new affordances rather than throwing on unknown CLI subcommands. Add a new flag at the top of `HermesCapabilities` whenever Scarf gains a release-gated UI surface — group flags by the Hermes release that introduced them (`MARK: v0.13 (v2026.5.7) flags`, etc.).
+
+**v2026.5.7 (v0.13.0)** added (Scarf-relevant subset; full v2.8.0 implementation lands across WS-2 through WS-9):
+
+- **Persistent Goals** — `/goal <text>` slash command locks the agent onto a target across turns. Checkpoints v2 single-store rewrite + auto-resume after gateway restart. Surfaced in Scarf chat as a non-interruptive command + a "🎯 Goal locked: <text>" pill in the chat header. Gated on `HermesCapabilities.hasGoals`.
+- **ACP `/queue` slash command** — queues a prompt to run after the current turn completes. Joins `/steer` in `RichChatViewModel.nonInterruptiveCommands` with a transient "Queued" toast. Gated on `hasACPQueue`. `/steer` now also runs as a regular prompt on idle sessions (`hasACPSteerOnIdle`).
+- **Kanban v0.13 reliability + recovery UX** — hallucination gate on worker-created cards, generic diagnostics engine (per-task distress signals), per-task `max_retries` override, multiline title/body create, `auto_blocked_reason` rendered in the inspector banner, darwin zombie detection, unify failure counter across spawn/timeout/crash. New fields decode through tolerant `HermesKanbanRun` / `HermesKanbanTaskDetail` extensions; pre-v0.13 hosts ignore unknown keys. Gated on `hasKanbanDiagnostics`.
+- **Curator archive + prune** — `hermes curator archive <skill>` + `prune` + `list-archived` subcommands. The synchronous manual `hermes curator run` blocks until done (pre-v0.13 returned immediately). Surfaced as an "Archived" tab in CuratorView with per-row Restore + Prune actions and a destructive prune-confirm sheet. Gated on `hasCuratorArchive`.
+- **Messaging Gateway expansion** — Google Chat (20th platform; `hasGoogleChatPlatform`), cross-platform allowlists (`allowed_channels` / `allowed_chats` / `allowed_rooms` per platform; `hasGatewayAllowlists`), per-platform `gateway_restart_notification` (`hasGatewayRestartNotification`), `busy_ack_enabled` toggle (`hasGatewayBusyAckToggle`), slash-command auto-delete TTL, `[[as_document]]` skill media routing directive, `hermes gateway list` cross-profile status verb (`hasGatewayList`).
+- **Provider catalog refresh** — new models on Nous Portal + OpenRouter: `deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro`, `x-ai/grok-4.3`, `openrouter/owl-alpha` (free), `tencent/hy3-preview`, `arcee/trinity-large-thinking` (with temperature + compression overrides). `x-ai/grok-4.20-beta` renamed to `x-ai/grok-4.20` — keep alias map. Vercel AI Gateway demoted to bottom of the picker. `image_gen.model` from `config.yaml` now honored by Hermes (was advertised but ignored pre-v0.13); surfaced in `Settings → Auxiliary` (`hasImageGenModel`). OpenRouter response caching toggle (`hasOpenRouterResponseCache`).
+- **MCP SSE transport** — MCP servers can be configured with SSE transport + `sse_read_timeout`. Surfaced in MCPServersView add-server flow alongside stdio/pipe. Gated on `hasMCPSSETransport`.
+- **Cron `--no-agent` mode** — script-only watchdog jobs that skip the AI call. Surfaced in CronView edit sheet. Gated on `hasCronNoAgent`.
+- **Web Tools per-capability backends** — `web_search` and `web_extract` can use distinct backends; SearXNG joined as a search-only backend. Surfaced in the Web Tools settings tab. Gated on `hasWebToolsBackendSplit`.
+- **Profiles `--no-skills`** — `hermes profile create --no-skills` for empty-profile creation. Surfaced as a toggle in the create-profile flow. Gated on `hasProfileNoSkills`.
+- **CLI / UX additions** — context compression count in the status feed (rendered next to the token count in chat status bar; `hasContextCompressionCount`), `/new <name>` slash-command argument (`hasNewWithSessionName`), `hermes update --yes` non-interactive (`hasUpdateNonInteractive`), `display.language` static-message translation (zh / ja / de / es / fr / uk / tr; `hasDisplayLanguage`), xAI Custom Voices (voice-cloning badge next to xAI TTS provider; `hasXAIVoiceCloning`).
+- **Server-side defaults flipped** — secret redaction defaults back to ON in v0.13 (was off by default in v0.12). The Settings redaction toggle remains for opt-out; the default-state hint reflects the v0.13 semantics when the host advertises v0.13+.
+- **`video_analyze` tool** — native video understanding on Gemini-class models. Hermes handles transparently inside the agent loop; Scarf has no UI surface yet but `hasVideoAnalyze` is reserved for future widget gating.
+- **`transform_llm_output` plugin hook** — plugin-author concern; surfaced indirectly through PluginsView when a plugin advertises the hook. `hasTransformLLMOutputHook` gates the metadata badge.
+- **Schema is unchanged from v0.11/v0.12** — same state.db columns. No migration needed.
+
+**v2026.4.30 (v0.12.0)** added (Scarf-relevant subset):
 
 **v2026.4.30 (v0.12.0)** added (Scarf-relevant subset):
 
@@ -153,6 +173,10 @@ v0.10.0 introduced the **Tool Gateway** — paid Nous Portal subscribers route w
 
 **Keep `ModelCatalogService.overlayOnlyProviders` in sync** with `HERMES_OVERLAYS` in `~/.hermes/hermes-agent/hermes_cli/providers.py`. When Hermes adds a new overlay-only provider, mirror the entry (display name, base URL, auth type, subscription-gated flag, doc URL) or the picker won't reach it.
 
