diff --git a/docs-site/src/content/docs/reference/configuration/server.md b/docs-site/src/content/docs/reference/configuration/server.md
index 23f9887dd..d367ead1c 100644
--- a/docs-site/src/content/docs/reference/configuration/server.md
+++ b/docs-site/src/content/docs/reference/configuration/server.md
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ subscription with a warning when detection is inconclusive. See
 Codex uses small helper models for tasks such as titles and commit messages. Enable
 `shadowCallIntercept` to redirect recognized source-model prefixes to another configured model. The
 replacement runs at low effort. Set `sourceModels` only when a client uses different helper ids.
+Codex 0.145.0+ marks request purpose in `x-codex-turn-metadata`: normal `request_kind: "turn"`
+requests keep the selected model, while recognized maintenance requests can be redirected. Clients
+without that metadata retain the legacy prefix behavior.
 
 ```json
 {
diff --git a/docs/shadow-call-intercept.md b/docs/shadow-call-intercept.md
index 6be790c78..ff527c87d 100644
--- a/docs/shadow-call-intercept.md
+++ b/docs/shadow-call-intercept.md
@@ -63,14 +63,18 @@ the defaults rather than extending them:
 
 ### Behavior
 
-- When enabled, ALL requests whose bare model id starts with one of the source-model prefixes
-  (default `gpt-5.4-mini`, `gpt-5.6-luna`) are rewritten to the configured model
+- Matching maintenance requests, including `prewarm`, `compaction`, and `memory`, are
+  rewritten to the configured model
+- Normal user turns identified by `x-codex-turn-metadata` with `request_kind: "turn"` are
+  never rewritten
+- Headerless legacy clients retain the original prefix behavior: matching bare model ids are
+  rewritten
+- Missing, malformed, or unrecognized turn metadata retains the legacy prefix behavior
 - Reasoning effort is forced to `low` (matching the original behavior)
 - The original model ID is logged as `shadowCallRewrittenFrom` in request logs
 - When disabled (default), no interception occurs
 
 ### Warning
 
-Enabling this redirects every request for a source model, not just Codex's background helper turns.
-`gpt-5.6-luna` is also a selectable chat model, so if you pick it as your main model while the
-intercept is on, those turns are redirected too — narrow `sourceModels` if that matters to you.
+Headerless clients cannot distinguish foreground turns from background helper calls. If such a
+client uses `gpt-5.6-luna` as its main model, narrow `sourceModels` or disable the intercept.
diff --git a/src/lib/shadow-call.ts b/src/lib/shadow-call.ts
index 30a36564a..e49c30aee 100644
--- a/src/lib/shadow-call.ts
+++ b/src/lib/shadow-call.ts
@@ -28,3 +28,27 @@ export function isShadowSourceModel(modelId: string, configured?: unknown): bool
   if (modelId.includes("/")) return false;
   return shadowSourceModels(configured).some(prefix => modelId.startsWith(prefix));
 }
+
+/**
+ * Decide whether a matching source model should use the opt-in intercept.
+ *
+ * Codex 0.145.0+ identifies normal user turns and maintenance requests in
+ * x-codex-turn-metadata. Only an explicit normal turn bypasses interception;
+ * missing or unrecognized metadata retains the legacy opt-in prefix behavior.
+ */
+export function shouldInterceptShadowCall(
+  modelId: string,
+  configured: unknown,
+  headers: Headers,
+): boolean {
+  if (!isShadowSourceModel(modelId, configured)) return false;
+  const rawMetadata = headers.get("x-codex-turn-metadata");
+  if (rawMetadata === null) return true;
+
+  try {
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(rawMetadata) as { request_kind?: unknown };
+    return parsed?.request_kind !== "turn";
+  } catch {
+    return true;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/server/responses/core.ts b/src/server/responses/core.ts
index e714b3d81..0549b43d1 100644
--- a/src/server/responses/core.ts
+++ b/src/server/responses/core.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ export function sidecarOutcomeRecorder(
 
 
 
-import { isShadowSourceModel } from "../../lib/shadow-call";
+import { isShadowSourceModel, shouldInterceptShadowCall } from "../../lib/shadow-call";
 
 export { DEFAULT_SHADOW_SOURCE_MODELS, isShadowSourceModel, shadowSourceModels } from "../../lib/shadow-call";
 
@@ -1247,7 +1247,11 @@ async function handleResponsesInner(
   // Shadow call intercept: rewrite Codex's hard-coded helper calls
   // (gpt-5.4-mini on older clients, gpt-5.6-luna on 0.145.0+)
   const _sci = config.shadowCallIntercept;
-  if (_sci?.enabled && _sci.model && isShadowSourceModel(parsed.modelId, _sci.sourceModels)) {
+  if (_sci?.enabled && _sci.model && shouldInterceptShadowCall(
+    parsed.modelId,
+    _sci.sourceModels,
+    req.headers,
+  )) {
     const _sciOriginal = parsed.modelId;
     parsed.modelId = _sci.model;
     if (parsed._rawBody && typeof parsed._rawBody === "object") {
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index c4827a8fa..32e1b9bea 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -645,7 +645,8 @@ export interface OcxConfig {
    * Shadow call intercept: redirect Codex's hard-coded helper calls (title generation,
    * commit messages, skill orchestration) to a user-chosen model. Default intercepted
    * source models: gpt-5.4-mini (older clients) and gpt-5.6-luna (Codex 0.145.0+).
