# Proposed Fallback Model Chain — For Review

**Current config:**
```yaml
model:
  provider: minimax
  default: MiniMax-M2.7
fallback_providers: []   # ← EMPTY — no fallback
```

**Proposed fallback chain:**

```
Primary:    minimax/MiniMax-M2.7
Fallback 1: openai/gpt-4o-mini         (OPENAI_API_KEY is present)
Fallback 2: none                      (ANTHROPIC, DEEPSEEK, OPENROUTER keys absent)
Last resort: show error
```

**Why this matters:**
If MiniMax has an outage, Hermes goes completely silent with no fallback. GPT-4o-mini is less capable but keeps the agent alive.

**To apply:**
Add to `~/.hermes/config.yaml`:
```yaml
fallback_providers:
  - provider: openai
    model: gpt-4o-mini
```

**Not applied — awaiting Rocky's review before changing anything.**