fix(main): re-evaluate chain per call to respect caller model override

buildOrch now returns a closure instead of *Orchestrator. Each invocation
calls models.ChainFor(skill, req.Model) so a non-empty caller override
collapses to a single-entry chain (no escalation). The attempts slice is
also allocated fresh per call, preventing unbounded growth across requests.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

cmd/supervisor/main.go

@@ -84,11 +84,26 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	executor := iexec.New(iexec.Config{
+	claudeExec := iexec.New(iexec.Config{
 		SystemPrompt:   string(systemPrompt),
 		LiteLLMBaseURL: cfg.LiteLLMBaseURL,
 		LiteLLMAPIKey:  cfg.LiteLLMAPIKey,
 	})
+	litellmExec := iexec.NewLiteLLM(cfg.LiteLLMBaseURL, cfg.LiteLLMAPIKey, 0)
+	verifier := iexec.NewVerifier("", models.Verifier(), 0)
+
+	buildOrch := func(skill string) func(ctx context.Context, req iexec.Request) (iexec.Result, error) {
+		return func(ctx context.Context, req iexec.Request) (iexec.Result, error) {
+			rawChain := models.ChainFor(skill, req.Model)
+			chain := make([]iexec.ChainEntry, len(rawChain))
+			for i, m := range rawChain {
+				chain[i] = iexec.EntryFor(m)
+			}
+			attempts := make([]iexec.AttemptRecord, 0, len(chain))
+			orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(chain, litellmExec.Run, claudeExec.Run, verifier, models.LlamaSwapURL(), &attempts)
+			return orch.Run(ctx, req)
+		}
+	}
 
 	tierFn := func(ctx context.Context) tier.Info {
 		return tier.Detect(ctx, "https://api.anthropic.com", cfg.LiteLLMBaseURL)
@@ -98,8 +113,8 @@ func main() {
 	reg.Register(tdd.New(tdd.Config{
 		SystemPrompt: string(systemPrompt),
 		SkillPrompt:  string(tddPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("tdd", ""),
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("tdd", "")[0],
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("tdd"),
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
 	}))
 	reg.Register(brain.New(brain.Config{
@@ -113,33 +128,33 @@ func main() {
 	}))
 	reg.Register(retrospective.New(retrospective.Config{
 		SkillPrompt:  string(retroPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("retrospective", ""),
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("retrospective", "")[0],
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("retrospective"),
 	}))
 	reg.Register(review.New(review.Config{
 		SkillPrompt:  string(reviewPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("review", ""),
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("review", "")[0],
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("review"),
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
 	}))
 	reg.Register(skilldebug.New(skilldebug.Config{
 		SkillPrompt:  string(debugPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("debug", ""),
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("debug", "")[0],
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("debug"),
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
 	}))
 	reg.Register(spec.New(spec.Config{
 		SkillPrompt:  string(specPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("spec", ""),
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("spec", "")[0],
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("spec"),
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
 	}))
 	reg.Register(trainer.New(trainer.Config{
 		ReaderPrompt: string(trainerReaderPrompt),
 		WriterPrompt: string(trainerWriterPrompt),
-		DefaultModel: models.Resolve("trainer", ""),
-		ExecutorFn:   executor.Run,
+		DefaultModel: models.ChainFor("trainer", "")[0],
+		ExecutorFn:   buildOrch("trainer"),
 		SessionsDir:  cfg.SessionsDir,
 		BrainDir:     cfg.BrainDir,
 	}))

config/models.yaml

@@ -1,13 +1,41 @@
-# Model routing table — three-layer priority:
-# 1. model param in MCP tool call (caller override)
-# 2. per-skill entry here
-# 3. default (fallback)
-default: ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+# Model routing chains — three-layer priority:
+# 1. model param in MCP tool call (caller override — collapses to single entry, no escalation)
+# 2. per-skill chain here
+# 3. default_chain fallback
+
+verifier: claude-sonnet-4-6   # fixed verifier for all local tiers
+
+llama_swap_url: http://koala:8080   # for warm-state probing
+
+default_chain:
+  - ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+  - claude-sonnet-4-6
 
 skills:
-  tdd:           ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
-  review:        ollama/devstral-tuned
-  debug:         ollama/deepseek-r1-tuned
-  retrospective: ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
-  spec:          ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
-  trainer:       ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+  tdd:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+  review:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/devstral-tuned
+      - ollama/gemma4
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+  debug:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/deepseek-r1-tuned
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+  spec:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/phi4
+      - ollama/gemma4
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+      - claude-opus-4-6
+  retrospective:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+  trainer:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6

