diff --git a/tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py b/tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py
index 104236292a..f765d2ba60 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py
@@ -916,3 +916,35 @@ class TestSiblingProvidersEnvResolution:
             from agent.web_search_provider import get_provider_env
 
             assert get_provider_env("WSP_TEST_UNSET_KEY") == ""
+
+
+def test_xai_only_gate_agrees_with_dispatcher_when_web_xai_plugin_loaded(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """With the bundled web-xai plugin registered (the default), the registry resolves xai
+    as the single eligible search provider while _get_backend never autodetects it. The
+    gate must follow the dispatcher: keyless off -> no servable backend -> tools stay off
+    (#116175 review follow-up). Module-level on purpose: TestCheckWebApiKey neutralizes the
+    registry path with get_active_*_provider -> None."""
+    from agent import web_search_registry as registry
+    from plugins.web.xai.provider import XAIWebSearchProvider
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("XAI_API_KEY", "xai-test-key")
+    for k in ("PERPLEXITY_API_KEY", "SEARXNG_URL", "BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY", "TAVILY_API_KEY", "EXA_API_KEY"):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(k, raising=False)
+    with registry._lock:
+        saved = dict(registry._providers)
+        registry._providers.clear()
+    registry.register_provider(XAIWebSearchProvider())
+    try:
+        with patch("tools.web_tools._load_web_config", return_value={}), \
+             patch("tools.web_tools._ensure_web_plugins_loaded", lambda: None), \
+             patch("tools.web_tools.check_firecrawl_api_key", return_value=False), \
+             patch("agent.web_search_registry._keyless_tier_enabled", return_value=False):
+            from tools.web_tools import _get_backend, check_web_api_key
+            assert registry.get_active_search_provider().name == "xai"
+            assert _get_backend() == "firecrawl"  # legacy sentinel: nothing servable
+            assert check_web_api_key() is False
+    finally:
+        with registry._lock:
+            registry._providers.clear()
+            registry._providers.update(saved)
diff --git a/tools/web_tools.py b/tools/web_tools.py
index 0406d46a30..22b00afa2a 100644
--- a/tools/web_tools.py
+++ b/tools/web_tools.py
@@ -131,8 +131,13 @@ def _get_backend() -> str:
         if provider.name not in _LEGACY_WEB_BACKENDS and _probe(provider, "is_available"):
             return provider.name
 
-    # Keyless free tier — strictly last so it never pre-empts a keyed backend. Discovery must run
-    # first: reachable from contexts that haven't loaded plugins (subprocess runs, delegate children).
+    return _keyless_backend() or "firecrawl"  # default (backward compat)
+
+
+def _keyless_backend() -> Optional[str]:
+    """Keyless free-tier backend name, or None. Strictly the last autodetect rung so it never
+    pre-empts a keyed backend. Discovery must run first: reachable from contexts that haven't
+    loaded plugins (subprocess runs, delegate children)."""
     try:
         _ensure_web_plugins_loaded()
         from agent.web_search_registry import _keyless_preference, _keyless_tier_enabled
@@ -143,8 +148,7 @@ def _get_backend() -> str:
                     return name
     except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001 — registry optional; never fatal
         logger.debug("keyless fallback walk failed: %s", exc)
-
-    return "firecrawl"  # default (backward compat)
+    return None
 
 
 def _get_search_backend() -> str:
@@ -448,9 +452,17 @@ def check_web_api_key() -> bool:
     try:
         _ensure_web_plugins_loaded()
         from agent.web_search_registry import get_active_search_provider, get_active_extract_provider
-        return _provider_is_ready(get_active_search_provider()) or _provider_is_ready(
-            get_active_extract_provider()
-        )
+        for provider in (get_active_search_provider(), get_active_extract_provider()):
+            if provider is not None and getattr(provider, "name", None) in _WEB_CHECK_SKIP:
+                # The registry's single-eligible / legacy walk picked a built-in that _get_backend
+                # never autodetects (the explicit-config case was handled above): the dispatcher
+                # would route to the keyless tier instead, so gate on exactly that.
+                if _keyless_backend() is not None:
+                    return True
+                continue
+            if _provider_is_ready(provider):
+                return True
+        return False
     except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001 — registry optional; never fatal
         logger.debug("web provider registry availability check failed: %s", exc)
         return False