diff --git a/internal/provider/provider.go b/internal/provider/provider.go
index 6ac2be8..8590192 100644
--- a/internal/provider/provider.go
+++ b/internal/provider/provider.go
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ func (p *Provider) ChatStream(ctx context.Context, req *types.ChatRequest) (<-ch
 		rc <- respOrErr{resp, err}
 	}()
 
-	ch := make(chan types.UnifiedChunk, 64)
+	inner := make(chan types.UnifiedChunk, 64)
 	sel := <-rc
 	if sel.err != nil {
 		// client disconnect/cancel before the first byte: not a scheduling
@@ -797,11 +797,12 @@ func (p *Provider) ChatStream(ctx context.Context, req *types.ChatRequest) (<-ch
 	}
 	go func() {
 		defer p.Release()
-		defer close(ch)
+		defer close(inner)
 		defer sel.resp.Body.Close()
 		scanner := bufio.NewScanner(sel.resp.Body)
 		scanner.Buffer(make([]byte, 0, 64*1024), 1024*1024)
 		var chunks int
+		var realChunks int
 		var doneSeen bool
 		var doneSent bool
 		for scanner.Scan() {
@@ -821,7 +822,7 @@ func (p *Provider) ChatStream(ctx context.Context, req *types.ChatRequest) (<-ch
 				// finish_reason downstream.
 				if !doneSent {
 					select {
-					case ch <- types.UnifiedChunk{Done: true}:
+					case inner <- types.UnifiedChunk{Done: true}:
 					case <-ctx.Done():
 					}
 				}
@@ -844,9 +845,12 @@ func (p *Provider) ChatStream(ctx context.Context, req *types.ChatRequest) (<-ch
 			if ck.Done {
 				doneSent = true
 			}
+			if !errorOnlyChunk(ck) {
+				realChunks++
+			}
 			chunks++
 			select {
-			case ch <- ck:
+			case inner <- ck:
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return
 			}
@@ -857,15 +861,71 @@ func (p *Provider) ChatStream(ctx context.Context, req *types.ChatRequest) (<-ch
 		// success nor failure for scheduling purposes. A 200 that produced
 		// zero chunks and no [DONE] is an empty stream, i.e. a failure
 		// before the first chunk — record it so the slot can fall back.
+		// A stream whose only payload was error-only done chunks (e.g.
+		// finish_reason:"network_error") is likewise a failure, not a success.
 		if ctx.Err() == nil && scanner.Err() == nil {
-			if doneSeen || chunks > 0 {
+			if realChunks > 0 || (doneSeen && chunks == 0) {
 				p.RecordSuccess(model)
 			} else {
 				p.RecordFailure(model, 0)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
-	return ch, nil
+
+	// Hold back the first chunk to validate the stream actually carries
+	// content: some upstreams answer HTTP 200 with a degenerate stream whose
+	// only payload is an error finish reason (zen free pool sends
+	// finish_reason:"network_error" with empty delta). Failing the candidate
+	// here — before any byte reaches the gateway — lets the scheduler fall
+	// through to the next source instead of serving the client an empty reply.
+	type heldChunk struct {
+		ck types.UnifiedChunk
+		ok bool
+	}
+	var first heldChunk
+	select {
+	case ck, ok := <-inner:
+		first = heldChunk{ck, ok}
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	}
+	if !first.ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("provider %s: empty stream", p.Name())
+	}
+	if errorOnlyChunk(first.ck) {
+		go func() {
+			for range inner {
+			}
+		}()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("provider %s: upstream returned %q stream",
+			p.Name(), first.ck.FinishReason)
+	}
+	out := make(chan types.UnifiedChunk, 64)
+	go func() {
+		defer close(out)
+		out <- first.ck
+		for ck := range inner {
+			out <- ck
+		}
+	}()
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+// errorOnlyChunk reports whether ck carries nothing but an upstream error
+// signal: a done chunk with a non-standard finish reason and zero content,
+// tool calls, reasoning text or usage. Standard OpenAI finish reasons are
+// never classified as errors, so legitimate instant-empty completions
+// (finish_reason:"stop", no output) still reach the client.
+func errorOnlyChunk(ck types.UnifiedChunk) bool {
+	if !ck.Done || ck.FinishReason == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	switch ck.FinishReason {
+	case "stop", "length", "tool_calls", "function_call", "content_filter":
+		return false
+	}
+	return ck.Content == "" && len(ck.ToolCalls) == 0 &&
+		ck.ReasoningContent == "" && ck.Usage == nil
 }
 
