diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/thread_manager.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/thread_manager.rs
index 5c718cede6..8514f47b11 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/thread_manager.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/thread_manager.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ use codex_agent_graph_store::LocalAgentGraphStore;
 use codex_analytics::AnalyticsEventsClient;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadHistoryBuilder;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::TurnStatus;
+use codex_code_mode::CodeModeSessionDelegate;
 use codex_code_mode::CodeModeSessionProvider;
+use codex_code_mode::CodeModeSessionProviderFuture;
 use codex_code_mode::InProcessCodeModeSessionProvider;
 use codex_code_mode::ProcessOwnedCodeModeSessionProvider;
 use codex_core_plugins::PluginsManager;
@@ -95,6 +97,20 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 use tracing::warn;
 
 const THREAD_CREATED_CHANNEL_CAPACITY: usize = 1024;
+
+struct DisabledCodeModeSessionProvider;
+
+impl CodeModeSessionProvider for DisabledCodeModeSessionProvider {
+    fn create_session<'a>(
+        &'a self,
+        _delegate: Arc<dyn CodeModeSessionDelegate>,
+    ) -> CodeModeSessionProviderFuture<'a> {
+        Box::pin(async {
+            Err("code-mode host is disabled and in-process fallback is disabled".to_string())
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 /// Test-only override for enabling thread-manager behaviors used by integration
 /// tests.
 ///
@@ -382,6 +398,8 @@ impl ThreadManager {
                 } else {
                     Arc::new(provider)
                 }
+            } else if config.code_mode.disable_in_process_fallback {
+                Arc::new(DisabledCodeModeSessionProvider)
             } else {
                 Arc::new(InProcessCodeModeSessionProvider)
             };
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/code_mode.rs b/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/code_mode.rs
index 1003534324..2a9bf2b486 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/code_mode.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/code_mode.rs
@@ -285,6 +285,35 @@ async fn missing_process_host_fails_when_in_process_fallback_is_disabled() -> Re
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
+async fn disabled_process_host_fails_when_in_process_fallback_is_disabled() -> Result<()> {
+    skip_if_no_network!(Ok(()));
+
+    let server = responses::start_mock_server().await;
+    let builder = test_codex()
+        .with_model("test-gpt-5.1-codex")
+        .with_config(|config| {
+            config
+                .features
+                .enable(Feature::CodeMode)
+                .expect("code mode should be enabled");
+            config
+                .features
+                .disable(Feature::CodeModeHost)
+                .expect("code-mode host should be disabled");
+            config.code_mode.disable_in_process_fallback = true;
+        });
+    let (_test, follow_up_mock) =
+        run_code_mode_turn_with_builder(&server, "Run code mode", "text('unreachable')", builder)
+            .await?;
+
+    let (output, _) =
+        custom_tool_output_body_and_success(&follow_up_mock.single_request(), "call-1");
+    assert!(output.contains("code-mode host is disabled and in-process fallback is disabled"));
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn missing_process_host_error_is_bounded_when_in_process_fallback_is_disabled() -> Result<()>
 {