diff --git a/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets.go b/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets.go
index 4b128ef..85670e8 100644
--- a/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets.go
+++ b/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets.go
@@ -159,9 +159,11 @@ func (s *Service) hydrateProviderRequestAssetString(ctx context.Context, value s
 	if raw == "" || !imageInputFieldNeedsHydration(path) {
 		return value, nil
 	}
-	style, ok := requestAssetCapabilityHydrationForMedia("image", candidate, raw, "")
-	if !ok && openAIImageEditRequiresMultipartBytes(candidate) {
+	style, ok := requestAssetHydrateUnsupported, false
+	if openAIImageEditRequiresMultipartBytes(candidate) {
 		style, ok = requestAssetHydrateDataURL, true
+	} else {
+		style, ok = requestAssetCapabilityHydrationForMedia("image", candidate, raw, "")
 	}
 	if !ok {
 		return value, nil
@@ -320,12 +322,12 @@ func requestAssetHydrationForField(path []string, asset store.RequestAsset, cand
 		return requestAssetHydrateDataURL
 	}
 	if requestAssetMediaKindForHydration(path, asset) == "image" {
-		if style, ok := requestAssetCapabilityHydrationForMedia("image", candidate, asset.URL, asset.StorageProvider); ok {
-			return style
-		}
 		if openAIImageEditRequiresMultipartBytes(candidate) {
 			return requestAssetHydrateDataURL
 		}
+		if style, ok := requestAssetCapabilityHydrationForMedia("image", candidate, asset.URL, asset.StorageProvider); ok {
+			return style
+		}
 	}
 	if mediaURLFieldNeedsHydration(path) {
 		if style := configuredRequestAssetMediaURLHydration(candidate, requestAssetMediaURLKind(path)); style != "" {
diff --git a/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets_test.go b/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets_test.go
index b85a009..0f3f542 100644
--- a/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets_test.go
+++ b/apps/api/internal/runner/request_assets_test.go
@@ -223,6 +223,12 @@ func TestHydrateProviderRequestAssetsConvertsOpenAIEditImagesForMultipart(t *tes
 	hydrated, err := service.hydrateProviderRequestAssets(context.Background(), body, store.RuntimeModelCandidate{
 		Provider:  "openai",
 		ModelType: "image_edit",
+		Capabilities: map[string]any{
+			"image_edit": map[string]any{
+				"support_url_input":    true,
+				"support_base64_input": false,
+			},
+		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("hydrate OpenAI edit images: %v", err)