diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/phases.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/phases.ts
index 3633c9940..26685796d 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/phases.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/phases.ts
@@ -929,6 +929,23 @@ export async function runUnitPhase(
     },
   );
 
+  // Select and apply model (with tier escalation on retry — normal units only)
+  const modelResult = await deps.selectAndApplyModel(
+    ctx,
+    pi,
+    unitType,
+    unitId,
+    s.basePath,
+    prefs,
+    s.verbose,
+    s.autoModeStartModel,
+    sidecarItem ? undefined : { isRetry, previousTier },
+  );
+  s.currentUnitRouting =
+    modelResult.routing as AutoSession["currentUnitRouting"];
+  s.currentUnitModel =
+    modelResult.appliedModel as AutoSession["currentUnitModel"];
+
   // Status bar + progress widget
   ctx.ui.setStatus("gsd-auto", "auto");
   if (mid)
@@ -1001,23 +1018,6 @@ export async function runUnitPhase(
     logWarning("engine", "Prompt reorder failed", { error: msg });
   }
 
-  // Select and apply model (with tier escalation on retry — normal units only)
-  const modelResult = await deps.selectAndApplyModel(
-    ctx,
-    pi,
-    unitType,
-    unitId,
-    s.basePath,
-    prefs,
-    s.verbose,
-    s.autoModeStartModel,
-    sidecarItem ? undefined : { isRetry, previousTier },
-  );
-  s.currentUnitRouting =
-    modelResult.routing as AutoSession["currentUnitRouting"];
-  s.currentUnitModel =
-    modelResult.appliedModel as AutoSession["currentUnitModel"];
-
   // Apply sidecar/pre-dispatch hook model override (takes priority over standard model selection)
   const hookModelOverride = sidecarItem?.model ?? iterData.hookModelOverride;
   if (hookModelOverride) {
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
index c472780cc..3a548f326 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
@@ -317,6 +317,35 @@ test("auto/resolve.ts one-shot pattern: _currentResolve is nulled before calling
   );
 });
 
+test("auto/phases.ts: selectAndApplyModel called exactly once and before updateProgressWidget (#2907)", () => {
+  const src = readFileSync(
+    resolve(import.meta.dirname, "..", "auto", "phases.ts"),
+    "utf-8",
+  );
+  // Extract the runUnitPhase function body
+  const fnStart = src.indexOf("export async function runUnitPhase");
+  assert.ok(fnStart > 0, "runUnitPhase should exist in phases.ts");
+  const fnBody = src.slice(fnStart, fnStart + 8000);
+
+  // selectAndApplyModel must appear exactly once
+  const allOccurrences = [...fnBody.matchAll(/selectAndApplyModel\(/g)];
+  assert.equal(
+    allOccurrences.length,
+    1,
+    `selectAndApplyModel should be called exactly once in runUnitPhase, found ${allOccurrences.length} calls`,
+  );
+
+  // selectAndApplyModel must appear BEFORE updateProgressWidget
+  const modelIdx = fnBody.indexOf("selectAndApplyModel(");
+  const widgetIdx = fnBody.indexOf("updateProgressWidget(");
+  assert.ok(modelIdx > 0, "selectAndApplyModel should exist in runUnitPhase");
+  assert.ok(widgetIdx > 0, "updateProgressWidget should exist in runUnitPhase");
+  assert.ok(
+    modelIdx < widgetIdx,
+    "selectAndApplyModel must be called BEFORE updateProgressWidget (#2899/#2907)",
+  );
+});
+
 // ─── autoLoop tests (T02) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 /**