diff --git a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
index cb42f9393..5cb279498 100644
--- a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
+++ b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
@@ -506,6 +506,7 @@ func (e *XAIExecutor) prepareResponsesRequest(ctx context.Context, req cliproxye
 	body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "safety_identifier")
 	body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "stream_options")
 	body = normalizeXAITools(body)
+	body = normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
 	body = normalizeXAIInputReasoningItems(body)
 	body = normalizeCodexInstructions(body)
 	body = sanitizeXAIResponsesBody(body, baseModel)
@@ -715,6 +716,28 @@ func normalizeXAITools(body []byte) []byte {
 	return updated
 }
 
+// normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools drops tool_choice and parallel_tool_calls
+// when tools are absent or empty (including after normalizeXAITools filtering).
+// xAI rejects payloads that include tool_choice without any tools defined.
+// Existence checks avoid unnecessary sjson parse/copy passes.
+func normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body []byte) []byte {
+	tools := gjson.GetBytes(body, "tools")
+	hasTools := tools.Exists() && tools.IsArray() && len(tools.Array()) > 0
+	if hasTools {
+		return body
+	}
+	if tools.Exists() {
+		body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "tools")
+	}
+	if gjson.GetBytes(body, "tool_choice").Exists() {
+		body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "tool_choice")
+	}
+	if gjson.GetBytes(body, "parallel_tool_calls").Exists() {
+		body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "parallel_tool_calls")
+	}
+	return body
+}
+
 func normalizeXAITool(tool gjson.Result) ([]byte, bool, bool) {
 	toolType := tool.Get("type").String()
 	changed := false
diff --git a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go
index 5579cd904..e8c11cf6e 100644
--- a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go
+++ b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go
@@ -592,3 +592,57 @@ func TestXAIExecutorExecuteVideosUsesNativeEndpointFromRequestPath(t *testing.T)
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNormalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools_DropsWhenToolsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"model":"grok-4","tools":[],"tool_choice":"auto","parallel_tool_calls":true,"input":"hi"}`)
+	out := normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
+
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "tools").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("empty tools should be removed: %s", string(out))
+	}
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice should be removed when tools empty: %s", string(out))
+	}
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "parallel_tool_calls").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("parallel_tool_calls should be removed when tools empty: %s", string(out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools_DropsWhenToolsMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"model":"grok-4","tool_choice":"auto","input":"hi"}`)
+	out := normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
+
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice should be removed when tools missing: %s", string(out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools_DropsOrphanedParallelToolCalls(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"model":"grok-4","parallel_tool_calls":true,"input":"hi"}`)
+	out := normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
+
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "parallel_tool_calls").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("parallel_tool_calls should be removed when tools missing even without tool_choice: %s", string(out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools_KeepsWhenToolsPresent(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"model":"grok-4","tools":[{"type":"function","name":"Bash"}],"tool_choice":"auto","input":"hi"}`)
+	out := normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
+
+	if !gjson.GetBytes(out, "tools").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("tools should be kept: %s", string(out))
+	}
+	if got := gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice").String(); got != "auto" {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice = %q, want auto: %s", got, string(out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools_NoOpWhenBothAbsent(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{"model":"grok-4","input":"hi"}`)
+	out := normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
+
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice should not appear: %s", string(out))
+	}
+}