diff --git a/docs/architecture/orchestrator-validation.md b/docs/architecture/orchestrator-validation.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52b8f431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/architecture/orchestrator-validation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,299 @@
+# Orchestrator Configuration Validation
+
+Status: implemented (2026-04-16)
+Audience: orchestrator users, backend maintainers
+Scope: LLMRunner configuration validation and error classification
+
+## Overview
+
+`orchestrator/llm_runner.py` implements three layers of configuration validation to catch errors before expensive graph initialization or API calls:
+
+1. **Provider × Base URL Matrix Validation** - detects provider/endpoint mismatches
+2. **Timeout Configuration Validation** - warns when timeouts may be insufficient
+3. **Runtime Error Classification** - categorizes failures into actionable reason codes
+
+## 1. Provider × Base URL Matrix Validation
+
+### Purpose
+
+Prevent wasted initialization time and API calls when provider and base_url are incompatible.
+
+### Implementation
+
+`LLMRunner._detect_provider_mismatch()` validates provider × base_url combinations using a pattern matrix:
+
+```python
+_PROVIDER_BASE_URL_PATTERNS = {
+    "anthropic": [r"api\.anthropic\.com", r"api\.minimaxi\.com/anthropic"],
+    "openai": [r"api\.openai\.com"],
+    "google": [r"generativelanguage\.googleapis\.com"],
+    "xai": [r"api\.x\.ai"],
+    "ollama": [r"localhost:\d+", r"127\.0\.0\.1:\d+", r"ollama"],
+    "openrouter": [r"openrouter\.ai"],
+}
+```
+
+### Validation Logic
+
+1. Extract `llm_provider` and `backend_url` from `trading_agents_config`
+2. Look up expected URL patterns for the provider
+3. Check if `backend_url` matches any expected pattern (regex)
+4. If no match found, return mismatch details before graph initialization
+
+### Error Response
+
+When mismatch detected, `get_signal()` returns:
+
+```python
+Signal(
+    degraded=True,
+    reason_code="provider_mismatch",
+    metadata={
+        "data_quality": {
+            "state": "provider_mismatch",
+            "provider": "google",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+            "expected_patterns": [r"generativelanguage\.googleapis\.com"],
+        }
+    }
+)
+```
+
+### Examples
+
+**Valid configurations:**
+- `anthropic` + `https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic` ✓
+- `openai` + `https://api.openai.com/v1` ✓
+- `ollama` + `http://localhost:11434` ✓
+
+**Invalid configurations (detected):**
+- `google` + `https://api.openai.com/v1` → `provider_mismatch`
+- `xai` + `https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic` → `provider_mismatch`
+- `ollama` + `https://api.openai.com/v1` → `provider_mismatch`
+
+### Design Notes
+
+- Uses **original provider name** (not canonical) for validation
+  - `ollama`, `openrouter`, and `openai` share the same canonical provider (`openai`) but have different URL patterns
+  - Validation must distinguish between them
+- Validation runs **before** `TradingAgentsGraph` initialization
+  - Saves ~5-10s of initialization time on mismatch
+  - Avoids confusing error messages from LangChain/provider SDKs
+
+## 2. Timeout Configuration Validation
+
+### Purpose
+
+Warn users when timeout settings may be insufficient for their analyst profile, preventing unexpected research degradation.
+
+### Implementation
+
+`LLMRunner._validate_timeout_config()` checks timeout sufficiency based on analyst count:
+
+```python
+_RECOMMENDED_TIMEOUTS = {
+    1: {"analyst": 75.0, "research": 30.0},   # single analyst
+    2: {"analyst": 90.0, "research": 45.0},   # two analysts
+    3: {"analyst": 105.0, "research": 60.0},  # three analysts
+    4: {"analyst": 120.0, "research": 75.0},  # four analysts
+}
+```
+
+### Validation Logic
+
+1. Extract `selected_analysts` from `trading_agents_config` (default: 4 analysts)
