diff --git a/pkg/agent/agent_test.go b/pkg/agent/agent_test.go
index dd13995b..a4f651e6 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/agent_test.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/agent_test.go
@@ -4484,6 +4484,80 @@ func (p *visionAnswerProvider) GetDefaultModel() string {
 	return "vision-answer-model"
 }
 
+type resolvedImagePathVisionProvider struct {
+	expectedPath string
+	calls        int
+	models       []string
+	pathTagSeen  []bool
+	mediaSeen    []bool
+}
+
+func (p *resolvedImagePathVisionProvider) Chat(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	messages []providers.Message,
+	tools []providers.ToolDefinition,
+	model string,
+	opts map[string]any,
+) (*providers.LLMResponse, error) {
+	p.calls++
+	p.models = append(p.models, model)
+
+	pathTag := "[image:" + p.expectedPath + "]"
+	hasPathTag := false
+	hasMedia := false
+	for _, msg := range messages {
+		if strings.Contains(msg.Content, pathTag) {
+			hasPathTag = true
+		}
+		for _, ref := range msg.Media {
+			if strings.TrimSpace(ref) != "" {
+				hasMedia = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	p.pathTagSeen = append(p.pathTagSeen, hasPathTag)
+	p.mediaSeen = append(p.mediaSeen, hasMedia)
+
+	if !hasPathTag {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("vision provider expected resolved image path tag %q", pathTag)
+	}
+	if hasMedia {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("vision provider expected resolved attachment turn without raw media refs")
+	}
+
+	return &providers.LLMResponse{
+		Content:   "vision direct answer",
+		ToolCalls: []providers.ToolCall{},
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (p *resolvedImagePathVisionProvider) GetDefaultModel() string {
+	return "resolved-image-path-vision-model"
+}
+
+type unexpectedTextAttachmentProvider struct {
+	calls int
+}
+
+func (p *unexpectedTextAttachmentProvider) Chat(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	messages []providers.Message,
+	tools []providers.ToolDefinition,
+	model string,
+	opts map[string]any,
+) (*providers.LLMResponse, error) {
+	p.calls++
+	return &providers.LLMResponse{
+		Content:   "text model response",
+		ToolCalls: []providers.ToolCall{},
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (p *unexpectedTextAttachmentProvider) GetDefaultModel() string {
+	return "unexpected-text-attachment-model"
+}
+
 func TestAgentLoop_VisionUnsupportedErrorReturnsClearFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	workspace := t.TempDir()
 
@@ -4548,6 +4622,95 @@ func TestAgentLoop_VisionUnsupportedErrorReturnsClearFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAgentLoop_UserAttachmentRoutesToImageModelAfterMediaResolution(t *testing.T) {
+	workspace := t.TempDir()
+	pngPath := filepath.Join(workspace, "sample.png")
+	pngBytes := []byte{
+		0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A,
+		0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D, 0x49, 0x48, 0x44, 0x52,
+		0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x08, 0x02,
+		0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x90, 0x77, 0x53, 0xDE,
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(pngPath, pngBytes, 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	cfg := &config.Config{
+		Agents: config.AgentsConfig{
+			Defaults: config.AgentDefaults{
+				Workspace:         workspace,
+				ModelName:         "text-model",
+				ImageModel:        "vision-model",
+				MaxTokens:         4096,
+				MaxToolIterations: 3,
+			},
+		},
+		ModelList: []*config.ModelConfig{
+			{ModelName: "text-model", Model: "openai/text-model"},
+			{ModelName: "vision-model", Model: "openai/vision-model"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	msgBus := bus.NewMessageBus()
+	textProvider := &unexpectedTextAttachmentProvider{}
+	al := NewAgentLoop(cfg, msgBus, textProvider)
+
+	store := media.NewFileMediaStore()
+	al.SetMediaStore(store)
+	ref, err := store.Store(pngPath, media.MediaMeta{ContentType: "image/png"}, "test:user-attachment")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Store() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	agent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+	if agent == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected default agent")
+	}
+	if len(agent.ImageCandidates) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("len(ImageCandidates) = %d, want 1", len(agent.ImageCandidates))
+	}
+
+	visionProvider := &resolvedImagePathVisionProvider{expectedPath: pngPath}
+	agent.CandidateProviders[providers.ModelKey("openai", "vision-model")] = visionProvider
+
+	timeoutCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), responseTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	resp, err := al.processMessage(timeoutCtx, testInboundMessage(bus.InboundMessage{
+		Context: bus.InboundContext{
+			Channel:   "telegram",
+			ChatID:    "chat1",
+			ChatType:  "direct",
+			SenderID:  "user1",
+			MessageID: "m1",
+		},
+		Content:    "describe this image",
+		Media:      []string{ref},
+		SessionKey: "agent:main:telegram:direct:user1",
+	}))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("processMessage() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp != "vision direct answer" {
+		t.Fatalf("response = %q, want %q", resp, "vision direct answer")
+	}
+	if textProvider.calls != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("textProvider calls = %d, want 0", textProvider.calls)
+	}
+	if visionProvider.calls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("visionProvider calls = %d, want %d", visionProvider.calls, 1)
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(visionProvider.models, []string{"vision-model"}) {
+		t.Fatalf("visionProvider models = %v, want %v", visionProvider.models, []string{"vision-model"})
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(visionProvider.pathTagSeen, []bool{true}) {
+		t.Fatalf("visionProvider pathTagSeen = %v, want %v", visionProvider.pathTagSeen, []bool{true})
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(visionProvider.mediaSeen, []bool{false}) {
+		t.Fatalf("visionProvider mediaSeen = %v, want %v", visionProvider.mediaSeen, []bool{false})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAgentLoop_LoadImageFollowUpRoutesToImageModel(t *testing.T) {
 	workspace := t.TempDir()
 	pngPath := filepath.Join(workspace, "sample.png")
diff --git a/pkg/agent/llm_media.go b/pkg/agent/llm_media.go
index 043df9eb..54e1802f 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/llm_media.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/llm_media.go
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ package agent
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/pkg/providers"
 )
 
+var resolvedImagePathTagRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`\[image:[^\s\]][^\]]*\]`)
+
 func messagesContainMedia(messages []providers.Message) bool {
 	for _, msg := range messages {
 		for _, ref := range msg.Media {
@@ -104,8 +107,20 @@ func sameCandidateSet(a, b []providers.FallbackCandidate) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func messagesContainMediaTurn(messages []providers.Message) bool {
+	for _, msg := range messages {
+		if len(msg.Media) > 0 {
+			return true
+		}
+		if resolvedImagePathTagRegex.MatchString(msg.Content) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (p *Pipeline) routeMediaTurn(ts *turnState, exec *turnExecution) error {
-	if p == nil || ts == nil || ts.agent == nil || exec == nil || !hasMediaRefs(exec.callMessages) {
+	if p == nil || ts == nil || ts.agent == nil || exec == nil || !messagesContainMediaTurn(exec.callMessages) {
 		return nil
 	}