diff --git a/docs/BACKEND_LLM_ROUTER_DECISION.md b/docs/BACKEND_LLM_ROUTER_DECISION.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b313df
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@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Backend LLM Router Decision
+
+Status: active decision
+Date: May 5, 2026
+Decision: keep `@bytelyst/llm` as the NoteLett release-1 backend LLM abstraction; defer `@bytelyst/llm-router` adoption.
+
+## Current NoteLett Usage
+
+NoteLett backend uses `@bytelyst/llm` through `backend/src/lib/llm.ts` for:
+
+- copilot transforms and title suggestions
+- Smart Action prompt runs, including text and image inputs
+- prompt schedules and webhooks
+- MCP tag suggestions and note operations
+- Palace memory extraction
+- embeddings through `provider.embed()` for duplicate/related note and Palace search behavior
+- mock provider support for local development and tests
+- OpenAI/Azure provider selection through existing `LLM_PROVIDER`, `LLM_DEFAULT_MODEL`, `LLM_VISION_MODEL`, and `LLM_EMBEDDING_MODEL` environment settings
+
+## Router Evaluation
+
+`@bytelyst/llm-router` provides useful provider/model governance:
+
+- deterministic prompt classification
+- provider/model selection
+- round-robin routing
+- health tracking
+- fallback across configured providers
+- telemetry hooks
+
+However, the current router API is centered on OpenAI-compatible chat completions with string-only messages and API-key filtered providers. It does not yet replace the NoteLett release-1 needs listed above:
+
+- no embedding API equivalent to `provider.embed()`
+- no first-class mock provider for test/local parity
+- no Azure provider compatibility path matching current production env
+- no multipart image-message compatibility with `buildVisionMessage()` from `@bytelyst/llm`
+- no streaming or provider interface parity with the existing `LLMProvider` contract
+- default provider set targets free-tier routing, while NoteLett release-1 config is already expressed through `@bytelyst/llm`
+
+## Decision
+
+Do not adopt `@bytelyst/llm-router` in the production-readiness handoff.
+
+Continue using `@bytelyst/llm` for release 1, while keeping the router as a future governance layer once it can sit behind or implement the same `LLMProvider` capabilities NoteLett already depends on.
+
+## Required Adoption Criteria
+
+Adopt the router later when it supports or cleanly bridges:
+
+- `chatCompletion()` parity with the current `LLMProvider` response shape
+- `embed()` for NoteLett embeddings and Palace semantic search
+- mock provider behavior for deterministic tests
+- Azure/OpenAI production settings without changing release env names
+- multipart text+image prompts or an adapter for `buildVisionMessage()`
+- telemetry mapping into NoteLett/platform telemetry
+- fallback behavior that preserves current timeout/retry semantics
+- tests for copilot, Smart Actions, prompt schedules, MCP suggestions, Palace extraction, and embeddings
+
+## Current Guardrails
+
+- Keep `backend/src/lib/llm.ts` as the single backend LLM entrypoint.
+- Do not call both `@bytelyst/llm` and `@bytelyst/llm-router` from product routes.
+- Treat `@bytelyst/llm-router` as a future provider-governance improvement after release-1 LLM and embedding behavior is stable.
+- Continue tracking current `@bytelyst/llm`/package build drift through the production-readiness baseline and backend hardening phases.
diff --git a/docs/ROADMAP.md b/docs/ROADMAP.md
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--- a/docs/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/docs/ROADMAP.md
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ Detailed implementation plans live under `docs/roadmaps/`.
 - ~~**Blocker** — Product identity not finalized~~ **Resolved:** locked as NoteLett (`e1fde25`)
 - **Deferred** — `@bytelyst/react-native-platform-sdk` adoption is intentionally deferred for release handoff; mobile uses direct shared `@bytelyst/*` clients instead. See `docs/MOBILE_PLATFORM_SDK_DECISION.md`.
 - **Deferred** — `@bytelyst/sync` adoption is intentionally deferred for release handoff; mobile keeps the narrower `@bytelyst/offline-queue` retry model until backend sync/conflict contracts are explicit. See `docs/MOBILE_SYNC_DECISION.md`.
+- **Deferred** — `@bytelyst/llm-router` adoption is intentionally deferred for release handoff; backend keeps `@bytelyst/llm` for chat, embeddings, mock provider, Azure/OpenAI settings, and vision prompt compatibility. See `docs/BACKEND_LLM_ROUTER_DECISION.md`.
 - ~~**Deferred** — Blob-backed artifacts and upload/download flows~~ **Resolved:** SAS-based blob client (`196b210`)
 - ~~**Deferred** — Fully integrated approval/review/audit UX~~ **Resolved:** batch review, review notes, agent timeline across web + mobile (`ca3cdba`, `f8a4c18`)
 - ~~**Deferred** — Persisted saved views~~ **Resolved:** backend CRUD + web client + UI (`bdbf387`, `12d9009`)