internal/config/models.go

@@ -7,9 +7,15 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
+type skillChain struct {
+	Chain []string `yaml:"chain"`
+}
+
 type modelsFile struct {
-	Default string            `yaml:"default"`
-	Skills  map[string]string `yaml:"skills"`
+	Verifier     string                `yaml:"verifier"`
+	LlamaSwapURL string                `yaml:"llama_swap_url"`
+	DefaultChain []string              `yaml:"default_chain"`
+	Skills       map[string]skillChain `yaml:"skills"`
 }
 
 type Models struct {
@@ -28,16 +34,23 @@ func LoadModels(path string) (Models, error) {
 	return Models{data: f}, nil
 }
 
-// Resolve returns the model for a skill, respecting three-layer priority:
-// 1. override (from MCP call) — highest
-// 2. per-skill default from models.yaml
-// 3. global default
-func (m Models) Resolve(skill, override string) string {
+// Verifier returns the model name to use for all local-tier output verification.
+func (m Models) Verifier() string { return m.data.Verifier }
+
+// LlamaSwapURL returns the llama-swap base URL for warm-state probing.
+func (m Models) LlamaSwapURL() string { return m.data.LlamaSwapURL }
+
+// ChainFor returns the ordered list of model names for a skill.
+// If override is non-empty, returns a single-entry chain (no escalation).
+// Falls back to default_chain when the skill has no explicit entry.
+func (m Models) ChainFor(skill, override string) []string {
 	if override != "" {
-		return override
+		return []string{override}
 	}
-	if model, ok := m.data.Skills[skill]; ok {
-		return model
+	if sc, ok := m.data.Skills[skill]; ok && len(sc.Chain) > 0 {
+		return sc.Chain
 	}
-	return m.data.Default
+	out := make([]string, len(m.data.DefaultChain))
+	copy(out, m.data.DefaultChain)
+	return out
 }

internal/config/models_test.go

@@ -10,35 +10,71 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
-func TestModelsResolve(t *testing.T) {
-	yaml := `
-default: ollama/default-model
+const testYAML = `
+verifier: claude-sonnet-4-6
+llama_swap_url: http://koala:8080
+
+default_chain:
+  - ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
+  - claude-sonnet-4-6
+
 skills:
-  tdd: ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
-  review: ollama/devstral-tuned
+  review:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/devstral-tuned
+      - ollama/gemma4
+      - claude-sonnet-4-6
+  spec:
+    chain:
+      - ollama/phi4
+      - claude-opus-4-6
 `
+
+func writeModels(t *testing.T, content string) string {
+	t.Helper()
 	f := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "models.yaml")
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(f, []byte(yaml), 0644))
-
-	m, err := config.LoadModels(f)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned", m.Resolve("tdd", ""))
-	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/devstral-tuned", m.Resolve("review", ""))
-	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/default-model", m.Resolve("unknown", ""))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(f, []byte(content), 0644))
+	return f
 }
 
-func TestModelsOverride(t *testing.T) {
-	yaml := `
-default: ollama/default-model
-skills:
-  tdd: ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned
-`
-	f := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "models.yaml")
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(f, []byte(yaml), 0644))
+func TestModelsVerifier(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := config.LoadModels(writeModels(t, testYAML))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "claude-sonnet-4-6", m.Verifier())
+}
 
-	m, err := config.LoadModels(f)
+func TestModelsLlamaSwapURL(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := config.LoadModels(writeModels(t, testYAML))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "http://koala:8080", m.LlamaSwapURL())
+}
+
+func TestModelsChainForSkillOverride(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := config.LoadModels(writeModels(t, testYAML))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6", m.Resolve("tdd", "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6"))
+	chain := m.ChainFor("review", "")
+	require.Len(t, chain, 3)
+	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/devstral-tuned", chain[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/gemma4", chain[1])
+	assert.Equal(t, "claude-sonnet-4-6", chain[2])
+}
+
+func TestModelsChainForDefaultFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := config.LoadModels(writeModels(t, testYAML))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	chain := m.ChainFor("trainer", "") // not in skills map
+	require.Len(t, chain, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, "ollama/qwen3-coder-30b-tuned", chain[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, "claude-sonnet-4-6", chain[1])
+}
+
+func TestModelsChainForCallerOverride(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := config.LoadModels(writeModels(t, testYAML))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	chain := m.ChainFor("review", "claude-opus-4-6")
+	require.Len(t, chain, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "claude-opus-4-6", chain[0])
 }