+2. Extract `analyst_node_timeout_secs` and `research_node_timeout_secs`
+3. Compare against recommended thresholds for analyst count
+4. Log `WARNING` if configured timeout < recommended threshold
+
+### Warning Example
+
+```
+LLMRunner: analyst_node_timeout_secs=75.0s may be insufficient for 4 analyst(s) (recommended: 120.0s)
+```
+
+### Design Notes
+
+- **Non-blocking validation** - logs warning but does not prevent initialization
+  - Different LLM providers have vastly different speeds (MiniMax vs OpenAI)
+  - Users may have profiled their specific setup and chosen lower timeouts intentionally
+- **Conservative recommendations** - thresholds assume slower providers
+  - Based on real profiling data from MiniMax Anthropic-compatible endpoint
+  - Users with faster providers can safely ignore warnings
+- **Runs at `__init__` time** - warns early, before any API calls
+
+### Timeout Calculation Rationale
+
+Multi-analyst execution is **serial** for analysts, **parallel** for research:
+
+```
+Total time ≈ (analyst_count × analyst_timeout) + research_timeout + trading + risk + portfolio
+```
+
+For 4 analysts with 75s timeout each:
+- Analyst phase: ~300s (serial)
+- Research phase: ~30s (parallel bull/bear)
+- Trading phase: ~15s
+- Risk phase: ~10s
+- Portfolio phase: ~10s
+- **Total: ~365s** (6+ minutes)
+
+Recommended 120s per analyst assumes:
+- Some analysts may timeout and degrade
+- Degraded path still completes within timeout
+- Total execution stays under reasonable bounds (~8-10 minutes)
+
+## 3. Runtime Error Classification
+
+### Purpose
+
+Categorize runtime failures into actionable reason codes for debugging and monitoring.
+
+### Error Taxonomy
+
+Defined in `orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py`:
+
+```python
+class ReasonCode(str, Enum):
+    CONFIG_INVALID = "config_invalid"
+    PROVIDER_MISMATCH = "provider_mismatch"
+    PROVIDER_AUTH_FAILED = "provider_auth_failed"
+    LLM_INIT_FAILED = "llm_init_failed"
+    LLM_SIGNAL_FAILED = "llm_signal_failed"
+    LLM_UNKNOWN_RATING = "llm_unknown_rating"
+    # ... (quant-related codes omitted)
+```
+
+### Classification Logic
+
+`LLMRunner.get_signal()` catches exceptions from `propagate()` and classifies them:
+
+1. **Provider mismatch** (pre-initialization)
+   - Detected by `_detect_provider_mismatch()` before graph creation
+   - Returns `provider_mismatch` immediately
+
+2. **Provider auth failure** (runtime)
+   - Detected by `_looks_like_provider_auth_failure()` heuristic
+   - Markers: `"authentication_error"`, `"login fail"`, `"invalid api key"`, `"unauthorized"`, `"error code: 401"`
+   - Returns `provider_auth_failed`
+
+3. **Generic LLM failure** (runtime)
+   - Any other exception from `propagate()`
+   - Returns `llm_signal_failed`
+
+### Error Response Structure
+
+All error signals include:
+
+```python
+Signal(
+    degraded=True,
+    reason_code="<reason_code>",
+    direction=0,
+    confidence=0.0,
+    metadata={
+        "error": "<exception message>",
+        "data_quality": {
+            "state": "<state>",
+            # ... additional context
+        }
+    }
+)
+```
+
+### Design Notes
+
+- **Fail-fast on config errors** - mismatch detected before expensive operations
+- **Heuristic auth detection** - no API call overhead, relies on error message patterns
+- **Structured metadata** - `data_quality.state` mirrors `reason_code` for consistency
+
+## 4. Testing
+
+### Test Coverage
+
+`orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py` includes:
+
+**Provider matrix validation:**
+- `test_detect_provider_mismatch_google_with_openai_url`
+- `test_detect_provider_mismatch_xai_with_anthropic_url`
+- `test_detect_provider_mismatch_ollama_with_openai_url`
+- `test_detect_provider_mismatch_valid_anthropic_minimax`
+- `test_detect_provider_mismatch_valid_openai`
+
+**Timeout validation:**
+- `test_timeout_validation_warns_for_multiple_analysts_low_timeout`
