diff --git a/.github/codex/prompts/pr-labels.md b/.github/codex/prompts/pr-labels.md
index 4e47c93612..d1f3d73a5e 100644
--- a/.github/codex/prompts/pr-labels.md
+++ b/.github/codex/prompts/pr-labels.md
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 You are Codex running in CI to propose labels for a pull request in the openai-agents-python repository.
 
 Inputs:
+- PR context: .tmp/pr-labels/pr-context.json
 - PR diff: .tmp/pr-labels/changes.diff
 - Changed files: .tmp/pr-labels/changed-files.txt
 
 Task:
-- Inspect the diff and changed files.
+- Inspect the PR context, diff, and changed files.
 - Output JSON with a single top-level key: "labels" (array of strings).
 - Only use labels from the allowed list.
 - Prefer false negatives over false positives. If you are unsure, leave the label out.
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ Label rules:
 - feature:voice: Voice pipeline behavior is a primary deliverable of the PR.
 
 Decision process:
-1. Determine the PR's primary intent in one sentence from the title and dominant runtime diff.
+1. Determine the PR's primary intent in one sentence from the PR title/body and dominant runtime diff.
 2. Start with zero labels.
 3. Add `bug` or `enhancement` conservatively.
 4. Add only the minimum `feature:*` labels needed to describe the primary surface area.
diff --git a/.github/codex/schemas/pr-labels.json b/.github/codex/schemas/pr-labels.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a1249a48a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/codex/schemas/pr-labels.json
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": ["labels"],
+  "properties": {
+    "labels": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "uniqueItems": true,
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "enum": [
+          "documentation",
+          "project",
+          "bug",
+          "enhancement",
+          "dependencies",
+          "feature:chat-completions",
+          "feature:core",
+          "feature:lite-llm",
+          "feature:mcp",
+          "feature:realtime",
+          "feature:sessions",
+          "feature:tracing",
+          "feature:voice"
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pr_labels.py b/.github/scripts/pr_labels.py
index b1d7e720d9..037f62f9be 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pr_labels.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/pr_labels.py
@@ -26,6 +26,19 @@
     "feature:voice",
 }
 
+DETERMINISTIC_LABELS: Final[set[str]] = {
+    "documentation",
+    "project",
+    "dependencies",
+}
+
+MODEL_ONLY_LABELS: Final[set[str]] = {
+    "bug",
+    "enhancement",
+}
+
+FEATURE_LABELS: Final[set[str]] = ALLOWED_LABELS - DETERMINISTIC_LABELS - MODEL_ONLY_LABELS
+
 SOURCE_FEATURE_PREFIXES: Final[dict[str, tuple[str, ...]]] = {
     "feature:realtime": ("src/agents/realtime/",),
     "feature:voice": ("src/agents/voice/",),
@@ -201,27 +214,30 @@ def load_json(path: pathlib.Path) -> Any:
     return json.loads(path.read_text())
 
 
-def load_codex_labels(path: pathlib.Path) -> list[str]:
+def load_codex_labels(path: pathlib.Path) -> tuple[list[str], bool]:
     if not path.exists():
-        return []
+        return [], False
 
     raw = path.read_text().strip()
     if not raw:
-        return []
+        return [], False
 
     try:
         payload = load_json(path)
     except json.JSONDecodeError:
-        return []
+        return [], False
 
     if not isinstance(payload, dict):
-        return []
+        return [], False
 
-    labels = payload.get("labels", [])
+    labels = payload.get("labels")
     if not isinstance(labels, list):
-        return []
+        return [], False
 
-    return [label for label in labels if isinstance(label, str)]
+    if not all(isinstance(label, str) for label in labels):
+        return [], False
+
+    return list(labels), True
 
 
 def fetch_existing_labels(pr_number: str) -> set[str]:
@@ -237,6 +253,7 @@ def compute_desired_labels(
     changed_files: Sequence[str],
     diff_text: str,
     codex_ran: bool,
+    codex_output_valid: bool,
     codex_labels: Sequence[str],
     base_sha: str | None,
     head_sha: str | None,
@@ -257,7 +274,7 @@ def compute_desired_labels(
     if dependencies_allowed:
         desired.add("dependencies")
 
-    if codex_ran:
+    if codex_ran and codex_output_valid:
         for label in codex_labels:
             if label == "dependencies" and not dependencies_allowed:
                 continue
@@ -269,6 +286,13 @@ def compute_desired_labels(
     return desired
 