internal/exec/executor.go

@@ -72,8 +72,11 @@ func (e *Executor) Run(ctx context.Context, req Request) (Result, error) {
 		"--tools", tools,
 		"--json-schema", Schema,
 		"--output-format", "json",
-		prompt,
 	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(req.Model, "claude-") {
+		args = append(args, "--model", req.Model)
+	}
+	args = append(args, prompt)
 
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.cfg.ClaudeBinary, args...)
 	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "LITELLM_API_KEY="+e.cfg.LiteLLMAPIKey)

internal/exec/executor_test.go

@@ -75,3 +75,58 @@ func TestExecutorTimesOut(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "slow"})
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "timeout")
 }
+
+func TestExecutorPassesModelFlagForCloudModel(t *testing.T) {
+	// The script captures its args to a temp file so we can assert --model was passed.
+	argsFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "args.txt")
+	envelope := `{"type":"result","subtype":"success","is_error":false,"structured_output":{"status":"pass","phase":"review","skill":"review","file_path":"","runner_output":"","verified":true,"model_used":"claude-sonnet-4-6","message":"ok"}}`
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := filepath.Join(dir, "claude")
+	content := "#!/bin/sh\necho \"$@\" > " + argsFile + "\necho '" + envelope + "'\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte(content), 0755))
+
+	ex := iexec.New(iexec.Config{
+		ClaudeBinary: script,
+		SystemPrompt: "sys",
+		Timeout:      5 * time.Second,
+	})
+
+	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{
+		SkillPrompt: "review rules",
+		TaskPrompt:  "do review",
+		Model:       "claude-sonnet-4-6",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	argsData, err := os.ReadFile(argsFile)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, string(argsData), "--model claude-sonnet-4-6")
+}
+
+func TestExecutorSkipsModelFlagForLocalModel(t *testing.T) {
+	argsFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "args.txt")
+	envelope := `{"type":"result","subtype":"success","is_error":false,"structured_output":{"status":"pass","phase":"review","skill":"review","file_path":"","runner_output":"","verified":true,"model_used":"ollama/devstral","message":"ok"}}`
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := filepath.Join(dir, "claude")
+	content := "#!/bin/sh\necho \"$@\" > " + argsFile + "\necho '" + envelope + "'\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte(content), 0755))
+
+	ex := iexec.New(iexec.Config{
+		ClaudeBinary: script,
+		SystemPrompt: "sys",
+		Timeout:      5 * time.Second,
+	})
+
+	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{
+		SkillPrompt: "review rules",
+		TaskPrompt:  "do review",
+		Model:       "ollama/devstral",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	argsData, err := os.ReadFile(argsFile)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotContains(t, string(argsData), "--model")
+}

