diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 444ba129..9fd3bda9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ ucode configure --agents claude,codex
 
 Available agent names are `codex`, `claude`, `gemini`, `opencode`, `copilot`, and `pi`. `cursor` is also accepted (MCP-only — it registers Databricks MCP servers but configures no models).
 
+Naming agents explicitly is treated as a request for all of them: if any one isn't available on the workspace, the run fails without configuring the others. Add `--skip-unavailable` to configure the available subset instead and skip the rest with a warning:
+
+```bash
+ucode configure --agents claude,codex,pi --skip-unavailable
+```
+
+This is useful in CI against a mix of workspaces — on a workspace whose AI Gateway exposes no OpenAI models, the command above still configures `claude` and `pi`, and reports Codex as skipped. It exits non-zero only when none of the requested agents are available.
+
 To configure without the workspace picker, pass a comma-separated list of workspaces:
 
 ```bash
@@ -235,6 +243,7 @@ pick the new config up on their next ucode run.
 | `ucode claude --enable-smart-routing` | Enable AI Gateway routing for Claude Code sessions and subagents |
 | `ucode claude --disable-smart-routing` | Disable routing and remove ucode's Claude Code routing hooks |
 | `ucode configure --skip-validate` | Write configs without sending a test message through each agent |
+| `ucode configure --agents claude,codex,pi --skip-unavailable` | Configure the requested agents that are available; skip the rest with a warning |
 | `ucode configure --agents claude --mcp system.ai.slack` | Configure an agent and register its Databricks MCP server(s) in one command |
 | `ucode configure skills` | Register the skills MCP connection (utility tools only); no skills download |
 | `ucode configure skills --location main.default [--path <dir>]` | Download a schema's skills to disk (under `<dir>`, or your home dir) and register a schema-less skills MCP connection |
diff --git a/src/ucode/agents/codex.py b/src/ucode/agents/codex.py
index b8f37cc3..0ce96da5 100644
--- a/src/ucode/agents/codex.py
+++ b/src/ucode/agents/codex.py
@@ -355,17 +355,23 @@ def write_tool_config(state: dict, model: str | None = None, provider: str | Non
     return state
 
 
-def default_model(state: dict) -> str | None:
-    """Pick the newest GPT model when multiple are available.
+def _is_gpt_family(model: str) -> bool:
+    """Return True if this id is in the GPT family (versioned or OSS variants)."""
+    tail = model.split("/")[-1]
+    if tail.startswith("system.ai."):
+        tail = tail[len("system.ai.") :]
+    return tail.startswith("gpt-")
 
-    A managed config's ``codex_default_model`` takes priority. The discovery list
-    is alphabetically sorted, which can put "databricks-gpt-5" ahead of
-    "databricks-gpt-5-5". Prefer the highest semantic version instead.
 
-    Only GPT-parseable ids are considered. Codex routes the chosen ``model``
-    through the gateway as-is, so a non-GPT entry (e.g. ``moonshotai/kimi-k2.5``)
-    would be rejected with a Unity Catalog endpoint-name error. When no
-    candidate parses as GPT we return None rather than pinning an unroutable id.
+def default_model(state: dict) -> str | None:
+    """Pick the best available codex model.
+
+    A managed config's ``codex_default_model`` takes priority. Among versioned
+    GPT ids (e.g. ``system.ai.gpt-5``, ``system.ai.gpt-5-6-luna``) the highest
+    semantic version wins. When no versioned GPT is present but other codex-family
+    ids are available (e.g. ``system.ai.gpt-oss-120b``), the first of those is
+    used — UC model-services only places ids in the codex bucket when they expose
+    the responses API, so any id there is routable.
     """
     if isinstance(state.get("codex_default_model"), str):
         return state.get("codex_default_model")
@@ -373,15 +379,21 @@ def default_model(state: dict) -> str | None:
     parsed: list[tuple[str, tuple[int, int | None, int | None, str]]] = [
         (mid, gpt) for mid in codex_models if (gpt := _parse_gpt(mid)) is not None
     ]
-    if not parsed:
-        return None
+    if parsed:
+
+        def _gpt_version_key(entry: tuple[str, tuple[int, int | None, int | None, str]]):
+            major, minor, patch, suffix = entry[1]
+            base_bonus = 1 if not suffix else 0
+            return (major, minor or 0, patch or 0, base_bonus)
 
-    def _gpt_version_key(entry: tuple[str, tuple[int, int | None, int | None, str]]):
-        major, minor, patch, suffix = entry[1]
-        base_bonus = 1 if not suffix else 0
-        return (major, minor or 0, patch or 0, base_bonus)
+        return max(parsed, key=_gpt_version_key)[0]
 
-    return max(parsed, key=_gpt_version_key)[0]
+    # No versioned GPT found. Fall back to the first GPT-family id (gpt-*
+    # after stripping the system.ai. prefix). gpt-oss-* models are confirmed
+    # routable through the responses API; non-GPT ids (e.g. moonshotai/kimi-k2.5)
+    # would be rejected by the gateway, so they stay excluded.