+**Keep `ModelCatalogService.modelAliases` in sync** with Hermes's deprecated-model-ID map (currently release-notes-only upstream; the canonical successor lives in `hermes_cli/providers.py` if/when upstream tracks it in code). Drift here means a user's old model ID stops resolving in the picker even though Hermes still accepts it at runtime.
+
+**Keep `ModelCatalogService.demotedProviders` in sync** with the deprioritized-provider list in `hermes-agent/hermes_cli/providers.py`. Drift means Vercel AI Gateway (or any future demoted provider) sorts in the wrong position in Scarf's picker.
+
 ## Kanban v3: drag-and-drop board + per-project tenants (v2.7.5)
 
 Scarf v2.7.5 promotes Kanban from a read-only list to a full board with drag-and-drop, every Hermes write verb wired up, and per-project boards bound to a Scarf-minted tenant slug. The list view is preserved as a `Board | List` toggle for accessibility / narrow-window fallback.

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Models/HermesConfig.swift

@@ -667,6 +667,27 @@ public struct HermesConfig: Sendable {
     /// useful for cost auditing and screen-recording demos.
     public var runtimeMetadataFooter: Bool
 
+    // -- Hermes v0.13 additions ----------------------------------------
+
+    /// `image_gen.model` (v0.13+) — overrides the per-provider default
+    /// image-gen model. Empty string means "let Hermes pick the
+    /// provider default". Hermes v0.12 advertised this key but ignored
+    /// it; Scarf's `AuxiliaryTab` only renders the picker when
+    /// `HermesCapabilities.hasImageGenModel` is `true`.
+    public var imageGenModel: String
+
+    /// `openrouter.response_cache.enabled` (v0.13+) — when true, Hermes
+    /// asks OpenRouter to cache responses for repeat prompts within a
+    /// session. Off by default in Scarf's parser per WS-6 plan
+    /// recommendation. UI gated on
+    /// `HermesCapabilities.hasOpenRouterResponseCache`.
+    // TODO(WS-6-Q1): the exact YAML key shape is provisional. Verify
+    // against a v0.13 host's `hermes config check` output before
+    // shipping (see WS-6-plan §Open Questions #1). Candidate alternative
+    // shapes: `providers.openrouter.response_cache_enabled` or
+    // `prompt_caching.openrouter.enabled`.
+    public var openrouterResponseCacheEnabled: Bool
+
     // Grouped blocks
     public var display: DisplaySettings
     public var terminal: TerminalSettings
@@ -747,11 +768,15 @@ public struct HermesConfig: Sendable {
         homeAssistant: HomeAssistantSettings,
         cacheTTL: String = "5m",
         redactionEnabled: Bool = false,
-        runtimeMetadataFooter: Bool = false
+        runtimeMetadataFooter: Bool = false,
+        imageGenModel: String = "",
+        openrouterResponseCacheEnabled: Bool = false
     ) {
         self.cacheTTL = cacheTTL
         self.redactionEnabled = redactionEnabled
         self.runtimeMetadataFooter = runtimeMetadataFooter
+        self.imageGenModel = imageGenModel
+        self.openrouterResponseCacheEnabled = openrouterResponseCacheEnabled
         self.model = model
         self.provider = provider
         self.maxTurns = maxTurns

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Parsing/HermesConfig+YAML.swift

@@ -284,7 +284,18 @@ public extension HermesConfig {
             homeAssistant: homeAssistant,
             cacheTTL: str("prompt_caching.cache_ttl", default: "5m"),
             redactionEnabled: bool("redaction.enabled", default: false),
-            runtimeMetadataFooter: bool("agent.runtime_metadata_footer", default: false)
+            runtimeMetadataFooter: bool("agent.runtime_metadata_footer", default: false),
+            // -- v0.13 additions -------------------------------------
+            // TODO(WS-6-Q1): the `openrouter.response_cache.enabled`
+            // key shape is provisional pending verification against a
+            // v0.13 `hermes config check`. If upstream uses a different
+            // path (e.g. `providers.openrouter.response_cache_enabled`
+            // or nested under `prompt_caching`), update this single
+            // line + the matching `setSetting` key in
+            // `SettingsViewModel.setOpenRouterResponseCache`. Default
+            // is `false` per WS-6-plan §Open Questions #2.
+            imageGenModel: str("image_gen.model", default: ""),
+            openrouterResponseCacheEnabled: bool("openrouter.response_cache.enabled", default: false)
         )
     }
 }

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Services/HermesCapabilities.swift

