diff --git a/src/lib/onboard.ts b/src/lib/onboard.ts
index 37ddb4d050..2259dd22bf 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard.ts
@@ -217,9 +217,11 @@ const {
 const {
   checkOllamaPortsOrWarn,
   resolveOllamaInstallMenuEntry,
-  resolveRunningOllamaMenuEntry,
   assertOllamaUpgradeApplied,
 } = require("./onboard/ollama-install-menu");
+const {
+  buildInferenceProviderMenu,
+}: typeof import("./onboard/provider-menu") = require("./onboard/provider-menu");
 const {
   ensureOllamaAuthProxy,
   getOllamaProxyToken,
@@ -3651,7 +3653,7 @@ async function createSandbox(
 
 // ── Step 3: Inference selection ──────────────────────────────────
 
-type ProviderChoice = { key: string; label: string };
+type ProviderChoice = import("./onboard/provider-menu").ProviderMenuChoice;
 
 const { readRecordedProvider, readRecordedNimContainer, readRecordedModel } =
   providerRecovery.createProviderRecoveryHelpers({
@@ -3837,77 +3839,46 @@ async function setupNim(
     ? getNonInteractiveModel(requestedProvider || "build")
     : null;
   const agentProviderOptions = getAgentInferenceProviderOptions(agent);
-  const hermesProviderAvailable = agentProviderOptions.includes("hermesProvider");
-  const options: Array<{ key: string; label: string }> = [];
-  options.push({ key: "build", label: "NVIDIA Endpoints" });
-  options.push({ key: "openai", label: "OpenAI" });
-  options.push({ key: "custom", label: "Other OpenAI-compatible endpoint" });
-  options.push({ key: "anthropic", label: "Anthropic" });
-  options.push({ key: "anthropicCompatible", label: "Other Anthropic-compatible endpoint" });
-  options.push({ key: "gemini", label: "Google Gemini" });
-  const runningOllamaMenu = resolveRunningOllamaMenuEntry({
+  const ollamaInstallMenu = resolveOllamaInstallMenuEntry({
     hasOllama,
     ollamaRunning,
+    hasWindowsOllama,
     ollamaHost,
+    platform: process.platform,
     isWsl: isWsl(),
+  });
+
+  // Model Router: complexity-based routing via blueprint config.
+  const blueprintRouterCfg = loadBlueprintProfile("routed");
+  const { options, hermesProviderAvailable } = buildInferenceProviderMenu({
+    remoteProviderConfig: REMOTE_PROVIDER_CONFIG,
+    agentProviderOptions,
+    experimental: EXPERIMENTAL,
+    gpuNimCapable: Boolean(gpu && gpu.nimCapable),
+    hasOllama,
+    ollamaRunning,
+    ollamaHost,
     ollamaPort: OLLAMA_PORT,
+    isWsl: isWsl(),
+    hasWindowsOllama,
+    isWindowsHostOllama,
     windowsHostLabelSuffix: windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.supported
       ? ""
       : windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.labelSuffix,
-  });
-  if (runningOllamaMenu) options.push(runningOllamaMenu);
-  if (EXPERIMENTAL && gpu && gpu.nimCapable) {
-    options.push({ key: "nim-local", label: "Local NVIDIA NIM [experimental]" });
-  }
-  options.push(
-    ...buildVllmMenuEntries({
+    windowsHostInstallLabel: windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.installLabel,
+    windowsHostStartLabel: windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.startLabel,
+    windowsOllamaReachable,
+    winOllamaLoopbackOnly,
+    ollamaInstallEntry: ollamaInstallMenu.entry,
+    vllmEntries: buildVllmMenuEntries({
       vllmRunning,
       vllmProfile,
       experimental: EXPERIMENTAL,
       platform: gpu?.platform,
       hasVllmImage,
     }),
-  );
-  // Skipped when Windows-host already won the cache: the running entry
-  // above already covers that case.
-  if (hasWindowsOllama && !isWindowsHostOllama) {
-    options.push({
-      key: "start-windows-ollama",
-      label: windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.startLabel({
-        reachable: windowsOllamaReachable,
-        loopbackOnly: winOllamaLoopbackOnly,
-      }),
-    });
-  }
-  // On WSL, always offer to install Ollama on the Windows host when not
-  // already installed, regardless of WSL Ollama state — users may prefer the
-  // Windows-host instance (GPU access) even with WSL Ollama running.
-  if (isWsl() && !hasWindowsOllama) {
-    options.push({
-      key: "install-windows-ollama",
-      label: windowsHostOllamaDockerRequirement.installLabel,
-    });
-  }
-  const ollamaInstallMenu = resolveOllamaInstallMenuEntry({
-    hasOllama,
-    ollamaRunning,
-    hasWindowsOllama,
-    ollamaHost,
-    platform: process.platform,
-    isWsl: isWsl(),
+    routedEnabled: blueprintRouterCfg?.router?.enabled === true,
   });
-  if (ollamaInstallMenu.entry) options.push(ollamaInstallMenu.entry);
-
-  // Model Router: complexity-based routing via blueprint config.