+    gpt_family = [m for m in codex_models if _is_gpt_family(m)]
+    return gpt_family[0] if gpt_family else None
 
 
 def launch(state: dict, tool_args: list[str]) -> None:
diff --git a/src/ucode/cli.py b/src/ucode/cli.py
index 7c982c7c..44599b80 100644
--- a/src/ucode/cli.py
+++ b/src/ucode/cli.py
@@ -672,6 +672,7 @@ def configure_workspace_command(
     prompt_optional_updates: bool = True,
     use_pat: bool = False,
     skip_validate: bool = False,
+    skip_unavailable: bool = False,
     fable_enabled: bool | None = None,
     databricks_ai_tools_enabled: bool | None = None,
 ) -> int:
@@ -758,8 +759,13 @@ def configure_workspace_command(
             displays = ", ".join(
                 TOOL_SPECS[tool_name]["display"] for tool_name in unavailable_tools
             )
-            raise RuntimeError(f"Requested agent(s) not available on this workspace: {displays}.")
-        picked = selected_tools
+            if not skip_unavailable:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    f"Requested agent(s) not available on this workspace: {displays}. "
+                    "Pass --skip-unavailable to configure the available ones instead."
+                )
+            print_warning(f"Skipping agent(s) not available on this workspace: {displays}.")
+        picked = [tool_name for tool_name in selected_tools if tool_name in available_on_workspace]
 
     if not picked:
         print_note("No coding agents selected — nothing to configure.")
@@ -1978,6 +1984,17 @@ def configure(
             "freshly discovered models.",
         ),
     ] = False,
+    skip_unavailable: Annotated[
+        bool,
+        typer.Option(
+            "--skip-unavailable",
+            help="With --agents, configure the agents that are available on the workspace "
+            "and skip (with a warning) any that aren't, instead of failing the whole run. "
+            "Useful in CI against heterogeneous workspaces — e.g. requesting "
+            "claude,codex,pi where the workspace exposes no OpenAI models still "
+            "configures claude and pi. Exits non-zero only if none are available.",
+        ),
+    ] = False,
     enable_fable: Annotated[
         bool | None,
         typer.Option(
@@ -2056,6 +2073,15 @@ def configure(
                 "--use-pat requires --profiles. Pass the PAT-backed Databricks CLI "
                 "profile(s) explicitly, e.g. `ucode configure --profiles DEFAULT --use-pat`."
             )
+        # Skipping only has meaning against an explicit agent list: the interactive
+        # picker already offers just the available agents, and --agent names a
+        # single agent whose absence is the whole answer.
+        if skip_unavailable and agents is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "--skip-unavailable requires --agents. It selects the available subset "
+                "of an explicit agent list, e.g. `ucode configure --agents claude,codex,pi "
+                "--skip-unavailable`."
+            )
         workspace_entries = _parse_workspaces_option(workspaces) if workspaces is not None else None
         if profiles is not None:
             workspace_entries = _parse_profiles_option(profiles)
@@ -2110,18 +2136,21 @@ def configure(
             model_agent_names = ",".join(a for a in requested if a != "cursor")
             if model_agent_names:
                 selected_tools = _parse_agents_option(model_agent_names)
+                agents_kwargs = dict(skip_kwargs)
+                if skip_unavailable:
+                    agents_kwargs["skip_unavailable"] = True
                 if workspace_entries is None:
                     configure_workspace_command(
                         selected_tools=selected_tools,
                         prompt_optional_updates=prompt_optional_updates,
-                        **skip_kwargs,
+                        **agents_kwargs,
                     )
                 else:
                     configure_workspace_command(
                         selected_tools=selected_tools,
                         workspaces=workspace_entries,
                         prompt_optional_updates=prompt_optional_updates,
-                        **skip_kwargs,
+                        **agents_kwargs,
                     )
             elif wants_cursor:
                 # Cursor-only: establish workspace state without the model picker.
diff --git a/tests/test_agent_codex.py b/tests/test_agent_codex.py
index 10d0f9e1..20c3510d 100644
--- a/tests/test_agent_codex.py
+++ b/tests/test_agent_codex.py
@@ -527,6 +527,18 @@ def test_default_model_selects_model_services_gpt(self):
 
         assert codex.default_model({"codex_models": models}) == "system.ai.gpt-5-5"
 
+    def test_default_model_falls_back_to_first_when_no_versioned_gpt(self):
+        # gpt-oss-* models are in the codex bucket from UC model-services and
+        # expose the responses API, so they're routable even though _parse_gpt
+        # returns None for them (no semantic version to rank).
+        models = ["system.ai.gpt-oss-120b", "system.ai.gpt-oss-20b"]
+        assert codex.default_model({"codex_models": models}) == "system.ai.gpt-oss-120b"
+
+    def test_default_model_prefers_versioned_gpt_over_oss(self):
+        # When both versioned and OSS models are present, the versioned one wins.