internal/exec/litellm.go

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package exec
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// LiteLLMExecutor calls a LiteLLM-compatible /v1/chat/completions endpoint.
+// Local models are expected to return a JSON object matching the Result schema
+// as their response content — no envelope.
+type LiteLLMExecutor struct {
+	baseURL    string
+	apiKey     string
+	httpClient *http.Client
+}
+
+// NewLiteLLM creates a LiteLLMExecutor.
+// timeout applies to the full HTTP round-trip per call.
+func NewLiteLLM(baseURL, apiKey string, timeout time.Duration) *LiteLLMExecutor {
+	return &LiteLLMExecutor{
+		baseURL: baseURL,
+		apiKey:  apiKey,
+		httpClient: &http.Client{Timeout: timeout},
+	}
+}
+
+type litellmMessage struct {
+	Role    string `json:"role"`
+	Content string `json:"content"`
+}
+
+type litellmRequest struct {
+	Model    string           `json:"model"`
+	Messages []litellmMessage `json:"messages"`
+}
+
+type litellmChoice struct {
+	Message litellmMessage `json:"message"`
+}
+
+type litellmResponse struct {
+	Choices []litellmChoice `json:"choices"`
+}
+
+// Run dispatches req to the LiteLLM server and parses the Result from the
+// assistant message content. Returns an error on network failure, non-200
+// status, or unparseable/invalid JSON — all of which the Orchestrator treats
+// as automatic escalation triggers.
+func (e *LiteLLMExecutor) Run(ctx context.Context, req Request) (Result, error) {
+	body := litellmRequest{
+		Model: req.Model,
+		Messages: []litellmMessage{
+			{Role: "system", Content: req.SkillPrompt},
+			{Role: "user", Content: req.TaskPrompt},
+		},
+	}
+
+	bodyBytes, err := json.Marshal(body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: marshal request: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	httpReq, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, e.baseURL+"/v1/chat/completions", bytes.NewReader(bodyBytes))
+	if err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: create request: %w", err)
+	}
+	httpReq.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	if e.apiKey != "" {
+		httpReq.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+e.apiKey)
+	}
+
+	resp, err := e.httpClient.Do(httpReq)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: request failed: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close() //nolint:errcheck
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: server returned status %d", resp.StatusCode)
+	}
+
+	var chatResp litellmResponse
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&chatResp); err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: decode response: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(chatResp.Choices) == 0 {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: no choices in response")
+	}
+
+	content := chatResp.Choices[0].Message.Content
+	var result Result
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(content), &result); err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: parse result JSON: %w — content: %s", err, content)
+	}
+	if err := result.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("litellm: invalid result: %w", err)
+	}
+	return result, nil
+}

internal/exec/litellm_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+package exec_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	iexec "github.com/mathiasbq/supervisor/internal/exec"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func validLiteLLMResult() iexec.Result {
+	return iexec.Result{
+		Status:    "pass",
+		Phase:     "review",
+		Skill:     "review",
+		ModelUsed: "ollama/devstral",
+		Message:   "looks good",
+	}
+}
+
+func chatResponseFor(t *testing.T, result iexec.Result) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+	content, err := json.Marshal(result)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp := map[string]any{
+		"choices": []map[string]any{
+			{"message": map[string]any{"role": "assistant", "content": string(content)}},
+		},
+	}
+	data, err := json.Marshal(resp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return data
+}
+
+func TestLiteLLMParsesValidResult(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "/v1/chat/completions", r.URL.Path)
+		assert.Equal(t, "application/json", r.Header.Get("Content-Type"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_, _ = w.Write(chatResponseFor(t, validLiteLLMResult()))
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	ex := iexec.NewLiteLLM(srv.URL, "", 5*time.Second)
+	result, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{
+		SkillPrompt: "review rules",
+		TaskPrompt:  "review the code",
+		Model:       "ollama/devstral",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pass", result.Status)
+	assert.Equal(t, "review", result.Skill)
+}
+
+func TestLiteLLMSendsAuthHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "Bearer secret", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_, _ = w.Write(chatResponseFor(t, validLiteLLMResult()))
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	ex := iexec.NewLiteLLM(srv.URL, "secret", 5*time.Second)
+	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{Model: "x", TaskPrompt: "t", SkillPrompt: "s"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestLiteLLMErrorOnNonOKStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	ex := iexec.NewLiteLLM(srv.URL, "", 5*time.Second)
+	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{Model: "x", TaskPrompt: "t"})
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "503")
+}
+
+func TestLiteLLMErrorOnUnparsableJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		resp := map[string]any{
+			"choices": []map[string]any{
+				{"message": map[string]any{"role": "assistant", "content": "not json at all"}},
+			},
+		}
+		data, _ := json.Marshal(resp)
+		_, _ = w.Write(data)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	ex := iexec.NewLiteLLM(srv.URL, "", 5*time.Second)
+	_, err := ex.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{Model: "x", TaskPrompt: "t"})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestLiteLLMRespectsContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	cancel() // Cancel immediately
+
+	ex := iexec.NewLiteLLM("http://invalid.example.com", "", 1*time.Second)
+	_, err := ex.Run(ctx, iexec.Request{Model: "x", TaskPrompt: "t"})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}

