diff --git a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
index c77545b983088..bc8b25924b7ca 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py
@@ -2188,6 +2188,22 @@ def resolve_runtime_provider(
     pconfig = PROVIDER_REGISTRY.get(provider)
     if pconfig and pconfig.auth_type == "api_key":
         creds = resolve_api_key_provider_credentials(provider)
+        # Actual Computer: a loopback base_url configured in model_cfg (not
+        # just env) selects the daemon's local offline API, which requires no
+        # auth. Inject the placeholder BEFORE the usable-secret gate below,
+        # mirroring the env-driven path inside the credential resolver.
+        if provider == "actual" and not has_usable_secret(creds.get("api_key")):
+            _cfg_provider = str(model_cfg.get("provider") or "").strip().lower()
+            _cfg_url = ""
+            if _cfg_provider == provider:
+                _cfg_url = (model_cfg.get("base_url") or "").strip().rstrip("/")
+            _effective_url = normalize_actual_base_url(
+                _cfg_url or creds.get("base_url", "").rstrip("/")
+            )
+            if is_actual_local_base_url(_effective_url):
+                creds = dict(creds)
+                creds["api_key"] = ACTUAL_LOCAL_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER
+                creds["source"] = creds.get("source") or "local-offline"
         # An explicitly selected API-key provider is authoritative. Returning
         # a runtime with an empty key defers failure until the first request and
         # can make a later fallback look like a silent provider switch. Fail at
diff --git a/plugins/model-providers/actual/__init__.py b/plugins/model-providers/actual/__init__.py
index b2102f562572a..123892d4a6862 100644
--- a/plugins/model-providers/actual/__init__.py
+++ b/plugins/model-providers/actual/__init__.py
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@ class ActualProfile(ProviderProfile):
         self,
         *,
         api_key: str | None = None,
+        base_url: str | None = None,
         timeout: float = 8.0,
     ) -> list[str] | None:
         base_url = _normalize_actual_base_url(
-            os.getenv("ACTUAL_BASE_URL", "").strip() or self.base_url
+            os.getenv("ACTUAL_BASE_URL", "").strip() or base_url or self.base_url
         )
         if not base_url:
             return None
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_actual_provider.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_actual_provider.py
index aac61d6ecbf1e..37d50ad8ac6a8 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_actual_provider.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_actual_provider.py
@@ -195,4 +195,7 @@ def test_actual_provider_model_ids_use_local_profile_catalog(monkeypatch):
     with patch.object(profile, "fetch_models", return_value=["actual/local-model"]) as fetch:
         assert provider_model_ids("actual") == ["actual/local-model"]
 
-    fetch.assert_called_once_with(api_key=ACTUAL_LOCAL_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER)
+    fetch.assert_called_once_with(
+        api_key=ACTUAL_LOCAL_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER,
+        base_url=DEFAULT_ACTUAL_LOCAL_BASE_URL,
+    )