diff --git a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.cron-model-override.test.ts b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.cron-model-override.test.ts
index 890392163de..6ef22e8e374 100644
--- a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.cron-model-override.test.ts
+++ b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.cron-model-override.test.ts
@@ -168,13 +168,13 @@ describe("runCronIsolatedAgentTurn — cron model override (#21057)", () => {
 
   it("returns error without persisting model when payload model is disallowed", async () => {
     resolveAllowedModelRefMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
-      error: "Model not allowed: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
+      error: "model not allowed: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
     });
 
     const result = await runCronIsolatedAgentTurn(makeParams());
 
     expect(result.status).toBe("error");
-    expect(result.error).toContain("Model not allowed");
+    expect(result.error).toContain("model not allowed");
     // Model should remain undefined — the early return happens before the
     // pre-run persist block, so neither the session entry nor the store
     // should be touched with a rejected model.
diff --git a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.skill-filter.test.ts b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.skill-filter.test.ts
index b0d34ad2f40..ca1240bd836 100644
--- a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.skill-filter.test.ts
+++ b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.skill-filter.test.ts
@@ -207,30 +207,27 @@ describe("runCronIsolatedAgentTurn — skill filter", () => {
       expect(runParams.model).toBe("claude-sonnet-4-6");
     });
 
-    it("falls back to agent defaults when payload.model is not allowed", async () => {
+    it("returns error when payload.model is not allowed", async () => {
       resolveAllowedModelRefMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
         error: "model not allowed: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
       });
 
-      await runSkillFilterCase({
-        cfg: {
-          agents: {
-            defaults: {
-              model: { primary: "openai-codex/gpt-5.3-codex", fallbacks: defaultFallbacks },
+      const result = await runCronIsolatedAgentTurn(
+        makeSkillParams({
+          cfg: {
+            agents: {
+              defaults: {
+                model: { primary: "openai-codex/gpt-5.3-codex", fallbacks: defaultFallbacks },
+              },
             },
           },
-        },
-        job: makeSkillJob({
-          payload: { kind: "agentTurn", message: "test", model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" },
+          job: makeSkillJob({
+            payload: { kind: "agentTurn", message: "test", model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" },
+          }),
         }),
-      });
-      expect(logWarnMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        "cron: payload.model 'anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6' not allowed, falling back to agent defaults",
       );
-      expectDefaultModelCall({
-        primary: "openai-codex/gpt-5.3-codex",
-        fallbacks: defaultFallbacks,
-      });
+      expect(result.status).toBe("error");
+      expect(result.error).toContain("model not allowed");
     });
 
     it("returns an error when payload.model is invalid", async () => {
diff --git a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.ts b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.ts
index 2e6020a1fe1..a53d037437d 100644
--- a/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.ts
+++ b/src/cron/isolated-agent/run.ts
@@ -223,13 +223,7 @@ export async function runCronIsolatedAgentTurn(params: {
       defaultModel: resolvedDefault.model,
     });
     if ("error" in resolvedOverride) {
-      if (resolvedOverride.error.startsWith("model not allowed:")) {
-        logWarn(
-          `cron: payload.model '${modelOverride}' not allowed, falling back to agent defaults`,
-        );
-      } else {
-        return { status: "error", error: resolvedOverride.error };
-      }
+      return { status: "error", error: resolvedOverride.error };
     } else {
       provider = resolvedOverride.ref.provider;
       model = resolvedOverride.ref.model;