diff --git a/bin/omarchy-voxtype-model b/bin/omarchy-voxtype-model
index f513cb0de25..20c65a56c59 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-voxtype-model
+++ b/bin/omarchy-voxtype-model
@@ -4,5 +4,12 @@
 
 set -e
 
-omarchy-launch-floating-terminal-with-presentation "voxtype setup model"
-omarchy-restart-shell
+# Voxtype is optional, so the model picker can be reached before it is
+# installed. Route to the install flow rather than opening a terminal that
+# dies with "voxtype: command not found".
+if omarchy-cmd-missing voxtype; then
+  omarchy-launch-floating-terminal-with-presentation omarchy-voxtype-install
+else
+  omarchy-launch-floating-terminal-with-presentation "voxtype setup model"
+  omarchy-restart-shell
+fi
diff --git a/test/shell.d/voxtype-model-test.sh b/test/shell.d/voxtype-model-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..8e4d3ece27e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/voxtype-model-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+source "$(dirname "$0")/base-test.sh"
+
+test_bin=$(mktemp -d)
+log_file=$(mktemp)
+
+cleanup() {
+  rm -rf "$test_bin"
+  rm -f "$log_file"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+# Presence is stubbed rather than probed so the branch under test is decided by
+# the test and not by whether the developer's own machine has Voxtype installed.
+cat >"$test_bin/omarchy-cmd-missing" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+[[ -n $TEST_VOXTYPE_PRESENT ]] && exit 1
+exit 0
+STUB
+
+cat >"$test_bin/omarchy-launch-floating-terminal-with-presentation" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "present:$*" >>"$TEST_LOG"
+STUB
+
+cat >"$test_bin/omarchy-restart-shell" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "restart-shell" >>"$TEST_LOG"
+STUB
+
+chmod +x "$test_bin"/*
+
+run_model() {
+  : >"$log_file"
+  TEST_VOXTYPE_PRESENT="$1" TEST_LOG="$log_file" PATH="$test_bin:$ROOT/bin:$PATH" \
+    bash "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-voxtype-model"
+}
+
+run_model ""
+
+grep -qx 'present:omarchy-voxtype-install' "$log_file" ||
+  fail "missing Voxtype routes the model picker to the installer" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+grep -q 'voxtype setup model' "$log_file" &&
+  fail "missing Voxtype does not run the model picker"
+grep -qx 'restart-shell' "$log_file" &&
+  fail "missing Voxtype does not restart the shell"
+
+run_model 1
+
+grep -qx 'present:voxtype setup model' "$log_file" ||
+  fail "installed Voxtype opens the model picker" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+grep -qx 'restart-shell' "$log_file" ||
+  fail "installed Voxtype restarts the shell to pick up the new model"
+grep -q 'omarchy-voxtype-install' "$log_file" &&
+  fail "installed Voxtype does not re-run the installer"
+
+pass "Voxtype model picker guards against a missing Voxtype"