diff --git a/codev/projects/bugfix-985-consult-m-claude-bills-metered/status.yaml b/codev/projects/bugfix-985-consult-m-claude-bills-metered/status.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe90bfe5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codev/projects/bugfix-985-consult-m-claude-bills-metered/status.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+id: bugfix-985
+title: consult-m-claude-bills-metered
+protocol: bugfix
+phase: pr
+plan_phases: []
+current_plan_phase: null
+gates:
+  pr:
+    status: approved
+    requested_at: '2026-06-04T04:22:57.960Z'
+    approved_at: '2026-06-04T05:13:18.384Z'
+iteration: 1
+build_complete: false
+history: []
+started_at: '2026-06-04T04:10:42.581Z'
+updated_at: '2026-06-04T05:13:18.385Z'
+pr_ready_for_human: false
diff --git a/codev/resources/commands/consult.md b/codev/resources/commands/consult.md
index 4ed8a8004..76da6fb97 100644
--- a/codev/resources/commands/consult.md
+++ b/codev/resources/commands/consult.md
@@ -154,6 +154,19 @@ Configure API keys:
 - Codex: `OPENAI_API_KEY`
 - Gemini: `GOOGLE_API_KEY` or `GEMINI_API_KEY`
 
+### Claude auth: subscription vs. metered API
+
+`consult -m claude` runs on the Claude Agent SDK. When `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`
+(a Claude subscription/OAuth token) is present, consult strips `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
+and `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` from the SDK subprocess env so the consultation
+authenticates against the **subscription** rather than the **metered Opus API**.
+The Agent SDK otherwise prioritizes `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, which silently routes
+CMAP/review traffic to the metered API (issue #985). When no OAuth token is set,
+the API key is used as before so CI / key-only environments keep working.
+
+> **Caveat:** dedicated Agent-SDK subscription credit starts **2026-06-15**.
+> Before that date, subscription auth draws from the interactive Max quota.
+
 ## The Consultant Role
 
 The consultant role (`codev/roles/consultant.md`) defines behavior:
diff --git a/codev/state/bugfix-985_thread.md b/codev/state/bugfix-985_thread.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ecea9384
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codev/state/bugfix-985_thread.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# bugfix-985 thread
+
+## Issue
+`consult -m claude` bills the metered Opus API instead of the Claude subscription because it
+forwards `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`/`ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` into the Agent SDK env, which shadows
+`CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` in the SDK's auth priority. Reported by an external adopter
+(~$150/day on a heavy dev day).
+
+## Investigate (done)
+Root cause confirmed in source on this branch:
+- `packages/codev/src/commands/consult/index.ts`, `runClaudeConsultation()` lines 504-509
+  copy ALL of `process.env` into the `env` object passed to `claudeQuery`. That includes
+  `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`/`ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` when present, which the Agent SDK prioritizes
+  over `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`.
+- No existing test exercises this env construction. Function is not exported.
+- Established testability pattern in this file: internal helpers re-exported with `_` prefix
+  (see export block ~line 1627). Test dir: `src/commands/consult/__tests__/` (vitest).
+- Adjacent (noted, not in scope): line 519 hardcodes `model: 'claude-opus-4-6'`.
+
+## Fix plan
+- Extract env-building into a pure exported helper `buildClaudeConsultEnv(processEnv)` so it's
+  unit-testable. When `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` is set, delete `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` and
+  `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` from the LOCAL env object (not global process.env). When OAuth token
+  is absent, preserve the API key (CI/key-only envs keep working).
+- Regression test in `__tests__/claude-auth-env.test.ts`.
+- Doc note in consult docs re: subscription-credit caveat (2026-06-15).
+
+## Fix (done)
+- `consult/index.ts`: extracted env-building into exported pure helper
+  `buildClaudeConsultEnv(processEnv)`. Strips `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`/`ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`
+  from the local copy only when `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` is set; preserves the key
+  otherwise. `runClaudeConsultation` now calls the helper.
+- Regression test: `__tests__/claude-auth-env.test.ts` (4 cases: strip-on-oauth,
+  preserve-without-oauth, no-mutation-of-source, drops-undefined). All pass.
