diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts
index 17c269578d..6c0da6726f 100644
--- a/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,26 @@ export class ImageRecognitionRuntime extends Service {
     return () => void dispose()
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether a provider can currently serve recognition. True when a configured
+   * provider is registered and usable, or exactly one usable provider is
+   * registered without a pin. Cheap and side-effect-free (no network): it reads
+   * only the registry and each provider's local `available()` check, so a
+   * consumer can gate its surface on configuration without attempting a call.
+   * @returns whether recognition is currently configured and usable.
+   */
+  available(): boolean {
+    try {
+      resolveProvider({
+        providers: this.providers,
+        ...this.providerId !== undefined ? { configuredId: this.providerId } : {},
+      })
+      return true
+    } catch {
+      return false
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Run one recognition through the selected provider. Resolves the provider at
    * call time with the selection rules above; throws {@link ImageRecognitionError}
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts
index a97cb6f5b6..29400d4d95 100644
--- a/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts
@@ -98,3 +98,22 @@ describe('ImageRecognitionRuntime selection', () => {
       .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_AMBIGUOUS' }))
   })
 })
+
+describe('ImageRecognitionRuntime.available', () => {
+  it('is false with no registered provider', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+    expect(runtime.available()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('is false when the configured provider is unavailable (not configured)', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime({ provider: 'http' })
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', unavailable, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    expect(runtime.available()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('is true when a configured provider is available', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime({ provider: 'http' })
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    expect(runtime.available()).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/README.md b/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/README.md
index 6c8c1addec..5d2e935754 100644
--- a/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/README.md
+++ b/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/README.md
@@ -96,5 +96,9 @@ Prefix-stable while the guidance text is unchanged.
 
 ## Known Limitations and Deferred Work
 
+- **Dormant until configured:** the image-task injection is gated on a usable
+  provider, so without a configured endpoint the capability is inert and the
+  model is not guided to recognition. Direct `recognize_image` calls then throw
+  a clear `ImageRecognitionError`.
 - Path/URL detection is heuristic and can be disabled; misdetections are possible.
 - Requires a configured, available provider — see `dsh-image-recognition-http`.
diff --git a/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/src/index.ts b/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/src/index.ts
index 6e6c5eef46..2582180a8a 100644
--- a/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vision/tool-image-recognition/src/index.ts
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ export function apply(ctx: Context, config: Config = {}): void {
     const decision = await next()
     if (decision.kind === 'reject') return decision
     if (!hasImageSignal(decision.messages, detectBlocks, detectPaths)) return decision
+    // Dormant until configured: without a usable provider the recognition
+    // surface is inert, so the model is not guided to a call that can only fail.
+    if (!ctx.imageRecognition.available()) return decision
     signal.throwIfAborted()
     const lookup = { cwd: agent.session.header.cwd, signal, scope: agent }
     const skill = await ctx.skills.get(SKILL_NAME, lookup)