+- `test_timeout_validation_no_warn_for_single_analyst`
+- `test_timeout_validation_no_warn_for_sufficient_timeout`
+
+**Error classification:**
+- `test_get_signal_classifies_provider_auth_failure`
+- `test_get_signal_returns_provider_mismatch_before_graph_init`
+- `test_get_signal_returns_reason_code_on_propagate_failure`
+
+### Running Tests
+
+```bash
+cd /path/to/TradingAgents
+python -m pytest orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py -v
+```
+
+## 5. Maintenance
+
+### Adding New Providers
+
+When adding a new provider to `tradingagents/llm_clients/factory.py`:
+
+1. Add URL pattern to `_PROVIDER_BASE_URL_PATTERNS` in `llm_runner.py`
+2. Add test cases for valid and invalid configurations
+3. Update this documentation
+
+### Adjusting Timeout Recommendations
+
+If profiling shows different timeout requirements:
+
+1. Update `_RECOMMENDED_TIMEOUTS` in `llm_runner.py`
+2. Document rationale in this file
+3. Update test expectations if needed
+
+### Extending Error Classification
+
+To add new reason codes:
+
+1. Add to `ReasonCode` enum in `contracts/error_taxonomy.py`
+2. Add detection logic in `LLMRunner.get_signal()`
+3. Add test case in `test_llm_runner.py`
+4. Update this documentation
+
+## 6. Known Limitations
+
+### API Key Validation
+
+Current implementation does **not** validate API key validity before graph initialization:
+
+- **Limitation**: Expired/invalid keys are only detected during first `propagate()` call
+- **Impact**: ~5-10s wasted on graph initialization before auth failure
+- **Rationale**: Lightweight key validation would require provider-specific API calls, adding latency and complexity
+- **Mitigation**: Auth failures are still classified correctly as `provider_auth_failed`
+
+### Provider Pattern Maintenance
+
+URL patterns must be manually kept in sync with provider changes:
+
+- **Risk**: Provider changes base URL structure (e.g., API versioning)
+- **Mitigation**: Validation is non-blocking; mismatches are logged but don't prevent operation
+- **Future**: Consider moving patterns to `tradingagents/llm_clients/factory.py` as part of `ProviderSpec`
+
+### Timeout Recommendations
+
+Recommendations are based on MiniMax profiling and may not generalize:
+
+- **Risk**: Faster providers (OpenAI GPT-4) may trigger unnecessary warnings
+- **Mitigation**: Warnings are advisory only; users can ignore if they've profiled their setup
+- **Future**: Consider provider-specific timeout recommendations
+
+## 7. Related Documentation
+
+- `docs/contracts/result-contract-v1alpha1.md` - Signal contract structure
+- `docs/architecture/research-provenance.md` - Research degradation semantics
+- `docs/migration/rollback-notes.md` - Backend migration status
+- `orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py` - Complete reason code list
diff --git a/docs/migration/rollback-notes.md b/docs/migration/rollback-notes.md
index e973f24d..ffad0844 100644
--- a/docs/migration/rollback-notes.md
+++ b/docs/migration/rollback-notes.md
@@ -14,13 +14,19 @@ Mainline has moved beyond pure planning, but it has not finished the full bounda
   - result contracts are persisted via `result_store.py`;
   - `/ws/analysis/{task_id}` and `/ws/orchestrator` already wrap payloads with `contract_version`;
   - recommendation and task-status reads already depend on application-layer shaping more than route-local reconstruction.
-- `Phase 5` is **not complete**:
-  - `web_dashboard/backend/main.py` is still too large;
-  - route-local orchestration has not been fully deleted;
+- `Phase 5` is **partially landed** via the task lifecycle boundary slice:
+  - `status/list/cancel` now route through backend task services instead of route-local orchestration;
+  - `web_dashboard/backend/main.py` is still too large outside that slice;
+  - reports/export and other residual route-local orchestration are still pending;
   - compatibility fields still coexist with the newer contract-first path.
 