-  const blueprintRouterCfg = loadBlueprintProfile("routed");
-  if (blueprintRouterCfg && blueprintRouterCfg.router?.enabled === true) {
-    options.push({ key: "routed", label: "Model Router (experimental)" });
-  }
-  for (const providerKey of agentProviderOptions) {
-    const remoteConfig = REMOTE_PROVIDER_CONFIG[providerKey];
-    if (!remoteConfig || options.some((option) => option.key === providerKey)) continue;
-    options.push({ key: providerKey, label: remoteConfig.label });
-  }
 
   function rejectWindowsHostOllama(providerKey: string, windowsHostSelected: boolean): boolean {
     return rejectUnsupportedWindowsHostOllama(
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fc0744773f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { buildInferenceProviderMenu } from "../../../dist/lib/onboard/provider-menu";
+
+const REMOTE_PROVIDER_CONFIG = {
+  build: { label: "NVIDIA Endpoints" },
+  openai: { label: "OpenAI" },
+  custom: { label: "Other OpenAI-compatible endpoint" },
+  anthropic: { label: "Anthropic" },
+  anthropicCompatible: { label: "Other Anthropic-compatible endpoint" },
+  gemini: { label: "Google Gemini" },
+  hermesProvider: { label: "Hermes Provider" },
+};
+
+function buildMenu(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof buildInferenceProviderMenu>[0]> = {}) {
+  return buildInferenceProviderMenu({
+    remoteProviderConfig: REMOTE_PROVIDER_CONFIG,
+    agentProviderOptions: [],
+    experimental: false,
+    gpuNimCapable: false,
+    hasOllama: false,
+    ollamaRunning: false,
+    ollamaHost: null,
+    ollamaPort: 11434,
+    isWsl: false,
+    hasWindowsOllama: false,
+    isWindowsHostOllama: false,
+    windowsHostLabelSuffix: "",
+    windowsHostInstallLabel: "Install Ollama on Windows host (recommended)",
+    windowsHostStartLabel: () => "Start Ollama on Windows host (suggested)",
+    windowsOllamaReachable: false,
+    winOllamaLoopbackOnly: false,
+    ollamaInstallEntry: null,
+    vllmEntries: [],
+    routedEnabled: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  });
+}
+
+describe("buildInferenceProviderMenu", () => {
+  it("returns the base remote providers in the existing prompt order", () => {
+    const result = buildMenu();
+
+    expect(result.hermesProviderAvailable).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.options.map((option) => option.key)).toEqual([
+      "build",
+      "openai",
+      "custom",
+      "anthropic",
+      "anthropicCompatible",
+      "gemini",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("adds local, routed, and agent-scoped providers after the base remote entries", () => {
+    const result = buildMenu({
+      agentProviderOptions: ["hermesProvider", "build"],
+      experimental: true,
+      gpuNimCapable: true,
+      hasOllama: true,
+      ollamaRunning: true,
+      ollamaHost: "127.0.0.1",
+      isWsl: false,
+      ollamaInstallEntry: { key: "install-ollama", label: "Install Ollama (Linux)" },
+      vllmEntries: [{ key: "install-vllm", label: "Install vLLM (DGX Spark)" }],
+      routedEnabled: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.hermesProviderAvailable).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.options.map((option) => option.key)).toEqual([
+      "build",
+      "openai",
+      "custom",
+      "anthropic",
+      "anthropicCompatible",
+      "gemini",
+      "ollama",
+      "nim-local",
+      "install-vllm",
+      "install-ollama",
+      "routed",
+      "hermesProvider",
+    ]);
+    expect(result.options.find((option) => option.key === "build")?.label).toBe("NVIDIA Endpoints");
+    expect(result.options.find((option) => option.key === "hermesProvider")?.label).toBe(
+      "Hermes Provider",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("offers Windows-host Ollama install when WSL has no Windows Ollama", () => {
+    const result = buildMenu({
+      isWsl: true,
+      hasWindowsOllama: false,
+      windowsHostInstallLabel: "Install Ollama on Windows host (requires Docker Desktop)",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.options.at(-1)).toEqual({
+      key: "install-windows-ollama",
+      label: "Install Ollama on Windows host (requires Docker Desktop)",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("offers Windows-host Ollama start when detected but not currently selected", () => {
+    const result = buildMenu({
+      isWsl: true,
+      hasWindowsOllama: true,
+      isWindowsHostOllama: false,
+      windowsOllamaReachable: true,
+      windowsHostStartLabel: ({ reachable }) =>
+        reachable ? "Use Ollama on Windows host - running" : "Start Ollama on Windows host",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.options.at(-1)).toEqual({
+      key: "start-windows-ollama",
