diff --git a/internal/catalog/catalog.go b/internal/catalog/catalog.go
index d28d3467..1d5be24f 100644
--- a/internal/catalog/catalog.go
+++ b/internal/catalog/catalog.go
@@ -556,6 +556,19 @@ func DrawsID(id string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// ImagesAPI is whether a model draws on an images API (/images/generations)
+// rather than answering in chat with pictures: gpt-image, dall-e, imagen,
+// flux, seedream… — not gemini-*-image or gpt-5-image, which chat.
+func ImagesAPI(id string) bool {
+	id = strings.ToLower(id)
+	for _, w := range []string{"gpt-image", "chatgpt-image", "dall-e", "imagen", "imagine", "qwen-image", "wanx", "wan2", "seedream", "cogview", "flux", "stable-diffusion", "sdxl", "kolors", "hidream"} {
+		if strings.Contains(id, w) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // Drawers are the models of one models.dev provider that make images,
 // newest first.
 func Drawers(id string) []Model {
diff --git a/internal/gateway/draw.go b/internal/gateway/draw.go
index 05ecef2d..f179e7c5 100644
--- a/internal/gateway/draw.go
+++ b/internal/gateway/draw.go
@@ -435,15 +435,12 @@ func isGoogle(p provider.Provider) bool {
 
 // viaFor is where model is best asked to draw at p.
 func viaFor(p provider.Provider, model string) drawVia {
-	m := strings.ToLower(model)
-	onImages := slices.ContainsFunc([]string{"gpt-image", "chatgpt-image", "dall-e", "imagen", "imagine", "qwen-image", "wanx", "wan2", "seedream", "cogview", "flux", "stable-diffusion", "sdxl", "kolors", "hidream"},
-		func(w string) bool { return strings.Contains(m, w) })
 	switch {
-	case isGoogle(p) && strings.Contains(m, "gemini"):
+	case isGoogle(p) && strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(model), "gemini"):
 		return viaGemini
 	case provider.HostOf(p.Base(provider.Chat)) == "openrouter.ai":
 		return viaChat
-	case onImages:
+	case catalog.ImagesAPI(model):
 		return viaImages
 	}
 	return viaChat
diff --git a/internal/gui/providers.go b/internal/gui/providers.go
index 5b93dc39..24ac53d1 100644
--- a/internal/gui/providers.go
+++ b/internal/gui/providers.go
@@ -583,7 +583,8 @@ func providerRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux, w Windows) {
 				return
 			}
 			if len(req.Test) > 0 {
-				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(r.Context(), 90*time.Second)
+				// an image model's test draws a picture, which takes longer
+				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(r.Context(), 3*time.Minute)
 				defer cancel()
 				writeJSON(rw, map[string]any{"results": p.TestModels(ctx, req.Test)})
 				return
diff --git a/internal/provider/test.go b/internal/provider/test.go
index 9ad1a39d..2946aeeb 100644
--- a/internal/provider/test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (p Provider) Test(ctx context.Context) []Result {
 			continue
 		}
 		url, body := tiny(q, proto, model)
-		out = append(out, probe(ctx, q, proto, url, q.Prepare([]byte(body)), model))
+		out = append(out, probe(ctx, q, proto, url, q.Prepare([]byte(body)), model, testWait))
 	}
 	return out
 }
@@ -72,6 +72,32 @@ func tinyBody(q Provider, proto Protocol, model string) (url, body string) {
 	return "", ""
 }
 
+// testWait is how long a probe waits for an answer; drawWait, for a
+// picture, which takes an images API longer than a word takes chat.
+const (
+	testWait = 20 * time.Second
+	drawWait = 2 * time.Minute
+)
+
+// drawsOnImages is whether model is asked on p's images API, as the
+// gateway draws with it there: chat would be turned away, or answered in
+// no shape a chat test knows. OpenRouter draws everything in chat.
+func (p Provider) drawsOnImages(model string) bool {
+	return p.Account == nil && p.Chat != "" && HostOf(p.Chat) != "openrouter.ai" && catalog.ImagesAPI(model)
+}
+
+// tinyDrawing is the smallest images request for model: one picture of
+// next to nothing, at the lowest quality gpt-image offers, at the size
+// the vendor draws by default (the smallest one takes differs by model).
+func tinyDrawing(q Provider, model string) (url, body string) {
+	req := map[string]any{"model": model, "prompt": "a dot", "n": 1}
+	if m := strings.ToLower(model); strings.Contains(m, "gpt-image") || strings.Contains(m, "chatgpt-image") {
+		req["quality"] = "low"
+	}
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(req)
+	return strings.TrimRight(q.Chat, "/") + "/images/generations", string(b)
+}
+
 // TestModels sends each of models the smallest request, a few at a time,
 // on the endpoint it's served on and with a key that sees it: whether each
 // answers, not only whether the vendor does. Results are in models' order.
@@ -103,9 +129,13 @@ func (p Provider) testOne(ctx context.Context, model string) Result {
 		return Result{Model: model, Error: "this provider can't be sent a test request"}
 	}
 	// the endpoint the vendor's list says serves it, else Anthropic's for a
-	// Claude model, else the one it prefers
+	// Claude model, else the one it prefers; an image model draws on the
+	// chat endpoint's images API
 	proto := protos[0]
-	if apis := p.APIs(model); apis != nil {
+	draws := p.drawsOnImages(model) && slices.Contains(protos, Chat)
+	if draws {
+		proto = Chat
+	} else if apis := p.APIs(model); apis != nil {
 		if i := slices.IndexFunc(protos, func(pr Protocol) bool { return slices.Contains(apis, pr) }); i >= 0 {
 			proto = protos[i]
 		}
@@ -129,8 +159,21 @@ func (p Provider) testOne(ctx context.Context, model string) Result {
 	if !ok {
 		return Result{Protocol: proto, Model: model, Error: "no key that's on sees this model"}
 	}
+	if draws {
+		// as the gateway does, one the images API doesn't serve is tried
+		// in chat, and only its answer said when that fails too
+		url, body := tinyDrawing(q, model)
+		r := probe(ctx, q, proto, url, []byte(body), model, drawWait)
+		if !r.OK && (r.Status == 404 || r.Status == 405) {
+			url, body := tiny(q, proto, model)
+			if c := probe(ctx, q, proto, url, q.Prepare([]byte(body)), model, testWait); c.OK {
+				return c
+			}
+		}
+		return r
+	}
 	url, body := tiny(q, proto, model)
-	return probe(ctx, q, proto, url, q.Prepare([]byte(body)), model)
+	return probe(ctx, q, proto, url, q.Prepare([]byte(body)), model, testWait)
 }
 
