diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/services/llm_router_service.py b/surfsense_backend/app/services/llm_router_service.py
index 4bce79a43..d624ff56c 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/services/llm_router_service.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/services/llm_router_service.py
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ class LLMRouterService:
         """
         Initialize the router with global LLM configurations.
 
+        Configs with ``router_pool_eligible=False`` are skipped so that
+        dynamic OpenRouter entries stay out of the shared router pool used
+        by title-gen / sub-agent ``model="auto"`` flows. Those dynamic
+        entries are still available for user-facing Auto-mode thread pinning
+        via ``auto_model_pin_service``.
+
         Args:
             global_configs: List of global LLM config dictionaries from YAML
             router_settings: Optional router settings (routing_strategy, num_retries, etc.)
@@ -220,6 +226,8 @@ class LLMRouterService:
         model_list = []
         premium_models: set[str] = set()
         for config in global_configs:
+            if config.get("router_pool_eligible") is False:
+                continue
             deployment = cls._config_to_deployment(config)
             if deployment:
                 model_list.append(deployment)
@@ -308,10 +316,45 @@ class LLMRouterService:
             logger.error(f"Failed to initialize LLM Router: {e}")
             instance._router = None
 
+    @classmethod
+    def rebuild(
+        cls,
+        global_configs: list[dict],
+        router_settings: dict | None = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Reset the router and re-run ``initialize`` with fresh configs.
+
+        ``initialize`` short-circuits once it has run to avoid re-creating the
+        LiteLLM Router on every request; ``rebuild`` deliberately clears
+        ``_initialized`` so a caller (e.g. background OpenRouter refresh)
+        can force the pool to be rebuilt after catalogue changes.
+        """
+        instance = cls.get_instance()
+        instance._initialized = False
+        instance._router = None
+        instance._model_list = []
+        instance._premium_model_strings = set()
+        cls.initialize(global_configs, router_settings)
+
     @classmethod
     def is_premium_model(cls, model_string: str) -> bool:
-        """Return True if *model_string* (as reported by LiteLLM) belongs to a
-        premium-tier deployment in the router pool."""
+        """Return True if *model_string* belongs to a premium-tier deployment
+        in the LiteLLM router pool.
+
+        Scope: only covers configs with ``router_pool_eligible`` truthy. That
+        includes static YAML premium configs AND dynamic OpenRouter *premium*
+        entries (which opt in at generation time). Dynamic OpenRouter *free*
+        entries and the virtual ``openrouter/free`` router are deliberately
+        kept out of the router pool — OpenRouter enforces free-tier limits
+        globally per account, so per-deployment router accounting can't
+        represent them correctly — and therefore return ``False`` here, which
+        matches their ``billing_tier="free"`` (no premium quota).
+
+        For per-request premium checks on an arbitrary config (static or
+        dynamic, pool or non-pool), read ``agent_config.is_premium`` instead;
+        that reflects the per-config ``billing_tier`` directly and is what
+        user-facing Auto-mode thread pinning uses to bill correctly.
+        """
         instance = cls.get_instance()
         return model_string in instance._premium_model_strings