@@ -8,9 +8,13 @@ import os
 ///
 /// Scarf tracks Hermes feature releases by date-version + semver. v0.12 added
 /// a dozen surfaces (Curator, Kanban, multimodal ACP, ...) and removed a few
-/// (`flush_memories` aux task). UI that branches on these surfaces calls
-/// the boolean accessors here so older Hermes installs degrade silently
-/// instead of throwing on an unknown CLI subcommand.
+/// (`flush_memories` aux task); v0.13 added Persistent Goals, ACP `/queue`,
+/// Kanban diagnostics + recovery UX, Curator archive/prune, Google Chat (20th
+/// platform), cross-platform allowlists, MCP SSE transport, Cron `no_agent`
+/// mode, Web Tools per-capability backends, Profiles `--no-skills`, and a
+/// handful of UX additions. UI that branches on these surfaces calls the
+/// boolean accessors here so older Hermes installs degrade silently instead
+/// of throwing on an unknown CLI subcommand.
 ///
 /// Pure value type — no side effects. The async detection lives in
 /// `HermesCapabilitiesStore`.
@@ -45,8 +49,11 @@ public struct HermesCapabilities: Sendable, Equatable {
     // MARK: - Capability flags
     //
     // Add a new flag here when Scarf gains UI that conditionally branches on
-    // a Hermes capability. Keep the comparison conservative: `>= 0.12.0`
-    // covers users still on the 0.12 line who haven't upgraded to 0.13 yet.
+    // a Hermes capability. Keep the comparison conservative: a flag introduced
+    // in v0.13.0 should gate on `>= 0.13.0`, not `>= 0.13.5`, so users on
+    // an early 0.13 patch still see the surface.
+
+    // MARK: v0.12 (v2026.4.30) flags
 
     /// `hermes curator` autonomous skill maintenance (v0.12+).
     public var hasCurator: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 12, 0) }
@@ -96,9 +103,123 @@ public struct HermesCapabilities: Sendable, Equatable {
     public var hasPromptCacheTTL: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 12, 0) }
 
     /// `redaction.enabled` is now off by default in v0.12 — Scarf surfaces
-    /// the toggle so users can flip it back on.
+    /// the toggle so users can flip it back on. v0.13 flips the server-side
+    /// default back to ON; the toggle remains so users on v0.13 can opt out.
     public var hasRedactionToggle: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 12, 0) }
 
+    // MARK: v0.13 (v2026.5.7) flags
+
+    /// `/goal` slash command + Persistent Goals + Checkpoints v2 single-store
+    /// (v0.13+). Used by RichChatViewModel to add `/goal` to the
+    /// non-interruptive command list and to render the "Goal locked" pill in
+    /// the chat header.
+    public var hasGoals: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `/queue` slash command in the ACP adapter (v0.13+). Queues a prompt
+    /// to run after the current turn completes without interrupting.
+    public var hasACPQueue: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `/steer` runs as a regular prompt on idle ACP sessions (v0.13+). Pre-
+    /// v0.13 hosts silently no-op `/steer` when no turn is in flight; with
+    /// this flag on, Scarf can surface `/steer` even when the agent isn't
+    /// mid-turn without confusing UX.
+    public var hasACPSteerOnIdle: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Kanban v0.13 reliability surface: hallucination gate on worker-created
+    /// cards, generic diagnostics engine, per-task `max_retries`, multiline
+    /// title/body create, `auto_blocked_reason` on blocked tasks, darwin
+    /// zombie detection. All read through the `kanban show` JSON surface.
+    public var hasKanbanDiagnostics: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `hermes curator archive`, `prune`, and `list-archived` subcommands
+    /// (v0.13+). The synchronous manual `hermes curator run` lives behind
+    /// this flag too — pre-v0.13 `run` returns immediately and the work
+    /// happens in the background.
+    public var hasCuratorArchive: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Google Chat — 20th messaging-gateway platform (v0.13+).
+    public var hasGoogleChatPlatform: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Cross-platform allowlist keys: `allowed_channels` (Slack / Mattermost
+    /// / Google Chat), `allowed_chats` (Telegram / WhatsApp), `allowed_rooms`
+    /// (Matrix / DingTalk). Settable per platform in `config.yaml` (v0.13+).
+    public var hasGatewayAllowlists: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `busy_ack_enabled` config to suppress per-message "agent is working…"
+    /// acks across platforms (v0.13+).
+    public var hasGatewayBusyAckToggle: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Per-platform `gateway_restart_notification` flag controls whether the
+    /// platform posts a "Gateway restarted" notice on boot (v0.13+).
+    public var hasGatewayRestartNotification: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `hermes gateway list` cross-profile status verb (v0.13+). Lets Scarf
+    /// show which profile is currently running which platform.
+    public var hasGatewayList: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// MCP servers can use SSE transport (v0.13+). Adds an `sse_read_timeout`
+    /// knob alongside the existing stdio/pipe transports.
+    public var hasMCPSSETransport: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Cron `--no-agent` mode for script-only watchdog jobs (v0.13+). Skips
+    /// the AI call entirely — useful for keep-alive / periodic-check jobs.
+    public var hasCronNoAgent: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Web Tools split into per-capability backend selection: `web_search`
+    /// and `web_extract` can now use distinct backends (v0.13+). SearXNG
+    /// joined as a search-only backend.
+    public var hasWebToolsBackendSplit: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `hermes profile create --no-skills` flag for empty profiles (v0.13+).
+    public var hasProfileNoSkills: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// Context compression count surfaced in the status feed (v0.13+). Scarf
+    /// renders it next to the token count in the chat status bar.
+    public var hasContextCompressionCount: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `/new` slash command accepts an optional session-name argument (v0.13+).
+    public var hasNewWithSessionName: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `hermes update --yes` / `-y` skips interactive prompts (v0.13+). Used
+    /// by Scarf's "Update Hermes" affordance to run unattended.
+    public var hasUpdateNonInteractive: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// OpenRouter response caching toggle in `config.yaml` (v0.13+).
+    public var hasOpenRouterResponseCache: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `image_gen.model` honored from `config.yaml` (v0.13+). Pre-v0.13 the
+    /// value was advertised but ignored at runtime.
+    public var hasImageGenModel: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `display.language` config key for static-message translation: zh / ja /
+    /// de / es / fr / uk / tr (v0.13+).
+    public var hasDisplayLanguage: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// xAI Custom Voices — voice cloning support (v0.13+). Exposed in Scarf
+    /// as a "Cloning supported" badge next to the xAI TTS provider entry.
+    public var hasXAIVoiceCloning: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `video_analyze` tool — native video understanding on Gemini and
+    /// compatible models (v0.13+). Hermes handles this transparently inside
+    /// the agent loop; Scarf has no UI surface yet, but the flag lets future
+    /// dashboards / activity views light up video-tool annotations.
+    public var hasVideoAnalyze: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    /// `transform_llm_output` plugin hook for shaping LLM output before the
+    /// conversation receives it (v0.13+). Plugin-author concern; Scarf's
+    /// PluginsView surfaces it as a documented hook in plugin metadata.
+    public var hasTransformLLMOutputHook: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
+    // MARK: Convenience predicates
+
+    /// Whether the connected host is on the v0.13 line or newer. Convenience
+    /// for UI copy that needs to switch on the v0.12 → v0.13 boundary without
+    /// proxying through a feature-specific flag (e.g. "v0.13 features active"
+    /// badges, redaction default-state hints). Equivalent to any individual
+    /// v0.13 flag; prefer this when the call site isn't actually about a
+    /// specific feature.
+    public var isV013OrLater: Bool { atLeastSemver(0, 13, 0) }
+
     private func atLeastSemver(_ major: Int, _ minor: Int, _ patch: Int) -> Bool {
         guard let s = semver else { return false }
         return s >= SemVer(major: major, minor: minor, patch: patch)

