diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index e5f706080..a14a31963 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -678,6 +678,27 @@ type ModelConfig struct {
 	isVirtual bool
 }
 
+// UnmarshalJSON accepts both "api_key" (singular SecureString) and "api_keys"
+// (plural SecureStrings). When "api_key" is present it is prepended to
+// APIKeys so that ModelConfig.APIKey() returns the resolved value.
+func (c *ModelConfig) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+	// Use a local alias to avoid infinite recursion through this method.
+	type modelConfigAlias ModelConfig
+	type wire struct {
+		modelConfigAlias
+		APIKey *SecureString `json:"api_key,omitempty"`
+	}
+	var w wire
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &w); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	*c = ModelConfig(w.modelConfigAlias)
+	if w.APIKey != nil && w.APIKey.String() != "" {
+		c.APIKeys = append(SecureStrings{w.APIKey}, c.APIKeys...)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // APIKey returns the first API key from apiKeys
 func (c *ModelConfig) APIKey() string {
 	if len(c.APIKeys) > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/config/model_list_sushi30_test.go b/pkg/config/model_list_sushi30_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c40b011f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/model_list_sushi30_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// model_list_sushi30_test.go — sushi30 fork regression tests for ModelConfig
+// JSON unmarshalling of the singular "api_key" field.
+//
+// Background: ModelConfig only declares APIKeys (plural, json:"api_keys").
+// The singular "api_key" field used in v2 configs was silently dropped by the
+// standard JSON unmarshaller, leaving APIKeys empty and causing:
+//   failed to create provider: api_key or api_base is required for HTTP-based protocol "openrouter"
+//
+// Fix: ModelConfig.UnmarshalJSON in pkg/config/config.go now accepts both
+// "api_key" (singular) and "api_keys" (plural) and merges them into APIKeys.
+// These tests guard against that regression being re-introduced by a future
+// upstream merge or rebase.
+
+package config
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestModelConfig_SingularAPIKey_JSON verifies that a literal api_key value in
+// a model_list entry is unmarshalled into APIKey().
+func TestModelConfig_SingularAPIKey_JSON(t *testing.T) {
+	data := `{
+		"model_name": "test-model",
+		"model":      "openrouter/test/model",
+		"api_key":    "sk-literal-key"
+	}`
+
+	var cfg ModelConfig
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &cfg))
+	assert.Equal(t, "sk-literal-key", cfg.APIKey(),
+		"singular api_key must be available via APIKey()")
+}
+
+// TestModelConfig_SingularAPIKey_EnvRef verifies that an env:// reference in
+// the singular api_key field is resolved to the environment variable value.
+func TestModelConfig_SingularAPIKey_EnvRef(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("PICOCLAW_TEST_MODEL_KEY", "sk-from-env")
+
+	data := `{
+		"model_name": "test-model",
+		"model":      "openrouter/test/model",
+		"api_key":    "env://PICOCLAW_TEST_MODEL_KEY"
+	}`
+
+	var cfg ModelConfig
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &cfg))
+	assert.Equal(t, "sk-from-env", cfg.APIKey(),
+		"env:// api_key must resolve to the environment variable value")
+}
+
+// TestModelConfig_PluralAPIKeys_StillWork verifies that the existing api_keys
+// (plural) field continues to work after the UnmarshalJSON change.
+func TestModelConfig_PluralAPIKeys_StillWork(t *testing.T) {
+	data := `{
+		"model_name": "test-model",
+		"model":      "openrouter/test/model",
+		"api_keys":   ["sk-a", "sk-b"]
+	}`
+
+	var cfg ModelConfig
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &cfg))
+	assert.Equal(t, "sk-a", cfg.APIKey(),
+		"first entry of api_keys must be returned by APIKey()")
+	assert.Len(t, cfg.APIKeys, 2)
+}
+
+// TestModelConfig_BothAPIKeyFields_SingularWins verifies that when both
+// api_key and api_keys are present, the singular api_key ends up at index 0.
+func TestModelConfig_BothAPIKeyFields_SingularWins(t *testing.T) {
+	data := `{
+		"model_name": "test-model",
+		"model":      "openrouter/test/model",
+		"api_key":    "sk-primary",
+		"api_keys":   ["sk-fallback"]
+	}`
+
+	var cfg ModelConfig
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &cfg))
+	assert.Equal(t, "sk-primary", cfg.APIKey(),
+		"singular api_key must take slot 0 when both fields are present")
+	assert.Len(t, cfg.APIKeys, 2,
+		"api_keys entries must be preserved after singular api_key is prepended")
+}
+
+// TestModelList_EnvRef_ResolvedByGateway mimics how a real v2 config.json
+// model_list array is loaded and checks that APIKey() returns the resolved
+// env var value, not an empty string.
+func TestModelList_EnvRef_ResolvedByGateway(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "sk-openrouter-test")
+
+	data := `[
+		{
+			"model_name": "glm-4.5",
+			"model":      "openrouter/z-ai/glm-4.5",
+			"api_key":    "env://OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
+		},
+		{
+			"model_name": "gpt-4o",
+			"model":      "openrouter/openai/gpt-4o",
+			"api_key":    "env://OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
+		}
+	]`
+
+	var list SecureModelList
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &list))
+	require.Len(t, list, 2)
+
+	for _, m := range list {
+		assert.Equal(t, "sk-openrouter-test", m.APIKey(),
+			"model %q: api_key env:// must resolve, not return empty string", m.ModelName)
+	}
+}