internal/exec/orchestrator.go

@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+package exec
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// ChainEntry is one tier in an escalation chain.
+type ChainEntry struct {
+	Model   string // e.g. "ollama/phi4", "claude-sonnet-4-6"
+	Tier    string // "local" | "subagent" | "managed"
+	IsCloud bool   // true for claude-* models; skips verifier call
+}
+
+// EntryFor builds a ChainEntry from a model name string.
+func EntryFor(model string) ChainEntry {
+	cloud := strings.HasPrefix(model, "claude-")
+	tier := "local"
+	if cloud {
+		tier = "subagent"
+	}
+	return ChainEntry{Model: model, Tier: tier, IsCloud: cloud}
+}
+
+// AttemptRecord captures the outcome of one tier attempt for session logging.
+type AttemptRecord struct {
+	Model      string
+	Tier       string
+	DurationMs int64
+	WarmStart  bool
+	Verdict    string // "accept" | "escalate" | "error"
+	Feedback   string
+}
+
+// VerifierFn is the interface the orchestrator uses to verify local output.
+type VerifierFn interface {
+	Verify(ctx context.Context, skillPrompt, taskPrompt string, output Result) (Verdict, error)
+}
+
+// ExecutorRunFn is the signature of Executor.Run and LiteLLMExecutor.Run.
+type ExecutorRunFn func(ctx context.Context, req Request) (Result, error)
+
+// Orchestrator walks an escalation chain, delegating generation and verification.
+// It implements the ExecutorFn shape expected by skill handlers.
+type Orchestrator struct {
+	chain        []ChainEntry
+	localRun     ExecutorRunFn // for local (non-cloud) tiers; may be nil
+	cloudRun     ExecutorRunFn // for cloud tiers; may be nil
+	verifier     VerifierFn
+	llamaSwapURL string
+	attempts     *[]AttemptRecord
+}
+
+// NewOrchestrator creates an Orchestrator.
+// attempts is a pointer to a slice that will be appended to on each tier attempt.
+// Pass nil for localRun or cloudRun if no tiers of that type exist in the chain.
+func NewOrchestrator(
+	chain []ChainEntry,
+	localRun ExecutorRunFn,
+	cloudRun ExecutorRunFn,
+	verifier VerifierFn,
+	llamaSwapURL string,
+	attempts *[]AttemptRecord,
+) *Orchestrator {
+	return &Orchestrator{
+		chain:        chain,
+		localRun:     localRun,
+		cloudRun:     cloudRun,
+		verifier:     verifier,
+		llamaSwapURL: llamaSwapURL,
+		attempts:     attempts,
+	}
+}
+
+// Run walks the escalation chain and returns the first accepted result.
+// Satisfies the ExecutorFn signature: func(context.Context, Request) (Result, error).
+func (o *Orchestrator) Run(ctx context.Context, req Request) (Result, error) {
+	taskPrompt := req.TaskPrompt
+
+	for _, entry := range o.chain {
+		warm := o.probeWarm(entry.Model)
+		start := time.Now()
+
+		tierReq := req
+		tierReq.Model = entry.Model
+		tierReq.TaskPrompt = taskPrompt
+
+		if entry.IsCloud {
+			result, genErr := o.cloudRun(ctx, tierReq)
+			dur := time.Since(start).Milliseconds()
+			verdict := "accept"
+			if genErr != nil {
+				verdict = "error"
+			}
+			o.appendAttempt(AttemptRecord{
+				Model:      entry.Model,
+				Tier:       entry.Tier,
+				DurationMs: dur,
+				WarmStart:  warm,
+				Verdict:    verdict,
+			})
+			if genErr == nil {
+				return result, nil
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Local tier.
+		result, genErr := o.localRun(ctx, tierReq)
+		dur := time.Since(start).Milliseconds()
+
+		if genErr != nil {
+			o.appendAttempt(AttemptRecord{
+				Model:      entry.Model,
+				Tier:       entry.Tier,
+				DurationMs: dur,
+				WarmStart:  warm,
+				Verdict:    "error",
+				Feedback:   genErr.Error(),
+			})
+			continue
+		}
+
+		verdict, verErr := o.verifier.Verify(ctx, req.SkillPrompt, taskPrompt, result)
+		if verErr != nil {
+			// Treat verifier failure as escalate (safe default).
+			o.appendAttempt(AttemptRecord{
+				Model:      entry.Model,
+				Tier:       entry.Tier,
+				DurationMs: dur,
+				WarmStart:  warm,
+				Verdict:    "escalate",
+				Feedback:   "verifier error: " + verErr.Error(),
+			})
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if verdict.Accept {
+			o.appendAttempt(AttemptRecord{
+				Model:      entry.Model,
+				Tier:       entry.Tier,
+				DurationMs: dur,
+				WarmStart:  warm,
+				Verdict:    "accept",
+			})
+			return result, nil
+		}
+
+		o.appendAttempt(AttemptRecord{
+			Model:      entry.Model,
+			Tier:       entry.Tier,
+			DurationMs: dur,
+			WarmStart:  warm,
+			Verdict:    "escalate",
+			Feedback:   verdict.Feedback,
+		})
+		// Inject verifier feedback into the next tier's task prompt.
+		taskPrompt = taskPrompt + "\n\nPrior attempt feedback: " + verdict.Feedback
+	}
+
+	return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("all tiers exhausted after %d attempt(s)", len(o.chain))
+}
+
+func (o *Orchestrator) appendAttempt(rec AttemptRecord) {
+	if o.attempts != nil {
+		*o.attempts = append(*o.attempts, rec)
+	}
+}
+
+// probeWarm checks whether the model is currently loaded in llama-swap.
+// Returns false on any error or if llamaSwapURL is empty.
+func (o *Orchestrator) probeWarm(model string) bool {
+	if o.llamaSwapURL == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 200*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, o.llamaSwapURL+"/v1/models", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close() //nolint:errcheck
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return strings.Contains(string(body), model)
+}