 Also note that research provenance / node guard / profiling work is now landed on the orchestrator side. That effort complements the backend migration but should not be confused with “application boundary fully complete.”
 
+**Recent improvements (2026-04-16)**:
+- Orchestrator error classification now includes comprehensive provider × base_url matrix validation
+- Timeout configuration validation warns when analyst/research timeouts may be insufficient for multi-analyst profiles
+- All provider mismatches (anthropic, openai, google, xai, ollama, openrouter) are now detected before graph initialization
+
 ## 1. Migration objective
 
 Move backend delivery code from route-local orchestration to an application-service layer without changing the quant+LLM merge kernel behavior.
@@ -80,6 +86,7 @@ Rollback:
 Current status:
 
 - partially complete on mainline via `analysis_service.py`, `job_service.py`, and `result_store.py`
+- task lifecycle (`status/list/cancel`) is now service-routed
 - not complete enough yet to claim `main.py` is only a thin adapter
 
 ## Phase 2: dual-read for task status
diff --git a/orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py b/orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py
index d6f1fc3d..d733bcfa 100644
--- a/orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py
+++ b/orchestrator/contracts/error_taxonomy.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class ReasonCode(str, Enum):
     LLM_SIGNAL_FAILED = "llm_signal_failed"
     LLM_UNKNOWN_RATING = "llm_unknown_rating"
     PROVIDER_MISMATCH = "provider_mismatch"
+    PROVIDER_AUTH_FAILED = "provider_auth_failed"
     BOTH_SIGNALS_UNAVAILABLE = "both_signals_unavailable"
 
 
diff --git a/orchestrator/examples/validation_examples.py b/orchestrator/examples/validation_examples.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ddd8f151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/orchestrator/examples/validation_examples.py
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Orchestrator configuration validation examples.
+
+Demonstrates provider mismatch detection and timeout validation.
+"""
+
+import logging
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+# Add parent directories to path
+repo_root = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(repo_root))
+
+from orchestrator.config import OrchestratorConfig
+from orchestrator.llm_runner import LLMRunner
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARNING, format='%(levelname)s: %(message)s')
+
+
+def example_1_provider_mismatch():
+    """Example 1: Provider mismatch detection."""
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Example 1: Provider Mismatch Detection")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+    # Invalid: Google provider with OpenAI URL
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir="/tmp/orchestrator_validation_example",
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "google",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+        },
+    )
+
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+    print(f"\nConfiguration:")
+    print(f"  Provider: google")
+    print(f"  Base URL: https://api.openai.com/v1")
+    print(f"\nResult:")
+    print(f"  Degraded: {signal.degraded}")
+    print(f"  Reason: {signal.reason_code}")
+    print(f"  Message: {signal.metadata.get('error', 'N/A')}")
+    print(f"  Expected patterns: {signal.metadata.get('data_quality', {}).get('expected_patterns', [])}")
+    print()
+
+
+def example_2_valid_configuration():
+    """Example 2: Valid configuration (no mismatch)."""
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Example 2: Valid Configuration")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+    # Valid: Anthropic provider with MiniMax Anthropic-compatible URL
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir="/tmp/orchestrator_validation_example",
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "selected_analysts": ["market"],
+            "analyst_node_timeout_secs": 75.0,
+        },
+    )
+
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    mismatch = runner._detect_provider_mismatch()
+
+    print(f"\nConfiguration:")
+    print(f"  Provider: anthropic")
+    print(f"  Base URL: https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic")
+    print(f"  Selected analysts: ['market']")
+    print(f"  Analyst timeout: 75.0s")
+    print(f"\nResult:")
+    print(f"  Mismatch detected: {mismatch is not None}")
+    if mismatch:
+        print(f"  Details: {mismatch}")
+    else:
+        print(f"  Status: Configuration is valid ✓")
+    print()
+
+
+def example_3_timeout_warning():
+    """Example 3: Timeout configuration warning."""
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Example 3: Timeout Configuration Warning")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+    # Warning: 4 analysts with insufficient timeout
+    print("\nConfiguration:")
+    print(f"  Provider: anthropic")
+    print(f"  Base URL: https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic")
+    print(f"  Selected analysts: ['market', 'social', 'news', 'fundamentals']")
+    print(f"  Analyst timeout: 75.0s (recommended: 120.0s)")
+    print(f"\nExpected warning:")
+
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir="/tmp/orchestrator_validation_example",
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "selected_analysts": ["market", "social", "news", "fundamentals"],
+            "analyst_node_timeout_secs": 75.0,
+        },
+    )
+
+    # Warning will be logged during initialization
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    print()
+
+
+def example_4_multiple_mismatches():
+    """Example 4: Multiple provider mismatch scenarios."""
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Example 4: Multiple Provider Mismatch Scenarios")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+    scenarios = [
+        ("xai", "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic"),
+        ("ollama", "https://api.openai.com/v1"),
+        ("openrouter", "https://api.anthropic.com/v1"),
+    ]
+
+    for provider, url in scenarios:
+        cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+            cache_dir="/tmp/orchestrator_validation_example",
+            trading_agents_config={
+                "llm_provider": provider,
+                "backend_url": url,
+            },
+        )
+
+        runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+        signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+        print(f"\n  {provider} + {url}")
+        print(f"    → Degraded: {signal.degraded}, Reason: {signal.reason_code}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    example_1_provider_mismatch()
+    example_2_valid_configuration()
+    example_3_timeout_warning()
+    example_4_multiple_mismatches()
+
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("All examples completed")
+    print("=" * 60)
diff --git a/orchestrator/llm_runner.py b/orchestrator/llm_runner.py
index c14f5ce2..53e165da 100644
--- a/orchestrator/llm_runner.py
+++ b/orchestrator/llm_runner.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import re
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 from orchestrator.config import OrchestratorConfig
@@ -10,6 +11,31 @@ from tradingagents.agents.utils.agent_states import extract_research_provenance
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# Provider × base_url validation matrix
+# Note: ollama/openrouter share openai's canonical provider but have different URL patterns
+_PROVIDER_BASE_URL_PATTERNS = {
+    "anthropic": [r"api\.anthropic\.com", r"api\.minimaxi\.com/anthropic"],
+    "openai": [r"api\.openai\.com"],
+    "google": [r"generativelanguage\.googleapis\.com"],
+    "xai": [r"api\.x\.ai"],
+    "ollama": [r"localhost:\d+", r"127\.0\.0\.1:\d+", r"ollama"],
+    "openrouter": [r"openrouter\.ai"],
+}
+
+# Precompile regex patterns for efficiency
+_COMPILED_PATTERNS = {
+    provider: [re.compile(pattern) for pattern in patterns]
+    for provider, patterns in _PROVIDER_BASE_URL_PATTERNS.items()
+}
+
+# Recommended timeout thresholds by analyst count
+_RECOMMENDED_TIMEOUTS = {
+    1: {"analyst": 75.0, "research": 30.0},
+    2: {"analyst": 90.0, "research": 45.0},
+    3: {"analyst": 105.0, "research": 60.0},
+    4: {"analyst": 120.0, "research": 75.0},
+}
+
 