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Sources/ScarfCore/Services/ModelCatalogService.swift

@@ -155,9 +155,20 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
             )
         }
         return byID.values.sorted { lhs, rhs in
+            // Subscription-gated first (Nous Portal).
             if lhs.subscriptionGated != rhs.subscriptionGated {
                 return lhs.subscriptionGated
             }
+            // Demoted last (Vercel AI Gateway, per Hermes v0.13). The
+            // axis is unconditional — we don't gate on the Hermes
+            // version because "Vercel mid-alphabet on v0.12, bottom on
+            // v0.13" would be more confusing than the consistent
+            // "Vercel last" treatment for everyone.
+            let lDemoted = Self.demotedProviders.contains(lhs.providerID)
+            let rDemoted = Self.demotedProviders.contains(rhs.providerID)
+            if lDemoted != rDemoted {
+                return !lDemoted
+            }
             return lhs.providerName.localizedCaseInsensitiveCompare(rhs.providerName) == .orderedAscending
         }
     }
@@ -235,7 +246,10 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
     public func provider(for modelID: String) -> HermesProviderInfo? {
         guard let catalog = loadCatalog() else { return nil }
         for (providerID, p) in catalog {
-            if p.models?[modelID] != nil {
+            // Resolve any model-rename alias for this provider before
+            // checking the catalog — see `modelAliases` for rationale.
+            let resolved = resolveModelAlias(providerID: providerID, modelID: modelID)
+            if p.models?[resolved] != nil {
                 return HermesProviderInfo(
                     providerID: providerID,
                     providerName: p.name ?? providerID,
@@ -299,14 +313,17 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
     /// Look up a specific model by provider + ID. Returns nil if not in the
     /// catalog (e.g., free-typed custom model).
     public func model(providerID: String, modelID: String) -> HermesModelInfo? {
+        // Resolve any model-rename alias for this provider before
+        // checking the catalog — see `modelAliases` for rationale.
+        let resolved = resolveModelAlias(providerID: providerID, modelID: modelID)
         guard let catalog = loadCatalog(),
               let provider = catalog[providerID],
-              let raw = provider.models?[modelID] else { return nil }
+              let raw = provider.models?[resolved] else { return nil }
         return HermesModelInfo(
             providerID: providerID,
             providerName: provider.name ?? providerID,
-            modelID: modelID,
-            modelName: raw.name ?? modelID,
+            modelID: resolved,
+            modelName: raw.name ?? resolved,
             contextWindow: raw.limit?.context,
             maxOutput: raw.limit?.output,
             costInput: raw.cost?.input,
@@ -344,10 +361,14 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
     /// HTTP 404 at runtime. Catch that at save time, not 6 hours later.
     public func validateModel(_ modelID: String, for providerID: String) -> ModelValidation {
         ScarfMon.measure(.diskIO, "modelCatalog.validateModel") {
-            let trimmed = modelID.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-            guard !trimmed.isEmpty else {
+            let raw = modelID.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+            guard !raw.isEmpty else {
                 return .invalid(providerName: providerID, suggestions: [])
             }
+            // Resolve any model-rename alias before lookup so configs
+            // referencing a deprecated ID (e.g. `x-ai/grok-4.20-beta`)
+            // validate against the canonical successor.
+            let trimmed = resolveModelAlias(providerID: providerID, modelID: raw)
 