internal/exec/orchestrator_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package exec_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	iexec "github.com/mathiasbq/supervisor/internal/exec"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// stubRunFn returns preset results sequentially.
+type stubRunFn struct {
+	calls   []stubCall
+	callIdx int
+}
+
+type stubCall struct {
+	result iexec.Result
+	err    error
+}
+
+func (s *stubRunFn) Run(_ context.Context, _ iexec.Request) (iexec.Result, error) {
+	if s.callIdx >= len(s.calls) {
+		return iexec.Result{}, errors.New("unexpected call")
+	}
+	c := s.calls[s.callIdx]
+	s.callIdx++
+	return c.result, c.err
+}
+
+// stubVerifier returns preset verdicts sequentially.
+type stubVerifier struct {
+	verdicts []iexec.Verdict
+	idx      int
+}
+
+func (s *stubVerifier) Verify(_ context.Context, _, _ string, _ iexec.Result) (iexec.Verdict, error) {
+	if s.idx >= len(s.verdicts) {
+		return iexec.Verdict{}, errors.New("unexpected verify call")
+	}
+	v := s.verdicts[s.idx]
+	s.idx++
+	return v, nil
+}
+
+func okResult(skill string) iexec.Result {
+	return iexec.Result{Status: "pass", Phase: "review", Skill: skill, Message: "ok", ModelUsed: "m"}
+}
+
+func TestOrchestratorSingleLocalAccept(t *testing.T) {
+	local := &stubRunFn{calls: []stubCall{{result: okResult("review")}}}
+	verifier := &stubVerifier{verdicts: []iexec.Verdict{{Accept: true}}}
+
+	var attempts []iexec.AttemptRecord
+	orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(
+		[]iexec.ChainEntry{{Model: "ollama/devstral", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false}},
+		local.Run, nil, verifier, "", &attempts,
+	)
+
+	result, err := orch.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "review"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pass", result.Status)
+	require.Len(t, attempts, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "local", attempts[0].Tier)
+	assert.Equal(t, "accept", attempts[0].Verdict)
+}
+
+func TestOrchestratorEscalatesOnVerifierReject(t *testing.T) {
+	local := &stubRunFn{calls: []stubCall{
+		{result: iexec.Result{Status: "fail", Phase: "review", Skill: "review", Message: "weak"}},
+		{result: okResult("review")},
+	}}
+	verifier := &stubVerifier{verdicts: []iexec.Verdict{
+		{Accept: false, Feedback: "missing line refs"},
+		{Accept: true},
+	}}
+
+	var attempts []iexec.AttemptRecord
+	orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(
+		[]iexec.ChainEntry{
+			{Model: "ollama/devstral", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false},
+			{Model: "ollama/gemma4", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false},
+		},
+		local.Run, nil, verifier, "", &attempts,
+	)
+
+	result, err := orch.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "review"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pass", result.Status)
+	require.Len(t, attempts, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, "escalate", attempts[0].Verdict)
+	assert.Equal(t, "missing line refs", attempts[0].Feedback)
+	assert.Equal(t, "accept", attempts[1].Verdict)
+}
+
+func TestOrchestratorEscalatesOnLocalError(t *testing.T) {
+	local := &stubRunFn{calls: []stubCall{
+		{err: errors.New("network failure")},
+		{result: okResult("review")},
+	}}
+	verifier := &stubVerifier{verdicts: []iexec.Verdict{{Accept: true}}}
+
+	var attempts []iexec.AttemptRecord
+	orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(
+		[]iexec.ChainEntry{
+			{Model: "ollama/devstral", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false},
+			{Model: "ollama/gemma4", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false},
+		},
+		local.Run, nil, verifier, "", &attempts,
+	)
+
+	_, err := orch.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "review"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, attempts, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, "error", attempts[0].Verdict)
+	assert.Equal(t, "accept", attempts[1].Verdict)
+}
+
+func TestOrchestratorCloudTierSelfCertifies(t *testing.T) {
+	cloud := &stubRunFn{calls: []stubCall{{result: okResult("review")}}}
+	verifier := &stubVerifier{} // no verdicts — must not be called
+
+	var attempts []iexec.AttemptRecord
+	orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(
+		[]iexec.ChainEntry{{Model: "claude-sonnet-4-6", Tier: "subagent", IsCloud: true}},
+		nil, cloud.Run, verifier, "", &attempts,
+	)
+
+	result, err := orch.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "review"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pass", result.Status)
+	require.Len(t, attempts, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "subagent", attempts[0].Tier)
+	assert.Equal(t, "accept", attempts[0].Verdict)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, verifier.idx) // verifier never called
+}
+
+func TestOrchestratorAllTiersExhausted(t *testing.T) {
+	local := &stubRunFn{calls: []stubCall{{err: errors.New("unavailable")}}}
+
+	var attempts []iexec.AttemptRecord
+	orch := iexec.NewOrchestrator(
+		[]iexec.ChainEntry{{Model: "ollama/devstral", Tier: "local", IsCloud: false}},
+		local.Run, nil, &stubVerifier{}, "", &attempts,
+	)
+
+	_, err := orch.Run(context.Background(), iexec.Request{TaskPrompt: "review"})
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "all tiers exhausted")
+}

