diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/package.json b/packages/vision/image-recognition/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..601d4ce19c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+{
+  "name": "@deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition",
+  "description": "Abstract image-recognition capability seam (ctx.imageRecognition) for the DeepSeek Harness — provider registry, registration-order-independent selection, request/result vocabulary, and the ImageRecognitionError taxonomy",
+  "version": "0.1.0-rc.5",
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public"
+  },
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.git",
+    "directory": "packages/vision/image-recognition"
+  },
+  "type": "module",
+  "main": "lib/index.js",
+  "types": "lib/types/index.d.ts",
+  "exports": {
+    ".": {
+      "types": "./lib/types/index.d.ts",
+      "default": "./lib/index.js"
+    },
+    "./invariant": {
+      "types": "./lib/types/invariant.d.ts",
+      "default": "./lib/invariant.js"
+    },
+    "./src/*": "./src/*",
+    "./package.json": "./package.json"
+  },
+  "files": [
+    "lib/index.js",
+    "lib/invariant.js",
+    "lib/types/**/*.d.ts"
+  ],
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "@deepseek-ai/dsh-invariants": "workspace:^",
+    "@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm": "workspace:^",
+    "@deepseek-ai/cordis": "workspace:^"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@deepseek-ai/schemastery": "workspace:^"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@deepseek-ai/dsh-invariants": "workspace:^",
+    "@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm": "workspace:^",
+    "@deepseek-ai/cordis": "workspace:^"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..17c269578d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+/**
+ * Service Definition for the image-recognition capability seam
+ * (`ctx.imageRecognition`): a provider registry and provider-selecting
+ * execution. Duplicate ids are rejected. At execution time, a configured
+ * provider must exist and be usable; without one, exactly one usable provider is
+ * required, so selection never depends on registration order.
+ * @module @deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition
+ */
+
+import { Context, Service } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis'
+import z from '@deepseek-ai/schemastery'
+import {
+  ImageRecognitionError,
+  type ImageRecognitionProvider,
+  type ImageRecognitionRequest,
+  type ImageRecognitionResult,
+} from './types.ts'
+
+export { ImageRecognitionError } from './types.ts'
+export type {
+  ImageInput,
+  ImageRecognitionProvider,
+  ImageRecognitionRequest,
+  ImageRecognitionResult,
+} from './types.ts'
+
+declare module '@deepseek-ai/cordis' {
+  interface Context {
+    imageRecognition: ImageRecognitionRuntime
+  }
+}
+
+/** Selection inputs for execution-time provider resolution. */
+interface Selection {
+  /** The configured provider id for this capability, if any. */
+  readonly configuredId?: string
+  /** Providers registered for this capability kind. */
+  readonly providers: ReadonlyMap<string, ImageRecognitionProvider>
+}
+
+/**
+ * Config for the image-recognition seam. `provider` pins which provider wins;
+ * optional (a single registered usable provider auto-selects). Operational
+ * overrides such as environment variables feed these same fields rather than
+ * introduce a hidden priority chain.
+ */
+export interface ImageRecognitionRuntimeConfig {
+  /** Explicit provider id. Omitted = auto-select when exactly one usable. */
+  readonly provider?: string
+}
+
+/**
+ * The image-recognition service. Registered as `ctx.imageRecognition` (one
+ * instance per context).
+ *
+ * Selection semantics (resolved at execution time, never order-dependent):
+ * - A configured id registered and `available()` → that provider.
+ * - A configured id not registered → `IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_MISSING`.
+ * - A configured id registered but unavailable → `IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_UNAVAILABLE`.
+ * - No id, exactly one registered usable provider → that provider.
+ * - No id, multiple usable providers → `IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_AMBIGUOUS`.
+ * - No id, no usable provider → `IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE`.
+ */
+export class ImageRecognitionRuntime extends Service {
+  /**
+   * Provider selection config. `$DSH_IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER` is equivalent
+   * to `provider` and is NOT a hidden priority chain.
+   */
+  static Config: z<ImageRecognitionRuntimeConfig> = z.object({
+    provider: z.string(),
+  })
+
+  private providers = new Map<string, ImageRecognitionProvider>()
+  private readonly providerId: string | undefined
+
+  constructor(ctx: Context, config: ImageRecognitionRuntimeConfig = {}) {
+    super(ctx, 'imageRecognition')
+    this.providerId = config.provider ?? process.env.DSH_IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Register a recognition provider. Throws {@link ImageRecognitionError}
+   * `IMAGE_RECOGNITION_DUPLICATE_PROVIDER` if its id is already registered.
+   * Returns a disposer; disposed with the calling fiber.
+   * @param provider - the provider; its `id` is the registry key.
+   * @returns the disposer that unregisters the provider.