-   * Opt-in; disabled by default. When enabled, effort is forced to low.
+   * Opt-in; disabled by default. Matching maintenance/helper requests are forced to low.
+   * Normal Codex turns identified by request_kind=turn are never rewritten.
    */
   shadowCallIntercept?: {
     /** When true, requests for known shadow/helper source models are rewritten to the configured model. */
diff --git a/tests/responses-shadow-intercept.test.ts b/tests/responses-shadow-intercept.test.ts
index a04da5d5e..e946f65b4 100644
--- a/tests/responses-shadow-intercept.test.ts
+++ b/tests/responses-shadow-intercept.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { handleResponses, isShadowSourceModel } from "../src/server/responses";
+import { shouldInterceptShadowCall } from "../src/lib/shadow-call";
 import { handleManagementAPI } from "../src/server/management-api";
 import type { OcxConfig } from "../src/types";
 
@@ -51,6 +52,42 @@ describe("isShadowSourceModel", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("shouldInterceptShadowCall", () => {
+  const metadata = (requestKind: string) => new Headers({
+    "x-codex-turn-metadata": JSON.stringify({ request_kind: requestKind }),
+  });
+
+  test("intercepts recognized maintenance kinds but not normal turns", () => {
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, metadata("memory"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, metadata("compaction"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, metadata("prewarm"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, metadata("turn"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test("keeps legacy matching for headerless, malformed, and unrecognized metadata", () => {
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, new Headers())).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall(
+      "gpt-5.6-luna",
+      undefined,
+      new Headers({ "x-codex-turn-metadata": "{" }),
+    )).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall(
+      "gpt-5.6-luna",
+      undefined,
+      new Headers({ "x-codex-turn-metadata": "{}" }),
+    )).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, metadata("future-kind"))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test("uses case-insensitive Headers lookup and still excludes non-source models", () => {
+    const headers = new Headers({
+      "X-CoDeX-TuRn-MeTaDaTa": JSON.stringify({ request_kind: "turn" }),
+    });
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-luna", undefined, headers)).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldInterceptShadowCall("gpt-5.6-terra", undefined, metadata("memory"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 function interceptConfig(): OcxConfig {
   return {
     port: 0,
@@ -67,10 +104,14 @@ function interceptConfig(): OcxConfig {
   } as OcxConfig;
 }
 
-async function post(config: OcxConfig, model: string): Promise<Response> {
+async function post(config: OcxConfig, model: string, requestKind?: string): Promise<Response> {
+  const headers: Record<string, string> = { "content-type": "application/json" };
+  if (requestKind) {
+    headers["x-codex-turn-metadata"] = JSON.stringify({ request_kind: requestKind });
+  }
   return handleResponses(new Request("http://localhost/v1/responses", {
     method: "POST",
-    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+    headers,
     body: JSON.stringify({
       model,
       input: [{ type: "message", role: "user", content: [{ type: "input_text", text: "hi" }] }],
@@ -91,7 +132,7 @@ describe("shadow call intercept request path (issue #311)", () => {
       }), { status: 200, headers: { "content-type": "application/json" } });
     }) as typeof fetch;
 
-    await post(interceptConfig(), "gpt-5.6-luna");
+    await post(interceptConfig(), "gpt-5.6-luna", "memory");
 
     expect(bodies.length).toBe(1);
     // Routed through xai openai-chat: upstream model is the decoded routed id, not the helper id
@@ -101,6 +142,19 @@ describe("shadow call intercept request path (issue #311)", () => {
     expect(effort).toBe("low");
   });
 
+  test("does not rewrite a foreground gpt-5.6-luna turn", async () => {
+    let sawFetch = false;
+    globalThis.fetch = (async () => {
+      sawFetch = true;
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: { message: "unreachable" } }), { status: 500 });
+    }) as typeof fetch;
+
+    const response = await post(interceptConfig(), "gpt-5.6-luna", "turn");
+
+    expect(sawFetch).toBe(false);
+    expect(response.status).toBe(404);
+  });
+
   test("leaves gpt-5.6-terra requests unrewritten", async () => {
     let sawFetch = false;
     globalThis.fetch = (async () => {