internal/exec/verifier.go

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+package exec
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Verdict is the output of a Claude verification call.
+type Verdict struct {
+	Accept   bool   `json:"accept"`
+	Feedback string `json:"feedback"` // empty when Accept is true
+}
+
+// Verifier runs a focused Claude call to judge local model output.
+type Verifier struct {
+	claudeBinary string
+	model        string
+	timeout      time.Duration
+}
+
+// NewVerifier creates a Verifier that calls claude with the given binary path and model.
+// Empty claudeBinary defaults to "claude". Zero timeout defaults to 30s.
+func NewVerifier(claudeBinary, model string, timeout time.Duration) *Verifier {
+	if claudeBinary == "" {
+		claudeBinary = "claude"
+	}
+	if timeout == 0 {
+		timeout = 30 * time.Second
+	}
+	return &Verifier{
+		claudeBinary: claudeBinary,
+		model:        model,
+		timeout:      timeout,
+	}
+}
+
+// Verify asks Claude whether output satisfies the skill discipline's iron laws.
+// Returns Verdict{Accept: true} to accept or Verdict{Accept: false, Feedback: "..."}
+// to escalate. Returns an error on subprocess failure or unparseable response.
+func (v *Verifier) Verify(ctx context.Context, skillPrompt, taskPrompt string, output Result) (Verdict, error) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, v.timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	outputJSON, err := json.Marshal(output)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Verdict{}, fmt.Errorf("verifier: marshal output: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	prompt := fmt.Sprintf(`You are a quality verifier for an AI supervisor system.
+
+Given the skill discipline, the original task, and the generated output, decide whether the output satisfies the discipline's iron laws and output contract.
+
+Reply with JSON only — no other text:
+{"accept": true, "feedback": ""}
+or
+{"accept": false, "feedback": "<one sentence reason>"}
+
+## Skill discipline
+%s
+
+## Original task
+%s
+
+## Generated output
+%s`, skillPrompt, taskPrompt, string(outputJSON))
+
+	args := []string{
+		"--print",
+		"--permission-mode", "bypassPermissions",
+	}
+	if v.model != "" {
+		args = append(args, "--model", v.model)
+	}
+	args = append(args, prompt)
+
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, v.claudeBinary, args...)
+	cmd.Env = os.Environ()
+	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
+	cmd.Stdout = &stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
+
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return Verdict{}, fmt.Errorf("verifier: timeout after %s", v.timeout)
+		}
+		return Verdict{}, fmt.Errorf("verifier: claude exited with error: %w — stderr: %s", err, stderr.String())
+	}
+
+	var verdict Verdict
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(bytes.TrimSpace(stdout.Bytes()), &verdict); err != nil {
+		return Verdict{}, fmt.Errorf("verifier: parse verdict JSON: %w — raw: %s", err, stdout.String())
+	}
+	return verdict, nil
+}

