diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index 2e9af1c..3b70234 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -5934,3 +5934,29 @@ This creates a confusing gap: users build successfully but then get "command not
 **Blocker:** None. Pure documentation.
 
 **Source:** Clawhip nudge 2026-04-21 21:27 KST — onboarding gap from #claw-code observations earlier this month.
+
+## Pinpoint #154. Model syntax error doesn't hint at env var when multiple credentials present
+
+**Gap.** When a user types `claw --model gpt-4` but only has `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` set (no `OPENAI_API_KEY`), the error is:
+```
+error: invalid model syntax: 'gpt-4'. Expected provider/model (e.g., anthropic/claude-opus-4-6) or known alias (opus, sonnet, haiku)
+```
+
+But USAGE.md documents that "The error message now includes a hint that names the detected env var" — **this hint is not actually emitted.** The user gets a generic syntax error and has to re-read USAGE.md to discover they should type `openai/gpt-4` instead.
+
+**Expected behavior (from USAGE.md):** When the user has multiple providers' env vars set, or when a model name looks like it belongs to a different provider (e.g., `gpt-4` looks like OpenAI), the error should hint:
+- "Did you mean `openai/gpt-4`? (but `OPENAI_API_KEY` is not set)"
+- or "You have `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` set but `gpt-4` looks like an OpenAI model. Try `openai/gpt-4` with `OPENAI_API_KEY` exported"
+
+**Current behavior:** Generic syntax error, user has to infer the fix from USAGE.md or guess.
+
+**Fix shape (~20 lines).** Enhance `FormatError::InvalidModelSyntax` or the model-parsing validation to:
+1. Detect if the model name looks like it belongs to a known provider (prefix `gpt-`, `openai/`, `qwen`, etc.)
+2. If it does, check if that provider's env var is missing
+3. Append a hint: "Did you mean \`{inferred_prefix}/{model}\`? (requires `{PROVIDER_KEY}` env var)"
+
+**Acceptance:** `claw --model gpt-4` produces a hint about OpenAI prefix and missing `OPENAI_API_KEY`. Same for `qwen-plus` → hint about `DASHSCOPE_API_KEY`, etc.
+
+**Blocker:** None. Pure error-message UX improvement.
+
+**Source:** Clawhip nudge 2026-04-21 21:37 KST — discovered during dogfood probing of model validation.
diff --git a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
index 5262a1b..8500259 100644
--- a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -1401,10 +1401,27 @@ fn validate_model_syntax(model: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     // Check provider/model format: provider_id/model_id
     let parts: Vec<&str> = trimmed.split('/').collect();
     if parts.len() != 2 || parts[0].is_empty() || parts[1].is_empty() {
-        return Err(format!(
+        // #154: hint if the model looks like it belongs to a different provider
+        let mut err_msg = format!(
             "invalid model syntax: '{}'. Expected provider/model (e.g., anthropic/claude-opus-4-6) or known alias (opus, sonnet, haiku)",
             trimmed
-        ));
+        );
+        if trimmed.starts_with("gpt-") || trimmed.starts_with("gpt_") {
+            err_msg.push_str("\nDid you mean `openai/");
+            err_msg.push_str(trimmed);
+            err_msg.push_str("`? (Requires OPENAI_API_KEY env var)");
+        }
+        else if trimmed.starts_with("qwen") {
+            err_msg.push_str("\nDid you mean `qwen/");
+            err_msg.push_str(trimmed);
+            err_msg.push_str("`? (Requires DASHSCOPE_API_KEY env var)");
+        }
+        else if trimmed.starts_with("grok") {
+            err_msg.push_str("\nDid you mean `xai/");
+            err_msg.push_str(trimmed);
+            err_msg.push_str("`? (Requires XAI_API_KEY env var)");
+        }
+        return Err(err_msg);
     }
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -10301,6 +10318,34 @@ mod tests {
             .expect_err("`doctor garbage` should fail without --json hint");
         assert!(!err_other.contains("--output-format json"),
             "unrelated args should not trigger --json hint: {err_other}");
+        // #154: model syntax error should hint at provider prefix when applicable
+        let err_gpt = parse_args(&["prompt".to_string(), "test".to_string(), "--model".to_string(), "gpt-4".to_string()])
+            .expect_err("`--model gpt-4` should fail with OpenAI hint");
+        assert!(
+            err_gpt.contains("Did you mean `openai/gpt-4`?"),
+            "GPT model error should hint openai/ prefix: {err_gpt}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            err_gpt.contains("OPENAI_API_KEY"),
+            "GPT model error should mention env var: {err_gpt}"
+        );
+        let err_qwen = parse_args(&["prompt".to_string(), "test".to_string(), "--model".to_string(), "qwen-plus".to_string()])
+            .expect_err("`--model qwen-plus` should fail with DashScope hint");
+        assert!(
+            err_qwen.contains("Did you mean `qwen/qwen-plus`?"),
+            "Qwen model error should hint qwen/ prefix: {err_qwen}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            err_qwen.contains("DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"),
+            "Qwen model error should mention env var: {err_qwen}"
+        );
+        // Unrelated invalid model should NOT get a hint
+        let err_garbage = parse_args(&["prompt".to_string(), "test".to_string(), "--model".to_string(), "asdfgh".to_string()])
+            .expect_err("`--model asdfgh` should fail");
+        assert!(
+            !err_garbage.contains("Did you mean"),
+            "Unrelated model errors should not get a hint: {err_garbage}"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]