diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/agents/orchestration/__tests__/agent-service-existing-worktree.test.ts b/apps/server/src/features/agents/orchestration/__tests__/agent-service-existing-worktree.test.ts
index ec2048b00..f8325ca77 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/agents/orchestration/__tests__/agent-service-existing-worktree.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/agents/orchestration/__tests__/agent-service-existing-worktree.test.ts
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ describe("AgentService.createAndSend existing worktree attach", () => {
       "Work from feature base",
       "worktree",
       "feature/base",
-      { branchless: true },
+      { branchless: true, provider: "claude" },
     );
     expect(thread).toMatchObject({
       mode: "worktree",
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ describe("AgentService.createAndSend existing worktree attach", () => {
       "Review PR",
       "worktree",
       "contributor/pr-branch",
-      { branchless: false },
+      { branchless: false, provider: "claude" },
     );
     expect(thread).toMatchObject({
       mode: "worktree",
diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/__tests__/thread-creation-startup.test.ts b/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/__tests__/thread-creation-startup.test.ts
index 0b9b4e419..5cebcf7a2 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/__tests__/thread-creation-startup.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/__tests__/thread-creation-startup.test.ts
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ describe("ThreadCreationCoordinator startup lifecycle", () => {
     const { db, workspace, threads, threadService, startups, parent, fork, makeCoordinator } = branchHarness();
     let failProvision: ((error: Error) => void) | undefined;
     vi.mocked(threadService.create).mockImplementation(async (workspaceId, title, _mode, branch, options) => {
-      const child = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, "claude");
-      options.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(child);
+      const child = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, options?.provider);
+      options?.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(child);
       await new Promise<void>((_resolve, reject) => { failProvision = reject; });
       return child;
     });
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ describe("ThreadCreationCoordinator startup lifecycle", () => {
   it("clears a managed branch binding when checkout failure deletes its child", async () => {
     const { db, workspace, threads, threadService, startups, parent, fork, makeCoordinator } = branchHarness();
     vi.mocked(threadService.create).mockImplementation(async (workspaceId, title, _mode, branch, options) => {
-      const child = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, "claude");
-      options.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(child);
+      const child = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, options?.provider);
+      options?.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(child);
       threads.hardDelete(child.id);
       throw new Error("Checkout failed");
     });
@@ -124,6 +124,68 @@ describe("ThreadCreationCoordinator startup lifecycle", () => {
     db.close();
   });
 
+  it("inserts a managed thread row with the selected provider before checkout runs", async () => {
+    const { db, workspace, threads, threadService, admissions, coordinator } = harness();
+    let providerAtBind: string | undefined;
+    vi.mocked(threadService.create).mockImplementation(async (workspaceId, title, _mode, branch, options) => {
+      const thread = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, options?.provider);
+      providerAtBind = threads.findById(thread.id)?.provider;
+      options?.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(thread);
+      return thread;
+    });
+    admissions.admitInitialAutomaticTurn.mockResolvedValue({ kind: "queued" });
+
+    const created = await coordinator.createInitialTurn({
+      workspaceId: workspace.id,
+      content: "Managed Devin turn",
+      mode: "worktree",
+      branch: "feature/devin",
+      provider: "devin",
+      startupId: managedStartupId,
+    });
+
+    expect(threadService.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      workspace.id, expect.any(String), "worktree", "feature/devin",
+      expect.objectContaining({ provider: "devin" }),
+    );
+    expect(providerAtBind).toBe("devin");
+    expect(created.thread.provider).toBe("devin");
+    expect(threads.findById(created.thread.id)?.provider).toBe("devin");
+    db.close();
+  });
+
+  it("inserts a managed branch row with the selected provider before checkout runs", async () => {
+    const { db, workspace, threads, threadService, parent, fork, makeCoordinator } = branchHarness();
+    let providerAtBind: string | undefined;
+    vi.mocked(threadService.create).mockImplementation(async (workspaceId, title, _mode, branch, options) => {
+      const thread = threads.create(workspaceId, title, "worktree", branch, true, options?.provider);
+      providerAtBind = threads.findById(thread.id)?.provider;
+      options?.lifecycle?.onThreadPersisted(thread);
+      return thread;
+    });
+
+    const created = await makeCoordinator().createInitialTurn({
+      workspaceId: workspace.id,
+      content: "Branch to Devin",
+      mode: "worktree",
+      branch: "feature/devin-branch",
+      parentThreadId: parent.id,
+      forkedFromMessageId: fork.id,
+      provider: "devin",
+      startupId: managedStartupId,
+    });
+
+    expect(threadService.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      workspace.id, expect.any(String), "worktree", "feature/devin-branch",
+      expect.objectContaining({ provider: "devin" }),
+    );
+    expect(providerAtBind).toBe("devin");
+    expect(created).toMatchObject({ kind: "dispatch", thread: { provider: "devin" } });
+    if (created.kind !== "dispatch") throw new Error("Expected dispatch result");