+        models = ["system.ai.gpt-oss-120b", "system.ai.gpt-5"]
+        assert codex.default_model({"codex_models": models}) == "system.ai.gpt-5"
+
 
 class TestCodexValidateCmd:
     def test_starts_with_binary(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index a0109ff8..4601f9de 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -1447,6 +1447,79 @@ def test_unavailable_selected_tool_errors_before_configure(self, monkeypatch):
         with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Codex"):
             cli_mod.configure_workspace_command(selected_tools=["claude", "codex"])
 
+    def test_strict_error_mentions_skip_unavailable(self, monkeypatch):
+        import ucode.cli as cli_mod
+
+        state = {**MINIMAL_STATE, "available_tools": []}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "configure_shared_state", lambda *a, **k: state)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "check_gateway_endpoint", lambda state, tool: tool == "claude")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "install_tool_binary", lambda *a, **k: None)
+
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="--skip-unavailable"):
+            cli_mod.configure_workspace_command(
+                selected_tools=["claude", "codex"],
+                workspaces=[("https://example.com", None)],
+            )
+
+    def test_skip_unavailable_configures_available_subset(self, monkeypatch):
+        """A workspace with no OpenAI models still configures claude and pi."""
+        import ucode.cli as cli_mod
+
+        state = {**MINIMAL_STATE, "available_tools": []}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "configure_shared_state", lambda *a, **k: state)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            cli_mod, "check_gateway_endpoint", lambda state, tool: tool in {"claude", "pi"}
+        )
+        installed: list[str] = []
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            cli_mod,
+            "install_tool_binary",
+            lambda tool, **kwargs: installed.append(tool) or True,
+        )
+        configured: list[list[str]] = []
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            cli_mod,
+            "configure_selected_tools",
+            lambda state, tools: configured.append(tools) or {**state, "available_tools": tools},
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "validate_all_tools", lambda state: None)
+        warnings: list[str] = []
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "print_warning", lambda msg: warnings.append(msg))
+
+        assert (
+            cli_mod.configure_workspace_command(
+                selected_tools=["claude", "codex", "pi"],
+                workspaces=[("https://example.com", None)],
+                skip_unavailable=True,
+            )
+            == 0
+        )
+        # Order of the original --agents list is preserved, minus codex.
+        assert configured == [["claude", "pi"]]
+        assert installed == ["claude", "pi"]
+        assert any("Codex" in msg for msg in warnings)
+
+    def test_skip_unavailable_still_fails_when_none_available(self, monkeypatch):
+        import ucode.cli as cli_mod
+
+        state = {**MINIMAL_STATE, "available_tools": []}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "configure_shared_state", lambda *a, **k: state)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(cli_mod, "check_gateway_endpoint", lambda state, tool: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            cli_mod,
+            "configure_selected_tools",
+            lambda state, tools: pytest.fail("configure_selected_tools should not be called"),
+        )
+
+        assert (
+            cli_mod.configure_workspace_command(
+                selected_tools=["codex"],
+                workspaces=[("https://example.com", None)],
+                skip_unavailable=True,
+            )
+            == 1
+        )
+
     def test_multiple_workspaces_configure_all_and_use_first(self, monkeypatch):
         import ucode.cli as cli_mod
 
@@ -1639,6 +1712,45 @@ def test_use_pat_requires_profiles(self):
         assert "--use-pat requires --profiles" in _strip_ansi(result.output)
         mock_cfg.assert_not_called()
 
+    def test_skip_unavailable_requires_agents(self):
+        with (
+            patch("ucode.cli.install_databricks_cli"),
+            patch("ucode.cli.configure_workspace_command") as mock_cfg,
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(app, ["configure", "--skip-unavailable"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
+        assert "--skip-unavailable requires --agents" in _strip_ansi(result.output)
+        mock_cfg.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_skip_unavailable_forwarded_with_agents(self):
+        with (
+            patch("ucode.cli.install_databricks_cli"),
+            patch("ucode.cli.configure_workspace_command") as mock_cfg,
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(
+                app,
+                [
+                    "configure",
+                    "--workspaces",
+                    "https://example.azuredatabricks.net",
+                    "--agents",
+                    "claude,codex,pi",
+                    "--skip-unavailable",
+                ],
+            )
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        assert mock_cfg.call_args.kwargs["skip_unavailable"] is True
+        assert mock_cfg.call_args.kwargs["selected_tools"] == ["claude", "codex", "pi"]
+
+    def test_skip_unavailable_absent_by_default(self):
+        with (
+            patch("ucode.cli.install_databricks_cli"),
+            patch("ucode.cli.configure_workspace_command") as mock_cfg,
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(app, ["configure", "--agents", "claude,codex"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        assert "skip_unavailable" not in mock_cfg.call_args.kwargs
+
     def test_profiles_and_workspaces_are_mutually_exclusive(self):
         with (
             patch("ucode.cli.install_databricks_cli"),