             // Overlay-only providers (Nous Portal, OpenAI Codex, Qwen
             // OAuth, …) serve their own catalogs that aren't mirrored to
@@ -433,6 +454,78 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
         let output: Int?
     }
 
+    // MARK: - Model aliases (model rename resolution)
+
+    /// Hermes deprecates model IDs across releases. When a stored config
+    /// `model.default` references a deprecated ID, resolve to its
+    /// canonical successor. Lossless — we never rewrite the user's
+    /// `config.yaml`; the alias just lets `validateModel` /
+    /// `model(providerID:modelID:)` / `provider(for:)` succeed against
+    /// the new ID.
+    ///
+    /// Keys are slash-joined `providerID/modelID` to disambiguate
+    /// across providers — even if `vercel` later adds a `grok-4.20-beta`
+    /// alias on its own, the openrouter resolution shouldn't fire.
+    /// Values are the bare resolved model ID (no provider prefix).
+    ///
+    /// **Schema is Swift-primary.** Mirror new entries into Hermes's
+    /// upstream deprecation map in `hermes_cli/providers.py` if/when
+    /// upstream tracks renames in code (today they're release-notes
+    /// only).
+    public static let modelAliases: [String: String] = [
+        // v0.13: x-ai dropped the `-beta` suffix once Grok 4.20 GA'd.
+        // The model is the same one served at the same OpenRouter slot;
+        // only the marketing identifier changed.
+        // TODO(WS-6-Q4): verify whether OpenRouter retired the
+        // `x-ai/grok-4.20-beta` slot entirely. Either way the alias is
+        // correct (cosmetic if old slot stays live, load-bearing if it
+        // 404s).
+        "openrouter/x-ai/grok-4.20-beta": "x-ai/grok-4.20",
+        "xai/grok-4.20-beta": "grok-4.20",
+        "vercel/xai/grok-4.20-beta": "xai/grok-4.20",
+    ]
+
+    /// Resolve a stored model identifier through the alias map. Returns
+    /// the input unchanged when no alias exists. Pure function — used at
+    /// read time everywhere a config'd model ID is rendered, validated,
+    /// or sent to Hermes.
+    public func resolveModelAlias(providerID: String, modelID: String) -> String {
+        let composite = "\(providerID)/\(modelID)"
+        return Self.modelAliases[composite] ?? modelID
+    }
+
+    // MARK: - Demoted providers (sort tail)
+
+    /// Provider IDs that Hermes v0.13 explicitly deprioritizes in the
+    /// picker. `loadProviders()` sorts these to the tail of the list,
+    /// after the alphabetical group, so users who haven't manually
+    /// chosen Vercel as their gateway don't end up there by default.
+    /// Mirrors Hermes's deprioritized-provider list in
+    /// `hermes-agent/hermes_cli/providers.py`.
+    public static let demotedProviders: Set<String> = [
+        "vercel",
+    ]
+
+    // MARK: - Image-generation model allowlist (curated)
+
+    /// Known image-generation models, used to pre-populate the
+    /// `image_gen.model` picker on the Auxiliary tab. The list is
+    /// curated — `models_dev_cache.json` doesn't tag image-capable
+    /// models, so we maintain this by hand on Hermes version bumps.
+    /// Always free-form-typeable on the picker too, so missing entries
+    /// don't block users with non-listed image providers.
+    ///
+    /// Order: most-likely-to-be-chosen first.
+    public static let imageGenModels: [HermesImageGenModel] = [
+        .init(modelID: "openai/gpt-image-1", display: "OpenAI · gpt-image-1", providerHint: "openai"),
+        .init(modelID: "google/imagen-4", display: "Google · Imagen 4", providerHint: "google-vertex"),
+        .init(modelID: "google/imagen-3", display: "Google · Imagen 3", providerHint: "google-vertex"),
+        .init(modelID: "stability/stable-image-ultra", display: "Stability · Stable Image Ultra", providerHint: "stability"),
+        .init(modelID: "fal-ai/flux-pro-1.1", display: "fal · FLUX 1.1 Pro", providerHint: "fal"),
+        .init(modelID: "black-forest-labs/flux-1.1-pro", display: "Black Forest Labs · FLUX 1.1 Pro", providerHint: "openrouter"),
+        .init(modelID: "openai/dall-e-3", display: "OpenAI · DALL·E 3", providerHint: "openai"),
+    ]
+
     // MARK: - Hermes overlay providers
 
     /// The 11 providers Hermes surfaces via `hermes model` that have no
@@ -538,6 +631,27 @@ public struct ModelCatalogService: Sendable {
     ]
 }
 
+/// Curated entry for the `image_gen.model` picker on the Auxiliary
+/// tab. Hermes v0.13 honors a top-level `image_gen.model` key but the
+/// models.dev catalog has no `image: true` tag, so we maintain a
+/// short hand-curated allowlist keyed by display order. The picker
+/// always allows free-form-typing too, so any provider's model ID
+/// works regardless of whether it appears here.
+public struct HermesImageGenModel: Sendable, Identifiable, Hashable {
+    public let modelID: String
+    public let display: String
+    /// Hint at which provider serves this model — surfaced as a
+    /// "Configure provider X first" advisory but never enforced.
+    public let providerHint: String?
+    public var id: String { modelID }
+
+    public init(modelID: String, display: String, providerHint: String?) {
+        self.modelID = modelID
+        self.display = display
+        self.providerHint = providerHint
+    }
+}
+
 /// Scarf-side mirror of `HermesOverlay` from hermes-agent's
 /// `hermes_cli/providers.py`. Describes a provider that isn't in the
 /// models.dev catalog.