 def _build_data_quality(state: str, **details):
     payload = {"state": state}
@@ -24,12 +50,53 @@ def _extract_research_metadata(final_state: dict | None) -> dict | None:
     return extract_research_provenance(debate_state)
 
 
+def _looks_like_provider_auth_failure(exc: Exception) -> bool:
+    text = str(exc).lower()
+    markers = (
+        "authentication_error",
+        "login fail",
+        "please carry the api secret key",
+        "invalid api key",
+        "unauthorized",
+        "error code: 401",
+    )
+    return any(marker in text for marker in markers)
+
+
 class LLMRunner:
     def __init__(self, config: OrchestratorConfig):
         self._config = config
         self._graph = None  # Lazy-initialized on first get_signal() call (requires API key)
         self.cache_dir = config.cache_dir
         os.makedirs(self.cache_dir, exist_ok=True)
+        self._validate_timeout_config()
+
+    def _validate_timeout_config(self):
+        """Warn if timeout configuration may be insufficient for selected analysts."""
+        trading_cfg = self._config.trading_agents_config or {}
+        selected_analysts = trading_cfg.get("selected_analysts", ["market", "social", "news", "fundamentals"])
+        analyst_count = len(selected_analysts) if selected_analysts else 4
+
+        analyst_timeout = float(trading_cfg.get("analyst_node_timeout_secs", 75.0))
+        research_timeout = float(trading_cfg.get("research_node_timeout_secs", 30.0))
+
+        # Get recommended thresholds (use max if analyst_count > 4)
+        recommended = _RECOMMENDED_TIMEOUTS.get(analyst_count, _RECOMMENDED_TIMEOUTS[4])
+
+        warnings = []
+        if analyst_timeout < recommended["analyst"]:
+            warnings.append(
+                f"analyst_node_timeout_secs={analyst_timeout:.1f}s may be insufficient "
+                f"for {analyst_count} analyst(s) (recommended: {recommended['analyst']:.1f}s)"
+            )
+        if research_timeout < recommended["research"]:
+            warnings.append(
+                f"research_node_timeout_secs={research_timeout:.1f}s may be insufficient "
+                f"for {analyst_count} analyst(s) (recommended: {recommended['research']:.1f}s)"
+            )
+
+        for warning in warnings:
+            logger.warning("LLMRunner: %s", warning)
 