 // keyFor is p using the first key on that works with proto: one made for
@@ -152,7 +195,8 @@ func (p Provider) keyFor(proto Protocol) (Provider, bool) {
 
 // testModel is the model a probe of proto's endpoint asks for: the first
 // exposed one q's key sees, else the first it sees at all — preferring a
-// Claude model on the Anthropic endpoint.
+// Claude model on the Anthropic endpoint, and one that chats to one that
+// draws on an images API.
 func (p Provider) testModel(q Provider, proto Protocol) string {
 	k := q.first()
 	var pools [][]catalog.Model
@@ -162,6 +206,9 @@ func (p Provider) testModel(q Provider, proto Protocol) string {
 	pools = append(pools, p.Available())
 	for _, want := range []func(string) bool{
 		func(id string) bool {
+			if p.drawsOnImages(id) {
+				return false
+			}
 			if apis := p.APIs(id); apis != nil {
 				return slices.Contains(apis, proto)
 			}
@@ -204,13 +251,13 @@ func AuthHeaders(p Provider, proto Protocol) map[string]string {
 	return map[string]string{"Authorization": "Bearer " + p.Key}
 }
 
-func probe(ctx context.Context, p Provider, proto Protocol, url string, body []byte, model string) Result {
+func probe(ctx context.Context, p Provider, proto Protocol, url string, body []byte, model string, wait time.Duration) Result {
 	r := Result{Protocol: proto, Model: model}
 	if model == "" {
 		r.Error = "no model to try: expose one, or refresh the model list"
 		return r
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 20*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, wait)
 	defer cancel()
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, url, bytes.NewReader(body))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/provider/test_test.go b/internal/provider/test_test.go
index dfb8c5f3..d569288d 100644
--- a/internal/provider/test_test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/test_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -106,3 +107,64 @@ func TestTestModels(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("seen %v", seen)
 	}
 }
+
+// An image model is tested as the gateway draws with it, on the images
+// API with one small picture — a chat request it would turn away — while a
+// chat model is still asked in chat. The vendor-wide Test picks the chat one.
+func TestTestModelsDraws(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", home)
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", filepath.Join(home, ".config"))
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CACHE_HOME", filepath.Join(home, ".cache"))
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+	seen := map[string]string{} // model → path it was asked on
+	bodies := map[string]map[string]any{}
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method == http.MethodGet {
+			rw.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+			return
+		}
+		var in map[string]any
+		_ = json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&in)
+		model, _ := in["model"].(string)
+		mu.Lock()
+		seen[model] = r.URL.Path
+		bodies[model] = in
+		mu.Unlock()
+		draws := strings.Contains(model, "image") || strings.Contains(model, "flux")
+		switch {
+		case r.URL.Path == "/v1/images/generations" && draws:
+			_, _ = rw.Write([]byte(`{"data":[{"url":"https://img.example/1.png"}]}`))
+		case r.URL.Path == "/v1/chat/completions" && !draws:
+			_, _ = rw.Write([]byte(`{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"hi"}}]}`))
+		default:
+			rw.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			_, _ = rw.Write([]byte(`{"error":{"message":"wrong endpoint for ` + model + `"}}`))
+		}
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	p := Provider{ID: "custom", Name: "Custom", Chat: srv.URL + "/v1", Key: "sk-x",
+		Models: []string{"gpt-image-1", "flux-kontext-pro", "gpt-6-sol"}}
+	rs := p.TestModels(context.Background(), []string{"gpt-image-1", "flux-kontext-pro", "gpt-6-sol"})
+	for _, r := range rs {
+		if !r.OK {
+			t.Fatalf("results %+v", rs)
+		}
+	}
+	if seen["gpt-image-1"] != "/v1/images/generations" || seen["flux-kontext-pro"] != "/v1/images/generations" || seen["gpt-6-sol"] != "/v1/chat/completions" {
+		t.Fatalf("seen %v", seen)
+	}
+	if b := bodies["gpt-image-1"]; b["n"] != float64(1) || b["quality"] != "low" || b["prompt"] == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("gpt-image body %v", b)
+	}
+	if b := bodies["flux-kontext-pro"]; b["quality"] != nil || b["messages"] != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("flux body %v", b)
+	}
+	// the vendor-wide Test asks the chat model, though an image one is first
+	mu.Lock()
+	clear(seen)
+	mu.Unlock()
+	if rs := p.Test(context.Background()); len(rs) != 1 || !rs[0].OK || rs[0].Model != "gpt-6-sol" {
+		t.Fatalf("Test %+v", rs)
+	}
+}