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Tests/ScarfCoreTests/HermesCapabilitiesTests.swift

@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ import Foundation
 
     // MARK: - Version line parsing
 
+    @Test func parseV013ReleaseLine() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.13.0 (2026.5.7)")
+        #expect(caps.semver == HermesCapabilities.SemVer(major: 0, minor: 13, patch: 0))
+        #expect(caps.dateVersion == HermesCapabilities.DateVersion(year: 2026, month: 5, day: 7))
+        #expect(caps.detected)
+    }
+
     @Test func parseV012ReleaseLine() {
         let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.12.0 (2026.4.30)")
         #expect(caps.semver == HermesCapabilities.SemVer(major: 0, minor: 12, patch: 0))
@@ -75,8 +82,42 @@ import Foundation
 
     // MARK: - Capability flags
 
+    @Test func v013FlagsAllOn() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.13.0 (2026.5.7)")
+        // v0.12 surfaces remain on.
+        #expect(caps.hasCurator)
+        #expect(caps.hasKanban)
+        #expect(caps.hasACPImagePrompts)
+        #expect(!caps.hasFlushMemoriesAux)
+        // v0.13 surfaces light up.
+        #expect(caps.hasGoals)
+        #expect(caps.hasACPQueue)
+        #expect(caps.hasACPSteerOnIdle)
+        #expect(caps.hasKanbanDiagnostics)
+        #expect(caps.hasCuratorArchive)
+        #expect(caps.hasGoogleChatPlatform)
+        #expect(caps.hasGatewayAllowlists)
+        #expect(caps.hasGatewayBusyAckToggle)
+        #expect(caps.hasGatewayRestartNotification)
+        #expect(caps.hasGatewayList)
+        #expect(caps.hasMCPSSETransport)
+        #expect(caps.hasCronNoAgent)
+        #expect(caps.hasWebToolsBackendSplit)
+        #expect(caps.hasProfileNoSkills)
+        #expect(caps.hasContextCompressionCount)
+        #expect(caps.hasNewWithSessionName)
+        #expect(caps.hasUpdateNonInteractive)
+        #expect(caps.hasOpenRouterResponseCache)
+        #expect(caps.hasImageGenModel)
+        #expect(caps.hasDisplayLanguage)
+        #expect(caps.hasXAIVoiceCloning)
+        #expect(caps.hasVideoAnalyze)
+        #expect(caps.hasTransformLLMOutputHook)
+    }
+
     @Test func v012FlagsAllOn() {
         let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.12.0 (2026.4.30)")
+        // v0.12 surfaces on.
         #expect(caps.hasCurator)
         #expect(caps.hasFallbackCommand)
         #expect(caps.hasKanban)
@@ -94,6 +135,22 @@ import Foundation
         #expect(caps.hasRedactionToggle)
         // flush_memories was REMOVED in v0.12 — flag inverts.
         #expect(!caps.hasFlushMemoriesAux)
+        // v0.13 surfaces stay off on a v0.12 host.
+        #expect(!caps.hasGoals)
+        #expect(!caps.hasACPQueue)
+        #expect(!caps.hasKanbanDiagnostics)
+        #expect(!caps.hasCuratorArchive)
+        #expect(!caps.hasGoogleChatPlatform)
+        #expect(!caps.hasGatewayAllowlists)
+        #expect(!caps.hasMCPSSETransport)
+        #expect(!caps.hasCronNoAgent)
+        #expect(!caps.hasWebToolsBackendSplit)
+        #expect(!caps.hasProfileNoSkills)
+        #expect(!caps.hasContextCompressionCount)
+        #expect(!caps.hasOpenRouterResponseCache)
+        #expect(!caps.hasImageGenModel)
+        #expect(!caps.hasDisplayLanguage)
+        #expect(!caps.hasXAIVoiceCloning)
     }
 
     @Test func v011FlagsAllOff() {
@@ -126,11 +183,45 @@ import Foundation
     }
 
     @Test func futureVersionRetainsCapabilities() {
-        // A v0.13 (hypothetical) should still see all v0.12 capabilities on.
-        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.13.0 (2026.6.1)")
+        // A v0.14 (hypothetical) should still see all v0.12 + v0.13 capabilities on.
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.14.0 (2026.7.1)")
         #expect(caps.hasCurator)
         #expect(caps.hasACPImagePrompts)
+        #expect(caps.hasGoals)
+        #expect(caps.hasKanbanDiagnostics)
+        #expect(caps.hasCuratorArchive)
         // And flush_memories stays gone.
         #expect(!caps.hasFlushMemoriesAux)
     }
+
+    @Test func v0_13_patchReleaseStillEnablesAllFlags() {
+        // A v0.13.4 patch release should still enable every v0.13 flag.
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.13.4 (2026.5.20)")
+        #expect(caps.hasGoals)
+        #expect(caps.hasACPQueue)
+        #expect(caps.hasKanbanDiagnostics)
+        #expect(caps.hasGoogleChatPlatform)
+    }
+
+    // MARK: - isV013OrLater convenience predicate
+
+    @Test func isV013OrLater_v013HostTrue() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.13.0 (2026.5.7)")
+        #expect(caps.isV013OrLater)
+    }
+
+    @Test func isV013OrLater_v012HostFalse() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.12.0 (2026.4.30)")
+        #expect(!caps.isV013OrLater)
+    }
+
+    @Test func isV013OrLater_emptyFalse() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.empty
+        #expect(!caps.isV013OrLater)
+    }
+
+    @Test func isV013OrLater_v014HostTrue() {
+        let caps = HermesCapabilities.parseLine("Hermes Agent v0.14.0 (2026.7.1)")
+        #expect(caps.isV013OrLater)
+    }
 }