+   */
+  registerProvider(provider: ImageRecognitionProvider): () => void {
+    const providers = this.providers
+    if (providers.has(provider.id)) {
+      throw new ImageRecognitionError(
+        `an image-recognition provider with id "${provider.id}" is already registered`,
+        'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_DUPLICATE_PROVIDER',
+      )
+    }
+    const dispose = this.ctx.effect(function* () {
+      providers.set(provider.id, provider)
+      yield () => providers.delete(provider.id)
+    }, 'imageRecognition.registerProvider()')
+    // ctx.effect's disposer returns Promise<void>; our disposer API is
+    // synchronous fire-and-forget — discard the (always-resolved) promise.
+    return () => void dispose()
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Run one recognition through the selected provider. Resolves the provider at
+   * call time with the selection rules above; throws {@link ImageRecognitionError}
+   * when the capability cannot run.
+   * @param request - the image and optional recognition prompt.
+   * @param signal - optional cancellation signal forwarded to the provider.
+   * @returns the recognized text.
+   */
+  async recognize(request: ImageRecognitionRequest, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<ImageRecognitionResult> {
+    const provider = resolveProvider({
+      providers: this.providers,
+      ...this.providerId !== undefined ? { configuredId: this.providerId } : {},
+    })
+    return provider.recognize(request, signal)
+  }
+}
+
+/** Resolve the selected provider or throw the matching {@link ImageRecognitionError}. */
+function resolveProvider(selection: Selection): ImageRecognitionProvider {
+  const { configuredId, providers } = selection
+  if (configuredId !== undefined) {
+    const provider = providers.get(configuredId)
+    if (!provider) {
+      throw new ImageRecognitionError(
+        `configured image-recognition provider "${configuredId}" is not registered`,
+        'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_MISSING',
+      )
+    }
+    if (!provider.available()) {
+      throw new ImageRecognitionError(
+        `configured image-recognition provider "${configuredId}" is registered but unavailable`,
+        'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_UNAVAILABLE',
+      )
+    }
+    return provider
+  }
+  const usable = [...providers.values()].filter(provider => provider.available())
+  const [single] = usable
+  if (single === undefined) {
+    throw new ImageRecognitionError('no usable image-recognition provider is registered', 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE')
+  }
+  if (usable.length > 1) {
+    const ids = usable.map(provider => provider.id).join(', ')
+    throw new ImageRecognitionError(
+      `multiple usable image-recognition providers are registered (${ids}); configure one explicitly`,
+      'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_AMBIGUOUS',
+    )
+  }
+  return single
+}
+
+export default ImageRecognitionRuntime
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/invariant.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/invariant.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20589248a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/invariant.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/**
+ * Package-owned invariant companion for `@deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition`.
+ * @module @deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition/invariant
+ */
+
+/* jscpd:ignore-start */
+import type { Context } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis'
+import type { InvariantInstaller } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-invariants'
+
+const PACKAGE_NAME = '@deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition'
+
+/** Cordis companion plugin name. */
+export const name = 'image-recognition-invariant'
+/** Service required before the companion can reserve package ownership. */
+export const inject = ['invariants']
+
+/**
+ * No runtime invariant: the provider map is private and selection is enforced on
+ * each call; the seam publishes no independent registry or observation stream.
+ */
+const install: InvariantInstaller = () => {}
+
+/**
+ * Register this package's invariant companion.
+ * @param ctx - Cordis context carrying the invariant service.
+ * @returns the installed registration's disposer after setup succeeds.
+ */
+export const apply = (ctx: Context): Promise<() => void> =>
+  Promise.resolve(ctx.invariants.register(PACKAGE_NAME, install))
+/* jscpd:ignore-end */
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/types.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b7cba423c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/src/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/**
+ * Vocabulary for the image-recognition capability seam (`ctx.imageRecognition`).
+ * A provider recognizes image content through a user-configured endpoint and
+ * returns text the model can continue a task with. The request carries the image
+ * to inspect; the result is recognized text. Mirrors the web seam so provider
+ * selection, cancellation, errors, and configuration share one owner.
+ * @module @deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition/types
+ */
+
+import { HarnessError } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm'
+
+/**
+ * The image a recognition provider should inspect. A CLOSED discriminated union:
+ * the provider encodes the kind; consumers pass the source they hold. A new kind
+ * is a coordinated change across the seam, not a plugin extension.
+ */
+export type ImageInput =
+  | { readonly kind: 'file-path'; readonly filePath: string }
+  | { readonly kind: 'base64'; readonly base64: string; readonly mediaType: string }
+  | { readonly kind: 'url'; readonly url: string }
+
+/**
+ * What one recognition-capable backend is asked to do. `prompt` is an optional
+ * instruction for what to recognize (e.g. "transcribe the text"); omitted, the
+ * provider returns a general description. Cancellation is a direct execution
+ * argument, not a request field.
