diff --git a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
index b7d90f339..aea2e94dd 100644
--- a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ spec:
         ai.bstein.dev/execution: Hermes Kanban with durable direct Codex and Claude Code CLI workers
         ai.bstein.dev/model-policy: Jetson-assisted AUTO routing, low through xhigh, cross-provider fallback
         ai.bstein.dev/placement: rpi5 preferred; Jetson deferred until state storage is available
-        ai.bstein.dev/config-rev: "20260811-image-routing"
+        ai.bstein.dev/config-rev: "20260811-switchyard-responses-input"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject: "true"
         vault.hashicorp.com/role: hermes-agent
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject-secret-anthropic-token: kv/data/atlas/hermes/agent-tokens
diff --git a/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py b/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
index cfcc84078..99ff93e71 100644
--- a/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
+++ b/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
@@ -105,6 +105,25 @@ def _validate_payload(payload: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
     if not model.startswith("gpt-"):
         raise ValueError("unsupported Codex model")
     payload["model"] = model
+    response_input = payload.get("input")
+    if isinstance(response_input, str):
+        if not response_input.strip():
+            raise ValueError("non-empty Responses input required")
+        # Switchyard accepts OpenAI Chat Completions requests and translates
+        # their final text to a scalar Responses input.  The first-party Codex
+        # endpoint is stricter than the public Responses API and only accepts
+        # a list of typed input items.
+        payload["input"] = [
+            {
+                "type": "message",
+                "role": "user",
+                "content": [{"type": "input_text", "text": response_input}],
+            }
+        ]
+    elif isinstance(response_input, dict):
+        payload["input"] = [response_input]
+    elif not isinstance(response_input, list) or not response_input:
+        raise ValueError("non-empty Responses input list required")
     # Tenant conversations must not enter the owner's server-side history.
     payload["store"] = False
     payload["stream"] = True
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py b/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
index 423d8b52d..9abe0bc39 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
@@ -499,16 +499,48 @@ def test_codex_broker_auth_and_request_contract(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch):
     assert module._authorized("Bearer wrong") is False
     assert module._real_model("route/codex/gpt-5.6-sol/xhigh") == "gpt-5.6-sol"
     payload = module._validate_payload(
-        {"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "store": True, "stream": False}
+        {
+            "model": "gpt-5.6-terra",
+            "input": "route this chat turn",
+            "store": True,
+            "stream": False,
+        }
     )
     assert payload["store"] is False
     assert payload["stream"] is True
+    assert payload["input"] == [
+        {
+            "type": "message",
+            "role": "user",
+            "content": [{"type": "input_text", "text": "route this chat turn"}],
+        }
+    ]
+    response_item = {
+        "type": "message",
+        "role": "user",
+        "content": [{"type": "input_text", "text": "keep this item"}],
+    }
+    assert module._validate_payload(
+        {"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": response_item}
+    )["input"] == [response_item]
+    response_items = [response_item]
+    assert module._validate_payload(
+        {"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": response_items}
+    )["input"] is response_items
     routed = module._validate_payload(
-        {"model": "route/codex/gpt-5.6-luna/low", "stream": False}
+        {
+            "model": "route/codex/gpt-5.6-luna/low",
+            "input": "use the low route",
+            "stream": False,
+        }
     )
     assert routed["model"] == "gpt-5.6-luna"
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="unsupported Codex model"):
-        module._validate_payload({"model": "unapproved-model"})
+        module._validate_payload({"model": "unapproved-model", "input": "hello"})
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="non-empty Responses input"):
+        module._validate_payload({"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": ""})
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="non-empty Responses input list"):
+        module._validate_payload({"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": []})
 
     auth_dir = tmp_path / ".codex"
     auth_dir.mkdir()