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Tests/ScarfCoreTests/M0cServicesTests.swift

@@ -310,6 +310,74 @@ import Foundation
         }
     }
 
+    // MARK: - ModelCatalogService — WS-6 (v0.13)
+
+    @Test func vercelAIGatewayDemotedToBottom() throws {
+        // Build a minimal catalog with vercel + alphabetically-later
+        // providers, then assert vercel sorts after them. Locks the
+        // demoted-axis sort comparator added in WS-6.
+        let json = """
+        {
+          "anthropic": { "name": "Anthropic", "models": {} },
+          "vercel":    { "name": "Vercel AI Gateway", "models": {} },
+          "zonk":      { "name": "Zonk Provider", "models": {} }
+        }
+        """
+        let tmp = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory
+            .appendingPathComponent("scarf-models-\(UUID().uuidString).json")
+        try json.write(to: tmp, atomically: true, encoding: .utf8)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tmp) }
+        let svc = ModelCatalogService(path: tmp.path)
+        let providers = svc.loadProviders().filter { !$0.isOverlay }
+        let names = providers.map(\.providerName)
+        // anthropic first (alpha), zonk next (alpha), vercel last
+        // (demoted) — even though `vercel` < `zonk` alphabetically.
+        #expect(names.last == "Vercel AI Gateway")
+        let vercelIdx = names.firstIndex(of: "Vercel AI Gateway") ?? -1
+        let zonkIdx = names.firstIndex(of: "Zonk Provider") ?? -1
+        #expect(vercelIdx > zonkIdx)
+    }
+
+    @Test func grok420BetaAliasResolvesToGrok420() {
+        let svc = ModelCatalogService(path: "/tmp/scarf-nonexistent-\(UUID().uuidString).json")
+        // OpenRouter's old `-beta` ID resolves to the GA name.
+        #expect(svc.resolveModelAlias(providerID: "openrouter", modelID: "x-ai/grok-4.20-beta")
+                == "x-ai/grok-4.20")
+        // xAI direct provider keeps the same shape minus prefix.
+        #expect(svc.resolveModelAlias(providerID: "xai", modelID: "grok-4.20-beta")
+                == "grok-4.20")
+        // Non-aliased ID passes through unchanged.
+        #expect(svc.resolveModelAlias(providerID: "anthropic", modelID: "claude-4.7-opus")
+                == "claude-4.7-opus")
+        // Cross-provider isolation: same modelID on a different
+        // provider isn't aliased — composite key in `modelAliases`
+        // disambiguates by providerID.
+        #expect(svc.resolveModelAlias(providerID: "fictional", modelID: "x-ai/grok-4.20-beta")
+                == "x-ai/grok-4.20-beta")
+    }
+
+    @Test func imageGenModelAllowlistShape() {
+        // Lock the curated list size + a few sentinel entries so
+        // unintentional edits get caught in review. Free-form-typing
+        // bypasses the allowlist, so additions/removals here are
+        // purely UX (which models surface as picker rows).
+        let models = ModelCatalogService.imageGenModels
+        #expect(models.count >= 5)
+        #expect(models.contains(where: { $0.modelID == "openai/gpt-image-1" }))
+        #expect(models.contains(where: { $0.modelID == "google/imagen-4" }))
+        // Every entry has a non-empty display + a non-empty modelID.
+        for m in models {
+            #expect(!m.modelID.isEmpty)
+            #expect(!m.display.isEmpty)
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test func demotedProvidersContainsVercel() {
+        // Minimal lock-in for the demoted-providers static set. Mirrors
+        // Hermes's deprioritized-provider list in providers.py.
+        #expect(ModelCatalogService.demotedProviders.contains("vercel"))
+    }
+
     // MARK: - ProjectDashboardService
 
     @Test func projectDashboardServiceRegistryRoundTrip() throws {

scarf/Packages/ScarfCore/Tests/ScarfCoreTests/M6ConfigCronTests.swift

@@ -92,6 +92,27 @@ import Foundation
         #expect(c.security.redactSecrets == true)
         #expect(c.compression.enabled == true)
         #expect(c.voice.ttsProvider == "edge")
+        // v0.13 additions default to empty / off when the YAML omits
+        // them — pre-v0.13 hosts produce this exact shape.
+        #expect(c.imageGenModel == "")
+        #expect(c.openrouterResponseCacheEnabled == false)
+    }
+
+    @Test func parsesImageGenAndOpenRouterCache() {
+        // WS-6: round-trip the two new top-level v0.13 keys. If the
+        // OpenRouter key shape changes upstream (see TODO(WS-6-Q1)),
+        // this test is the single touchpoint that pins the parser
+        // line + setter key + UI binding to a single shape.
+        let yaml = """
+        image_gen:
+          model: openai/gpt-image-1
+        openrouter:
+          response_cache:
+            enabled: true
+        """
+        let c = HermesConfig(yaml: yaml)
+        #expect(c.imageGenModel == "openai/gpt-image-1")
+        #expect(c.openrouterResponseCacheEnabled == true)
     }
 