 // Image generates images via /v1/images/generations. Same scheduling-state
diff --git a/internal/provider/provider_test.go b/internal/provider/provider_test.go
index c36e0de..66b9d66 100644
--- a/internal/provider/provider_test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/provider_test.go
@@ -417,7 +417,8 @@ func TestChatClientCancelNotRecorded(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // TestChatStreamEmptyBodyNotSuccess: a 200 that yields zero chunks and no
-// [DONE] is a failure before the first chunk — the slot must back off.
+// [DONE] must fail the candidate (error return, no delivered chunks) so the
+// scheduler falls through to the next source, and record the failure.
 func TestChatStreamEmptyBodyNotSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	up := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/event-stream")
@@ -429,15 +430,12 @@ func TestChatStreamEmptyBodyNotSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		Model:    "m",
 		Messages: []types.ChatMessage{{Role: "user", Content: types.StringContent("x")}},
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("stream: %v", err)
-	}
-	got := 0
-	for range ch {
-		got++
-	}
-	if got != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("want empty stream, got %d chunks", got)
+	if err == nil {
+		if ch != nil {
+			for range ch {
+			}
+		}
+		t.Fatal("empty stream must fail the candidate for scheduler fallback")
 	}
 	eventually(t, 2*time.Second, func() bool {
 		_, fc, _ := p.ModelHealthInfo("m")
@@ -445,6 +443,62 @@ func TestChatStreamEmptyBodyNotSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	}, "empty stream must record a failure")
 }
 
+// TestChatStreamErrorFinishFailsCandidate: zen free pool answers HTTP 200
+// with a single-chunk stream whose only payload is finish_reason:"network_error"
+// and an empty delta. That must fail the candidate (not deliver a laundered
+// empty reply), so the scheduler can fall through to the next source.
+func TestChatStreamErrorFinishFailsCandidate(t *testing.T) {
+	up := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/event-stream")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, `data: {"choices":[{"index":0,"finish_reason":"network_error","delta":{"role":"assistant","content":""}}]}`+"\n\n")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, "data: [DONE]\n\n")
+	}))
+	defer up.Close()
+	p := newTestProvider(t, src("mock", up.URL, "opencode", "m"))
+	_, err := p.ChatStream(context.Background(), &types.ChatRequest{
+		Model:    "m",
+		Messages: []types.ChatMessage{{Role: "user", Content: types.StringContent("x")}},
+	})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("network_error-only stream must fail the candidate")
+	}
+	eventually(t, 2*time.Second, func() bool {
+		_, fc, _ := p.ModelHealthInfo("m")
+		return fc >= 1
+	}, "error-only stream must record a failure")
+}
+
+// TestChatStreamInstantEmptyStopStillDelivered: a legitimate completion that
+// ends immediately with the standard finish_reason:"stop" and zero content is
+// NOT an upstream error and must still reach the client.
+func TestChatStreamInstantEmptyStopStillDelivered(t *testing.T) {
+	up := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/event-stream")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, `data: {"choices":[{"index":0,"finish_reason":"stop","delta":{}}]}`+"\n\n")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, "data: [DONE]\n\n")
+	}))
+	defer up.Close()
+	p := newTestProvider(t, src("mock", up.URL, "openai", "m"))
+	ch, err := p.ChatStream(context.Background(), &types.ChatRequest{
+		Model:    "m",
+		Messages: []types.ChatMessage{{Role: "user", Content: types.StringContent("x")}},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("standard stop stream must be delivered: %v", err)
+	}
+	n := 0
+	for range ch {
+		n++
+	}
+	if n == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected at least the terminating chunk")
+	}
+	eventually(t, 2*time.Second, func() bool {
+		_, fc, _ := p.ModelHealthInfo("m")
+		return fc == 0
+	}, "standard stop must count as success")
+}
+
 // TestImageAutoUsesImageModel: AUTO image generation on a mixed source must
 // send the image-kind model id, never the best chat model.
 func TestImageAutoUsesImageModel(t *testing.T) {