+ */
+export interface ImageRecognitionRequest {
+  /** The image to recognize. */
+  readonly image: ImageInput
+  /** Optional recognition focus; absent = general description. */
+  readonly prompt?: string
+}
+
+/** Normalized recognition outcome: the recognized text. */
+export interface ImageRecognitionResult {
+  /** Recognized or described content the model can act on. */
+  readonly text: string
+}
+
+/**
+ * A recognition-capable backend. Registered with `ctx.imageRecognition`.
+ * `id` is a stable string, unique within the capability kind.
+ */
+export interface ImageRecognitionProvider {
+  /** Stable unique id used as the registry key and selection pin. */
+  readonly id: string
+  /** Cheap local usability check; must not make network calls. */
+  available(): boolean
+  /** Recognize one image; honor `signal` for cancellation. */
+  recognize(request: ImageRecognitionRequest, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<ImageRecognitionResult>
+}
+
+/**
+ * Typed image-recognition error with a machine-routable, open-string `code` and
+ * chained `cause`. Consumers must tolerate provider-specific codes. Shared codes
+ * cover unavailable, missing, unusable, ambiguous, or duplicate providers,
+ * cancellation, and provider failure.
+ */
+export class ImageRecognitionError extends HarnessError {}
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a97cb6f5b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tests/image-recognition.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { Context } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis'
+import ImageRecognitionRuntime, {
+  type ImageRecognitionProvider,
+  type ImageRecognitionRequest,
+  type ImageRecognitionResult,
+} from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-image-recognition'
+
+/** A scripted recognition provider for contract tests. */
+function makeProvider(
+  id: string,
+  available: boolean,
+  recognize: (request: ImageRecognitionRequest) => Promise<ImageRecognitionResult>,
+): ImageRecognitionProvider {
+  return { id, available: () => available, recognize: request => recognize(request) }
+}
+
+const available = true
+const unavailable = false
+
+function recognizeResult(marker: string): ImageRecognitionResult {
+  return { text: marker }
+}
+
+/** Mount an ImageRecognitionRuntime on a fresh root context with the given config. */
+async function mountRuntime(
+  config: ConstructorParameters<typeof ImageRecognitionRuntime>[1] = {},
+): Promise<{ ctx: Context; runtime: ImageRecognitionRuntime }> {
+  const ctx = new Context()
+  await ctx.plugin(ImageRecognitionRuntime, config)
+  return { ctx, runtime: ctx.imageRecognition }
+}
+
+describe('ImageRecognitionRuntime registration', () => {
+  it('registers a provider and unregisters it via the returned disposer', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+
+    const dispose = runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('cat'))))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } })).resolves.toMatchObject({ text: 'cat' })
+
+    dispose()
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE' }))
+  })
+
+  it('throws IMAGE_RECOGNITION_DUPLICATE_PROVIDER on a duplicate id', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    expect(() => runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a')))))
+      .toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_DUPLICATE_PROVIDER' }))
+  })
+
+  it('disposes provider registrations when the contributing fiber is disposed (HMR safety)', async () => {
+    const { ctx, runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+    const fiber = await ctx.plugin(Object.assign((inner: Context) => {
+      inner.imageRecognition.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    }, { inject: ['imageRecognition'] }))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } })).resolves.toMatchObject({ text: 'a' })
+    await fiber.dispose()
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE' }))
+  })
+})
+
+describe('ImageRecognitionRuntime selection', () => {
+  it('picks the configured provider when registered and available', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime({ provider: 'b' })
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('a', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('b', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('b'))))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } })).resolves.toMatchObject({ text: 'b' })
+  })
+
+  it('rejects a configured provider that is not registered', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime({ provider: 'missing' })
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_MISSING' }))
+  })
+
+  it('rejects a configured provider that is registered but unavailable', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime({ provider: 'http' })
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', unavailable, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_CONFIGURED_UNAVAILABLE' }))
+  })
+
+  it('auto-selects the single usable provider when none is configured', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('http', unavailable, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('other', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('other'))))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } })).resolves.toMatchObject({ text: 'other' })
+  })
+
+  it('rejects multiple usable providers without a configured pin', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = await mountRuntime()
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('a', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('a'))))
+    runtime.registerProvider(makeProvider('b', available, () => Promise.resolve(recognizeResult('b'))))
+    await expect(runtime.recognize({ image: { kind: 'url', url: 'https://e.test/c.png' } }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(expect.objectContaining({ code: 'IMAGE_RECOGNITION_PROVIDER_AMBIGUOUS' }))
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/vision/image-recognition/tsconfig.json b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58798daeb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vision/image-recognition/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "extends": "../../../tsconfig.base.json",
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "rootDir": "src",
+    "outDir": "lib/types"
+  },
+  "include": [
+    "src"
+  ],
+  "references": [
+    {
+      "path": "../../../vendor/cordis"
+    },
+    {
+      "path": "../../../vendor/schemastery"
+    },
+    {
+      "path": "../../llm/llm"
+    },
+    {
+      "path": "../../runtime-diagnostics/invariants"
+    }
+  ]
+}