     def _get_graph(self):
         """Lazy-initialize TradingAgentsGraph (heavy, requires API key at init time)."""
@@ -43,42 +110,39 @@ class LLMRunner:
         return self._graph
 
     def _detect_provider_mismatch(self):
+        """Validate provider × base_url compatibility using pattern matrix.
+
+        Uses the original provider name (not canonical) for validation since
+        ollama/openrouter share openai's canonical provider but have different URLs.
+        """
         trading_cfg = self._config.trading_agents_config or {}
         provider = str(trading_cfg.get("llm_provider", "")).lower()
         base_url = str(trading_cfg.get("backend_url", "") or "").lower()
+
         if not provider or not base_url:
             return None
-        if provider == "anthropic" and "/anthropic" not in base_url:
-            return {
-                "provider": provider,
-                "backend_url": trading_cfg.get("backend_url"),
-            }
-        if provider in {"openai", "openrouter", "ollama", "xai"} and "/anthropic" in base_url:
-            return {
-                "provider": provider,
-                "backend_url": trading_cfg.get("backend_url"),
-            }
-        return None
+
+        # Use original provider name for pattern matching (not canonical)
+        # This handles ollama/openrouter which share openai's canonical provider
+        compiled_patterns = _COMPILED_PATTERNS.get(provider, [])
+        if not compiled_patterns:
+            # No validation rules defined for this provider
+            return None
+
+        for pattern in compiled_patterns:
+            if pattern.search(base_url):
+                return None  # Match found, no mismatch
+
+        # No pattern matched - return raw patterns for error message
+        return {
+            "provider": provider,
+            "backend_url": trading_cfg.get("backend_url"),
+            "expected_patterns": _PROVIDER_BASE_URL_PATTERNS[provider],
+        }
 
     def get_signal(self, ticker: str, date: str) -> Signal:
         """获取指定股票在指定日期的 LLM 信号，带缓存。"""
-        safe_ticker = ticker.replace("/", "_")  # sanitize for filesystem (e.g. BRK/B)
-        cache_path = os.path.join(self.cache_dir, f"{safe_ticker}_{date}.json")
-
-        if os.path.exists(cache_path):
-            logger.info("LLMRunner: cache hit for %s %s", ticker, date)
-            with open(cache_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-                data = json.load(f)
-            # Use stored direction/confidence directly to avoid re-mapping drift
-            return Signal(
-                ticker=ticker,
-                direction=data["direction"],
-                confidence=data["confidence"],
-                source="llm",
-                timestamp=datetime.fromisoformat(data["timestamp"]),
-                metadata=data,
-            )
-
+        # Validate configuration first (lightweight, prevents returning stale cache on config errors)
         mismatch = self._detect_provider_mismatch()
         if mismatch is not None:
             return build_error_signal(
@@ -94,6 +158,25 @@ class LLMRunner:
                 },
             )
 