+      label: "Use Ollama on Windows host - running",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("does not add a separate Windows-host start entry when running Ollama already resolves there", () => {
+    const result = buildMenu({
+      isWsl: true,
+      hasOllama: false,
+      ollamaRunning: true,
+      ollamaHost: "host.docker.internal",
+      hasWindowsOllama: true,
+      isWindowsHostOllama: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.options.map((option) => option.key)).toContain("ollama");
+    expect(result.options.map((option) => option.key)).not.toContain("start-windows-ollama");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.ts b/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..19b390d1f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/provider-menu.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { resolveRunningOllamaMenuEntry } from "./ollama-install-menu";
+
+export interface ProviderMenuChoice {
+  key: string;
+  label: string;
+}
+
+interface RemoteProviderMenuConfig {
+  label: string;
+}
+
+type WindowsHostOllamaStartLabel = (opts: { reachable: boolean; loopbackOnly: boolean }) => string;
+
+export interface BuildInferenceProviderMenuInput {
+  remoteProviderConfig: Record<string, RemoteProviderMenuConfig | undefined>;
+  agentProviderOptions: readonly string[];
+  experimental: boolean;
+  gpuNimCapable: boolean;
+  hasOllama: boolean;
+  ollamaRunning: boolean;
+  ollamaHost: string | null;
+  ollamaPort: number;
+  isWsl: boolean;
+  hasWindowsOllama: boolean;
+  isWindowsHostOllama: boolean;
+  windowsHostLabelSuffix: string;
+  windowsHostInstallLabel: string;
+  windowsHostStartLabel: WindowsHostOllamaStartLabel;
+  windowsOllamaReachable: boolean;
+  winOllamaLoopbackOnly: boolean;
+  ollamaInstallEntry: ProviderMenuChoice | null;
+  vllmEntries: readonly ProviderMenuChoice[];
+  routedEnabled: boolean;
+}
+
+export interface InferenceProviderMenu {
+  options: ProviderMenuChoice[];
+  hermesProviderAvailable: boolean;
+}
+
+const BASE_REMOTE_PROVIDER_OPTIONS: readonly ProviderMenuChoice[] = [
+  { key: "build", label: "NVIDIA Endpoints" },
+  { key: "openai", label: "OpenAI" },
+  { key: "custom", label: "Other OpenAI-compatible endpoint" },
+  { key: "anthropic", label: "Anthropic" },
+  { key: "anthropicCompatible", label: "Other Anthropic-compatible endpoint" },
+  { key: "gemini", label: "Google Gemini" },
+];
+
+function configuredRemoteOption(
+  config: Record<string, RemoteProviderMenuConfig | undefined>,
+  fallback: ProviderMenuChoice,
+): ProviderMenuChoice {
+  return {
+    key: fallback.key,
+    label: config[fallback.key]?.label ?? fallback.label,
+  };
+}
+
+function pushUniqueRemoteProviderOption(
+  options: ProviderMenuChoice[],
+  config: Record<string, RemoteProviderMenuConfig | undefined>,
+  providerKey: string,
+): void {
+  const remoteConfig = config[providerKey];
+  if (!remoteConfig || options.some((option) => option.key === providerKey)) return;
+  options.push({ key: providerKey, label: remoteConfig.label });
+}
+
+export function buildInferenceProviderMenu(
+  input: BuildInferenceProviderMenuInput,
+): InferenceProviderMenu {
+  const options: ProviderMenuChoice[] = BASE_REMOTE_PROVIDER_OPTIONS.map((option) =>
+    configuredRemoteOption(input.remoteProviderConfig, option),
+  );
+
+  const runningOllamaMenu = resolveRunningOllamaMenuEntry({
+    hasOllama: input.hasOllama,
+    ollamaRunning: input.ollamaRunning,
+    ollamaHost: input.ollamaHost,
+    isWsl: input.isWsl,
+    ollamaPort: input.ollamaPort,
+    windowsHostLabelSuffix: input.windowsHostLabelSuffix,
+  });
+  if (runningOllamaMenu) options.push(runningOllamaMenu);
+
+  if (input.experimental && input.gpuNimCapable) {
+    options.push({ key: "nim-local", label: "Local NVIDIA NIM [experimental]" });
+  }
+
+  options.push(...input.vllmEntries);
+
+  if (input.hasWindowsOllama && !input.isWindowsHostOllama) {
+    options.push({
+      key: "start-windows-ollama",
+      label: input.windowsHostStartLabel({
+        reachable: input.windowsOllamaReachable,
+        loopbackOnly: input.winOllamaLoopbackOnly,
+      }),
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (input.isWsl && !input.hasWindowsOllama) {
+    options.push({
+      key: "install-windows-ollama",
+      label: input.windowsHostInstallLabel,
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (input.ollamaInstallEntry) options.push(input.ollamaInstallEntry);
+
+  if (input.routedEnabled) {
+    options.push({ key: "routed", label: "Model Router (experimental)" });
+  }
+
+  for (const providerKey of input.agentProviderOptions) {
+    pushUniqueRemoteProviderOption(options, input.remoteProviderConfig, providerKey);
+  }
+
+  return {
+    options,
+    hermesProviderAvailable: input.agentProviderOptions.includes("hermesProvider"),
+  };
+}