+    expect(threads.findById(created.thread.id)?.provider).toBe("devin");
+    db.close();
+  });
+
   it("keeps a failed branch bound when its child still exists", async () => {
     const { db, workspace, threads, startups, parent, fork, handoffs, makeCoordinator } = branchHarness();
     handoffs.deliverHandoff.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("Handoff failed"));
diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/thread-creation-coordinator.ts b/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/thread-creation-coordinator.ts
index ce8f423f7..b962715ee 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/thread-creation-coordinator.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/agents/turns/thread-creation-coordinator.ts
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ export class ThreadCreationCoordinator {
   ): Promise<Thread & { warnings?: string[] }> {
     const created = await this.threadService().create(input.workspaceId, input.title, "worktree", input.branch, {
       branchless: input.worktreeBranchMode !== "named",
+      provider: input.provider,
       ...this.managedLifecycle(startupId),
     });
     if (startupId && this.startups()?.isCancellationRequested(startupId)) {
@@ -492,7 +493,6 @@ export class ThreadCreationCoordinator {
     created: Thread & { warnings?: string[] },
     input: CreateThreadForTurnInput,
   ): Thread & { warnings?: string[] } {
-    this.threads.updateProvider(created.id, input.provider);
     this.threads.updateModel(created.id, input.model);
     this.threads.updateSettings(created.id, this.settings(input));
     return this.configuredThread(created, input);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/projects/worktrees/thread-branching-service.ts b/apps/server/src/features/projects/worktrees/thread-branching-service.ts
index 691e77f8f..68f624eb8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/projects/worktrees/thread-branching-service.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/projects/worktrees/thread-branching-service.ts
@@ -167,16 +167,16 @@ export class ThreadBranchingService {
   private async createManaged(input: CreateBranchedThreadInput, messageId: string, lifecycle?: BranchedThreadLifecycle) {
     const created = await this.threadService.create(input.workspaceId, input.title, "worktree", input.branch, {
       branchless: input.worktreeBranchMode !== "named",
+      provider: input.provider,
       lifecycle: {
         onThreadPersisted: (thread) => {
           this.threads.updateLineage(thread.id, input.parentThreadId, messageId);
-          this.threads.updateProvider(thread.id, input.provider);
           lifecycle?.onManagedThreadPersisted(thread);
         },
       },
     });
     return {
-      thread: { ...created, provider: input.provider, parent_thread_id: input.parentThreadId, forked_from_message_id: messageId },
+      thread: { ...created, parent_thread_id: input.parentThreadId, forked_from_message_id: messageId },
       warnings: created.warnings,
     };
   }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/__tests__/thread-service.test.ts b/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/__tests__/thread-service.test.ts
index e8d91cede..79f68b63a 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/__tests__/thread-service.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/__tests__/thread-service.test.ts
@@ -134,3 +134,27 @@ describe("ThreadService.delete", () => {
     expect(teardownThread).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(parent.id);
   });
 });
+
+describe("ThreadService.create", () => {
+  it("persists the selected provider on the inserted row", async () => {
+    const database = openMemoryDatabase();
+    const threads = new ThreadRepo(database);
+    const workspaces = new WorkspaceRepo(database);
+    const service = new ThreadService(
+      threads,
+      {} as ProjectWorktreeService,
+      {} as AttachmentService,
+      {} as HandoffStorage,
+      {} as ThreadDeletionTeardownService,
+    );
+    const workspace = workspaces.create("Project", "/repo");
+
+    const thread = await service.create(workspace.id, "Devin work", "direct", "main", { provider: "devin" });
+    expect(thread.provider).toBe("devin");
+    expect(threads.findById(thread.id)?.provider).toBe("devin");
+
+    const fallback = await service.create(workspace.id, "Other", "direct", "main");
+    expect(fallback.provider).toBe("claude");
+    database.close();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/thread-service.ts b/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/thread-service.ts
index 93ac82569..4ae9155fb 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/thread-service.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/features/thread-control/lifecycle/thread-service.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import { delay, injectable, inject } from "tsyringe";
 import { validateBranchName, logger } from "@mcode/shared";
-import type { Thread, RecentThread, ThreadMode, ContextWindowMode } from "@mcode/contracts";
+import type { Thread, RecentThread, ThreadMode, ContextWindowMode, ProviderId } from "@mcode/contracts";
 import { ThreadRepo } from "../persistence/thread-repo.js";
 import { ProjectWorktreeService } from "../../projects/index.js";
 import { AttachmentService } from "../../attachments/storage/attachment-service.js";
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export class ThreadService {
     title: string,
     mode: string,
     branch: string,
-    options: { branchless?: boolean; lifecycle?: ThreadCreateLifecycle } = {},
+    options: { branchless?: boolean; provider?: ProviderId; lifecycle?: ThreadCreateLifecycle } = {},
   ): Promise<Thread & { warnings?: string[] }> {
     validateBranchName(branch);
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class ThreadService {
       threadMode,
       branch,
       true,
-      "claude",
+      options.provider,
       undefined,
       options.branchless ? "branchless" : "named",
       options.branchless ? branch : null,