+        # Check cache after validation
+        safe_ticker = ticker.replace("/", "_")
+        cache_path = os.path.join(self.cache_dir, f"{safe_ticker}_{date}.json")
+
+        try:
+            with open(cache_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                data = json.load(f)
+            logger.info("LLMRunner: cache hit for %s %s", ticker, date)
+            return Signal(
+                ticker=ticker,
+                direction=data["direction"],
+                confidence=data["confidence"],
+                source="llm",
+                timestamp=datetime.fromisoformat(data["timestamp"]),
+                metadata=data,
+            )
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass  # Continue to LLM call
+
         try:
             _final_state, processed_signal = self._get_graph().propagate(ticker, date)
             rating = processed_signal if isinstance(processed_signal, str) else str(processed_signal)
@@ -118,6 +201,11 @@ class LLMRunner:
                 "timestamp": now.isoformat(),
                 "ticker": ticker,
                 "date": date,
+                "decision_structured": (
+                    (_final_state or {}).get("final_trade_decision_structured")
+                    if isinstance(_final_state, dict)
+                    else None
+                ),
                 "data_quality": data_quality,
                 "research": research_metadata,
                 "sample_quality": (
@@ -142,6 +230,16 @@ class LLMRunner:
             reason_code = ReasonCode.LLM_SIGNAL_FAILED.value
             if "Unsupported LLM provider" in str(e):
                 reason_code = ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value
+            elif _looks_like_provider_auth_failure(e):
+                reason_code = ReasonCode.PROVIDER_AUTH_FAILED.value
+
+            # Map reason code to data quality state
+            state_map = {
+                ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value: "provider_mismatch",
+                ReasonCode.PROVIDER_AUTH_FAILED.value: "provider_auth_failed",
+            }
+            state = state_map.get(reason_code, "unknown")
+
             return build_error_signal(
                 ticker=ticker,
                 source="llm",
@@ -149,7 +247,7 @@ class LLMRunner:
                 message=str(e),
                 metadata={
                     "data_quality": _build_data_quality(
-                        "provider_mismatch" if reason_code == ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value else "unknown",
+                        state,
                         provider=(self._config.trading_agents_config or {}).get("llm_provider"),
                         backend_url=(self._config.trading_agents_config or {}).get("backend_url"),
                     ),
diff --git a/orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py b/orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py
index 23ddedac..c5889657 100644
--- a/orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py
+++ b/orchestrator/tests/test_llm_runner.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Tests for LLMRunner."""
+import logging
 import sys
 from types import ModuleType
 
@@ -9,9 +10,34 @@ from orchestrator.contracts.error_taxonomy import ReasonCode
 from orchestrator.llm_runner import LLMRunner
 
 
+def _clear_runtime_llm_env(monkeypatch):
+    for env_name in (
+        "TRADINGAGENTS_LLM_PROVIDER",
+        "TRADINGAGENTS_BACKEND_URL",
+        "TRADINGAGENTS_MODEL",
+        "TRADINGAGENTS_DEEP_MODEL",
+        "TRADINGAGENTS_QUICK_MODEL",
+        "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL",
+        "OPENAI_BASE_URL",
+        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY",
+        "MINIMAX_API_KEY",
+        "OPENAI_API_KEY",
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(env_name, raising=False)
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
-def runner(tmp_path):
-    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(cache_dir=str(tmp_path))
+def runner(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _clear_runtime_llm_env(monkeypatch)
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "deep_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+            "quick_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+        },
+    )
     return LLMRunner(cfg)
 
 
@@ -69,11 +95,20 @@ def test_get_graph_preserves_explicit_empty_selected_analysts(monkeypatch, tmp_p
 
 
 def test_get_signal_returns_reason_code_on_propagate_failure(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    _clear_runtime_llm_env(monkeypatch)
     class BrokenGraph:
         def propagate(self, ticker, date):
             raise RuntimeError("graph unavailable")
 
-    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(cache_dir=str(tmp_path))
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "deep_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+            "quick_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+        },
+    )
     runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
     monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_get_graph", lambda: BrokenGraph())
 
@@ -84,6 +119,34 @@ def test_get_signal_returns_reason_code_on_propagate_failure(monkeypatch, tmp_pa
     assert signal.metadata["error"] == "graph unavailable"
 