     @Test func parsesTopLevelModel() {

scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.swift

@@ -195,6 +195,24 @@ final class SettingsViewModel {
         setSetting("auxiliary.\(task).timeout", value: String(value))
     }
 
+    // MARK: - Image generation (v0.13+)
+
+    /// `image_gen.model` — overrides the per-provider default image
+    /// model (Hermes v0.13+). Empty string clears the override.
+    /// Capability-gated in `AuxiliaryTab` so pre-v0.13 hosts never
+    /// invoke this setter.
+    func setImageGenModel(_ value: String) { setSetting("image_gen.model", value: value) }
+
+    /// `openrouter.response_cache.enabled` — toggles OpenRouter
+    /// response caching for repeat prompts (Hermes v0.13+).
+    /// Capability-gated in `AuxiliaryTab` so pre-v0.13 hosts never
+    /// invoke this setter.
+    // TODO(WS-6-Q1): the YAML key path is provisional — keep in lockstep
+    // with `HermesConfig+YAML.swift`'s parser line.
+    func setOpenRouterResponseCache(_ value: Bool) {
+        setSetting("openrouter.response_cache.enabled", value: value ? "true" : "false")
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Security / Privacy
 
     func setRedactSecrets(_ value: Bool) { setSetting("security.redact_secrets", value: value ? "true" : "false") }

scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/AuxiliaryTab.swift

@@ -139,6 +139,23 @@ struct AuxiliaryTab: View {
                 auxRows(for: task.key)
             }
         }
+        // -- Hermes v0.13 additions ---------------------------------
+        // Image-gen model picker. Hermes v0.13 honors `image_gen.model`
+        // as a top-level YAML key; pre-v0.13 hosts ignore it silently.
+        // Hide the section on pre-v0.13 hosts to spare users a
+        // "I set this and nothing happened" trap.
+        if capabilitiesStore?.capabilities.hasImageGenModel ?? false {
+            SettingsSection(title: "Image Generation", icon: "photo") {
+                imageGenRow
+            }
+        }
+        // OpenRouter response caching toggle (v0.13+). Same hide-on-
+        // pre-v0.13 rationale: the toggle no-ops on older Hermes hosts.
+        if capabilitiesStore?.capabilities.hasOpenRouterResponseCache ?? false {
+            SettingsSection(title: "OpenRouter", icon: "shippingbox") {
+                openRouterResponseCacheRow
+            }
+        }
         // Unknown / unrecognised aux tasks present in config.yaml.
         // Shown only when at least one such key is present so the
         // typical user with a clean config never sees this section.
@@ -225,6 +242,60 @@ struct AuxiliaryTab: View {
         }
     }
 
+    // MARK: - v0.13 surfaces
+
+    /// Image-gen model picker — curated allowlist + free-form custom
+    /// entry. Capability-gated by the caller; this view assumes the
+    /// host honors `image_gen.model` (Hermes v0.13+).
+    @ViewBuilder
+    private var imageGenRow: some View {
+        let value = viewModel.config.imageGenModel
+        Picker("Model", selection: Binding(
+            get: { value },
+            set: { viewModel.setImageGenModel($0) }
+        )) {
+            Text("Provider default").tag("")
+            Divider()
+            ForEach(ModelCatalogService.imageGenModels) { model in
+                Text(model.display).tag(model.modelID)
+            }
+            // User has set a custom value not in the curated list;
+            // preserve it as a tagged option so the picker renders the
+            // actual selection rather than collapsing to "Provider
+            // default".
+            if !value.isEmpty
+                && !ModelCatalogService.imageGenModels.contains(where: { $0.modelID == value }) {
+                Divider()
+                Text(value + "  (custom)").tag(value)
+            }
+        }
+        .pickerStyle(.menu)
+        EditableTextField(label: "Custom model ID", value: value) { newValue in
+            viewModel.setImageGenModel(newValue.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces))
+        }
+        Text("Used for image generation calls. Leave as Provider default unless your provider documents a specific model ID for image-gen.")
+            .font(.caption2)
+            .foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
+            .padding(.horizontal, 12)
+            .padding(.bottom, 4)
+    }
+
+    /// OpenRouter response-caching toggle (Hermes v0.13+). Off by
+    /// default; surfaced for users with highly repeated prompts who
+    /// want OpenRouter to cache identical-prompt responses.
+    @ViewBuilder
+    private var openRouterResponseCacheRow: some View {
+        let isOn = viewModel.config.openrouterResponseCacheEnabled
+        ToggleRow(label: "Response caching", isOn: isOn) { newValue in
+            viewModel.setOpenRouterResponseCache(newValue)
+        }
+        Text("OpenRouter caches identical prompts within a session to reduce token costs. Off by default — enable when your workload has highly repeated prompts.")
+            .font(.caption2)
+            .foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
+            .padding(.horizontal, 12)
+            .padding(.bottom, 4)
+    }
+
     private func auxModel(for key: String) -> AuxiliaryModel {
         switch key {
         case "vision": return viewModel.config.auxiliary.vision