 
+def compute_managed_labels(*, codex_ran: bool, codex_output_valid: bool) -> set[str]:
+    managed = DETERMINISTIC_LABELS | FEATURE_LABELS
+    if codex_ran and codex_output_valid:
+        managed |= MODEL_ONLY_LABELS
+    return managed
+
+
 def parse_args(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--pr-number", default=os.environ.get("PR_NUMBER", ""))
@@ -308,18 +332,29 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
         ]
 
     diff_text = changes_diff_path.read_text() if changes_diff_path.exists() else ""
+    codex_labels, codex_output_valid = load_codex_labels(codex_output_path)
+    if codex_ran and not codex_output_valid:
+        print(
+            "Codex output missing or invalid; using fallback feature labels and preserving "
+            "model-only labels."
+        )
     desired = compute_desired_labels(
         changed_files=changed_files,
         diff_text=diff_text,
         codex_ran=codex_ran,
-        codex_labels=load_codex_labels(codex_output_path),
+        codex_output_valid=codex_output_valid,
+        codex_labels=codex_labels,
         base_sha=args.base_sha or None,
         head_sha=args.head_sha or None,
     )
 
     existing = fetch_existing_labels(args.pr_number)
+    managed_labels = compute_managed_labels(
+        codex_ran=codex_ran,
+        codex_output_valid=codex_output_valid,
+    )
     to_add = sorted(desired - existing)
-    to_remove = sorted((existing & ALLOWED_LABELS) - desired)
+    to_remove = sorted((existing & managed_labels) - desired)
 
     if not to_add and not to_remove:
         print("Labels already up to date.")
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-labels.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-labels.yml
index 6a3bf52c8b..0d73ade160 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-labels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-labels.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ jobs:
             core.setOutput('head_sha', pr.head.sha);
             core.setOutput('head_repo', headRepo);
             core.setOutput('is_fork', headRepo !== repoFullName);
+            core.setOutput('title', pr.title || '');
+            core.setOutput('body', pr.body || '');
 
       - name: Checkout base
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd
@@ -81,14 +83,36 @@ jobs:
             "https://github.com/${PR_HEAD_REPO}.git" \
             "${PR_HEAD_SHA}"
       - name: Collect PR diff
+        id: diff
         env:
           PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.base_sha }}
           PR_HEAD_SHA: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.head_sha }}
+          PR_TITLE: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.title }}
+          PR_BODY: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.body }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           mkdir -p .tmp/pr-labels
-          git diff --name-only "$PR_BASE_SHA" "$PR_HEAD_SHA" > .tmp/pr-labels/changed-files.txt
-          git diff "$PR_BASE_SHA" "$PR_HEAD_SHA" > .tmp/pr-labels/changes.diff
+          diff_base_sha="$(git merge-base "$PR_BASE_SHA" "$PR_HEAD_SHA")"
+          echo "diff_base_sha=${diff_base_sha}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          git diff --name-only "$diff_base_sha" "$PR_HEAD_SHA" > .tmp/pr-labels/changed-files.txt
+          git diff "$diff_base_sha" "$PR_HEAD_SHA" > .tmp/pr-labels/changes.diff
+          python - <<'PY'
+          import json
+          import os
+          import pathlib
+
+          pathlib.Path(".tmp/pr-labels/pr-context.json").write_text(
+              json.dumps(
+                  {
+                      "title": os.environ.get("PR_TITLE", ""),
+                      "body": os.environ.get("PR_BODY", ""),
+                  },
+                  ensure_ascii=False,
+                  indent=2,
+              )
+              + "\n"
+          )
+          PY
       - name: Prepare Codex output
         id: codex-output
         run: |
@@ -105,13 +129,14 @@ jobs:
           openai-api-key: ${{ secrets.PROD_OPENAI_API_KEY }}
           prompt-file: .github/codex/prompts/pr-labels.md
           output-file: ${{ steps.codex-output.outputs.output_file }}
+          output-schema-file: .github/codex/schemas/pr-labels.json
           safety-strategy: drop-sudo
           sandbox: read-only
       - name: Apply labels
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           PR_NUMBER: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.pr_number }}
-          PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.base_sha }}
+          PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ steps.diff.outputs.diff_base_sha }}
           PR_HEAD_SHA: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.head_sha }}
           CODEX_OUTPUT_PATH: ${{ steps.codex-output.outputs.output_file }}
           CODEX_CONCLUSION: ${{ steps.run_codex.conclusion }}
diff --git a/tests/test_pr_labels.py b/tests/test_pr_labels.py
index fa834bc8bc..fd0b164d8f 100644
--- a/tests/test_pr_labels.py
+++ b/tests/test_pr_labels.py
@@ -43,9 +43,32 @@ def test_compute_desired_labels_removes_stale_fallback_labels() -> None:
         changed_files=["src/agents/models/chatcmpl_converter.py"],
         diff_text="",
         codex_ran=False,
+        codex_output_valid=False,
         codex_labels=[],
         base_sha=None,
         head_sha=None,
     )
 
     assert desired == {"feature:chat-completions"}
+
+
+def test_compute_desired_labels_falls_back_when_codex_output_is_invalid() -> None:
+    desired = pr_labels.compute_desired_labels(
+        changed_files=["src/agents/run_internal/approvals.py"],
+        diff_text="",
+        codex_ran=True,
+        codex_output_valid=False,
+        codex_labels=[],
+        base_sha=None,
+        head_sha=None,
+    )
+
+    assert desired == {"feature:core"}
+
+
+def test_compute_managed_labels_preserves_model_only_labels_without_valid_codex_output() -> None:
+    managed = pr_labels.compute_managed_labels(codex_ran=True, codex_output_valid=False)
+
+    assert "bug" not in managed
+    assert "enhancement" not in managed
+    assert "feature:core" in managed