 
+def test_get_signal_classifies_provider_auth_failure(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    _clear_runtime_llm_env(monkeypatch)
+
+    class BrokenGraph:
+        def propagate(self, ticker, date):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "Error code: 401 - {'type': 'error', 'error': {'type': 'authentication_error', 'message': \"login fail: Please carry the API secret key in the Authorization field\"}}"
+            )
+
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "deep_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+            "quick_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_get_graph", lambda: BrokenGraph())
+
+    signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+    assert signal.degraded is True
+    assert signal.reason_code == ReasonCode.PROVIDER_AUTH_FAILED.value
+    assert signal.metadata["data_quality"]["state"] == "provider_auth_failed"
+
+
 def test_get_signal_returns_provider_mismatch_before_graph_init(tmp_path):
     cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
         cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
@@ -102,6 +165,7 @@ def test_get_signal_returns_provider_mismatch_before_graph_init(tmp_path):
 
 
 def test_get_signal_persists_research_provenance_on_success(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    _clear_runtime_llm_env(monkeypatch)
     class SuccessfulGraph:
         def propagate(self, ticker, date):
             return {
@@ -113,9 +177,22 @@ def test_get_signal_persists_research_provenance_on_success(monkeypatch, tmp_pat
                     "covered_dimensions": ["market"],
                     "manager_confidence": None,
                 }
+                ,
+                "final_trade_decision_structured": {
+                    "rating": "BUY",
+                    "hold_subtype": "N/A",
+                },
             }, "BUY"
 
-    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(cache_dir=str(tmp_path))
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "deep_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+            "quick_think_llm": "MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed",
+        },
+    )
     runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
     monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_get_graph", lambda: SuccessfulGraph())
 
@@ -125,3 +202,128 @@ def test_get_signal_persists_research_provenance_on_success(monkeypatch, tmp_pat
     assert signal.metadata["research"]["research_status"] == "degraded"
     assert signal.metadata["sample_quality"] == "degraded_research"
     assert signal.metadata["data_quality"]["state"] == "research_degraded"
+    assert signal.metadata["decision_structured"]["rating"] == "BUY"
+
+
+# Phase 2: Provider matrix validation tests
+def test_detect_provider_mismatch_google_with_openai_url(tmp_path):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "google",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+    assert signal.degraded is True
+    assert signal.reason_code == ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value
+
+
+def test_detect_provider_mismatch_xai_with_anthropic_url(tmp_path):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "xai",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+    assert signal.degraded is True
+    assert signal.reason_code == ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value
+
+
+def test_detect_provider_mismatch_ollama_with_openai_url(tmp_path):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "ollama",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    signal = runner.get_signal("AAPL", "2024-01-02")
+
+    assert signal.degraded is True
+    assert signal.reason_code == ReasonCode.PROVIDER_MISMATCH.value
+
+
+def test_detect_provider_mismatch_valid_anthropic_minimax(tmp_path):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    mismatch = runner._detect_provider_mismatch()
+
+    assert mismatch is None
+
+
+def test_detect_provider_mismatch_valid_openai(tmp_path):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "openai",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+        },
+    )
+    runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+    mismatch = runner._detect_provider_mismatch()
+
+    assert mismatch is None
+
+
+# Phase 3: Timeout configuration validation tests
+def test_timeout_validation_warns_for_multiple_analysts_low_timeout(tmp_path, caplog):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "selected_analysts": ["market", "social", "news", "fundamentals"],
+            "analyst_node_timeout_secs": 75.0,
+        },
+    )
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+        runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+
+    assert any("analyst_node_timeout_secs=75.0s may be insufficient" in record.message for record in caplog.records)
+
+
+def test_timeout_validation_no_warn_for_single_analyst(tmp_path, caplog):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "selected_analysts": ["market"],
+            "analyst_node_timeout_secs": 75.0,
+        },
+    )
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+        runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+
+    assert not any("may be insufficient" in record.message for record in caplog.records)
+
+
+def test_timeout_validation_no_warn_for_sufficient_timeout(tmp_path, caplog):
+    cfg = OrchestratorConfig(
+        cache_dir=str(tmp_path),
+        trading_agents_config={
+            "llm_provider": "anthropic",
+            "backend_url": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic",
+            "selected_analysts": ["market", "social", "news", "fundamentals"],
+            "analyst_node_timeout_secs": 120.0,
+            "research_node_timeout_secs": 75.0,
+        },
+    )
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+        runner = LLMRunner(cfg)
+
+    assert not any("may be insufficient" in record.message for record in caplog.records)