diff --git a/hermes_cli/fallback_config.py b/hermes_cli/fallback_config.py
index afa368391a..c66cae5428 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/fallback_config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/fallback_config.py
@@ -12,6 +12,21 @@ def _normalized_base_url(value: Any) -> str:
     return value.strip().rstrip("/") if isinstance(value, str) else ""
 
 
+def _normalize_provider_id(value: str) -> str:
+    """Collapse provider aliases to the canonical id (lazy to avoid import cycles).
+
+    ``opencode-zen`` is the legacy pre-rename id of ``opencode``; ``zen`` is a
+    short alias. Without normalization, two fallback entries naming the same
+    backend under different ids are kept as separate slots, shifting the chain
+    and letting an alias slip past the same-backend skip (#85235).
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.providers import normalize_provider
+    except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - import resilience
+        return value.lower()
+    return normalize_provider(value)
+
+
 def resolve_entry_api_key(entry: dict[str, Any] | None) -> str | None:
     """API key for one fallback entry: inline ``api_key``, else ``key_env``.
 
@@ -94,7 +109,7 @@ def _iter_fallback_entries(raw: Any) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
 
 def _entry_identity(entry: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[str, str, str]:
     return (
-        str(entry.get("provider") or "").strip().lower(),
+        _normalize_provider_id(str(entry.get("provider") or "").strip()),
         str(entry.get("model") or "").strip().lower(),
         _normalized_base_url(entry.get("base_url")).lower(),
     )
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_fallback_chain_alias_dedup.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_fallback_chain_alias_dedup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ff72af2765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_fallback_chain_alias_dedup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Test that fallback-chain identity dedup normalizes provider aliases.
+
+A provider can appear under two ids that are the same backend: the canonical
+models.dev id (`opencode`) and a rename alias (`opencode-zen`, the legacy
+pre-rename name). `_entry_identity` must collapse these to one identity so the
+fallback chain does not keep two routes to the same backend (which shifts the
+chain by one slot and lets an alias slip past the same-backend skip).
+"""
+
+from hermes_cli.fallback_config import get_fallback_chain
+
+
+def _entry(provider, model, base_url=""):
+    entry = {"provider": provider, "model": model}
+    if base_url:
+        entry["base_url"] = base_url
+    return entry
+
+
+def test_fallback_chain_dedups_canonical_id_and_alias():
+    config = {
+        "fallback_providers": [
+            _entry("opencode", "deepseek-v4-flash-free"),
+            # ``opencode-zen`` is the legacy pre-rename name of ``opencode``
+            # (same backend). It must not add a second slot in the chain.
+            _entry("opencode-zen", "deepseek-v4-flash-free"),
+            _entry("anthropic", "claude-sonnet-4"),
+        ]
+    }
+
+    chain = get_fallback_chain(config)
+
+    # The two opencode ids describe the same backend; expect a single slot.
+    providers = [e["provider"] for e in chain]
+    assert providers == ["opencode", "anthropic"], providers