internal/exec/verifier_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package exec_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	iexec "github.com/mathiasbq/supervisor/internal/exec"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func fakeVerifierClaude(t *testing.T, verdict iexec.Verdict) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	data, err := json.Marshal(verdict)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := filepath.Join(dir, "claude")
+	content := fmt.Sprintf("#!/bin/sh\necho '%s'\n", string(data))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte(content), 0755))
+	return script
+}
+
+func TestVerifierAccepts(t *testing.T) {
+	claude := fakeVerifierClaude(t, iexec.Verdict{Accept: true, Feedback: ""})
+	v := iexec.NewVerifier(claude, "claude-sonnet-4-6", 5*time.Second)
+
+	verdict, err := v.Verify(context.Background(), "skill rules", "do the task", iexec.Result{
+		Status: "pass", Phase: "review", Skill: "review", Message: "ok",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, verdict.Accept)
+	assert.Empty(t, verdict.Feedback)
+}
+
+func TestVerifierEscalates(t *testing.T) {
+	claude := fakeVerifierClaude(t, iexec.Verdict{Accept: false, Feedback: "missing line references"})
+	v := iexec.NewVerifier(claude, "claude-sonnet-4-6", 5*time.Second)
+
+	verdict, err := v.Verify(context.Background(), "skill rules", "do the task", iexec.Result{
+		Status: "pass", Phase: "review", Skill: "review", Message: "incomplete",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, verdict.Accept)
+	assert.Equal(t, "missing line references", verdict.Feedback)
+}
+
+func TestVerifierErrorOnUnparsableOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := filepath.Join(dir, "claude")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte("#!/bin/sh\necho 'not json'\n"), 0755))
+
+	v := iexec.NewVerifier(script, "claude-sonnet-4-6", 5*time.Second)
+	_, err := v.Verify(context.Background(), "rules", "task", iexec.Result{
+		Status: "pass", Phase: "review", Skill: "review", Message: "ok",
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestVerifierErrorOnNonZeroExit(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := filepath.Join(dir, "claude")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(script, []byte("#!/bin/sh\nexit 1\n"), 0755))
+
+	v := iexec.NewVerifier(script, "claude-sonnet-4-6", 5*time.Second)
+	_, err := v.Verify(context.Background(), "rules", "task", iexec.Result{
+		Status: "pass", Phase: "review", Skill: "review", Message: "ok",
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}

internal/session/session.go

@@ -32,9 +32,14 @@ type Entry struct {
 type Attempt struct {
 	Attempt       int    `json:"attempt"`
 	Model         string `json:"model"`
+	Tier          string `json:"tier"`                    // local | subagent | managed
+	DurationMs    int64  `json:"duration_ms"`
+	WarmStart     bool   `json:"warm_start"`              // model already loaded in llama-swap
+	Verified      bool   `json:"verified"`
+	Verdict       string `json:"verdict,omitempty"`       // accept | escalate | error
+	Feedback      string `json:"feedback,omitempty"`      // verifier feedback on escalation
 	OutputSummary string `json:"output_summary,omitempty"`
 	RunnerOutput  string `json:"runner_output,omitempty"`
-	Verified      bool   `json:"verified"`
 }
 
 // Append writes entry as a single JSON line to sessionsDir/{sessionID}.jsonl.

internal/session/session_test.go

@@ -61,3 +61,22 @@ func TestRead_EmptyWhenNoFile(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Empty(t, entries)
 }
+
+func TestAttemptRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	a := session.Attempt{
+		Attempt:    1,
+		Model:      "ollama/devstral",
+		Tier:       "local",
+		DurationMs: 4200,
+		WarmStart:  true,
+		Verified:   false,
+		Verdict:    "escalate",
+		Feedback:   "missing line references",
+	}
+	data, err := json.Marshal(a)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var got session.Attempt
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(data, &got))
+	assert.Equal(t, a, got)
+}