+- Doc note added to `codev/resources/commands/consult.md`.
+- Verified: consult suite 79/79 pass; `tsc --noEmit` clean (after building codev-core
+  in the fresh worktree). Net diff well under 300 LOC.
+
+BUGFIX protocol phases: Investigate → Fix → Create PR.
+
+## Create PR (done)
+- PR #986 opened against main. "Fixes #985".
+- CMAP (3-way) on the PR — all APPROVE, HIGH confidence, zero blocking issues:
+  - Codex: APPROVE/HIGH — correct, tightly scoped, solid regression coverage.
+  - Gemini: APPROVE/HIGH — correct root-cause fix, thorough branch coverage.
+  - Claude: APPROVE/HIGH — clean minimal fix; flagged (non-blocking) external-adopter
+    scrubbing convention + the `_`-prefix export style note (kept direct export — it's a
+    legitimate public utility, not a test-only helper).
+- Applied scrub: removed external-adopter workspace name from PR body + this thread
+  (kept the ~$150/day signal). Issue body still names the adopter — upstream of the
+  builder; flagged to architect.
+- Awaiting architect approval to merge (BUGFIX pr gate).
diff --git a/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/__tests__/claude-auth-env.test.ts b/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/__tests__/claude-auth-env.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d697638f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/__tests__/claude-auth-env.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { buildClaudeConsultEnv } from '../index.js';
+
+/**
+ * Regression test for issue #985.
+ *
+ * `consult -m claude` must authenticate the Agent SDK with the Claude
+ * subscription (`CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`) rather than the metered Opus API.
+ * The SDK prioritizes `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` over `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`, so
+ * when an OAuth token is present the API/auth tokens must be stripped from the
+ * subprocess env. When no OAuth token is set, the API key must be preserved so
+ * CI / key-only environments still authenticate.
+ */
+describe('buildClaudeConsultEnv (issue #985)', () => {
+  it('strips ANTHROPIC_API_KEY/ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN when OAuth token is set', () => {
+    const env = buildClaudeConsultEnv({
+      CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN: 'oauth-sub-token',
+      ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: 'sk-metered-key',
+      ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: 'auth-token',
+      PATH: '/usr/bin',
+    });
+
+    expect(env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(env.ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN).toBeUndefined();
+    // OAuth token and unrelated vars are preserved.
+    expect(env.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN).toBe('oauth-sub-token');
+    expect(env.PATH).toBe('/usr/bin');
+  });
+
+  it('preserves ANTHROPIC_API_KEY when no OAuth token is set (CI / key-only)', () => {
+    const env = buildClaudeConsultEnv({
+      ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: 'sk-metered-key',
+      ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: 'auth-token',
+      PATH: '/usr/bin',
+    });
+
+    expect(env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY).toBe('sk-metered-key');
+    expect(env.ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN).toBe('auth-token');
+    expect(env.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('does not mutate the source process.env object', () => {
+    const source: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
+      CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN: 'oauth-sub-token',
+      ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: 'sk-metered-key',
+      ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: 'auth-token',
+    };
+
+    buildClaudeConsultEnv(source);
+
+    // The deletion must be scoped to the returned copy, never the global env.
+    expect(source.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY).toBe('sk-metered-key');
+    expect(source.ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN).toBe('auth-token');
+  });
+
+  it('drops undefined values while copying', () => {
+    const env = buildClaudeConsultEnv({
+      DEFINED: 'yes',
+      UNDEFINED: undefined,
+    });
+
+    expect(env.DEFINED).toBe('yes');
+    expect('UNDEFINED' in env).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/index.ts b/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/index.ts
index 8e0c5208e..c481b184d 100644
--- a/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/index.ts
+++ b/packages/codev/src/commands/consult/index.ts
@@ -477,6 +477,40 @@ export async function runCodexConsultation(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build the env passed to the Claude Agent SDK subprocess for a consultation.
+ *
+ * Copies the given environment, but when a Claude subscription/OAuth token
+ * (`CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`) is present, strips `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` and
+ * `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` from the *copy* (never the global `process.env`).
+ * The Agent SDK prioritizes the API key over the OAuth token, so leaving the
+ * key in would silently route CMAP/review traffic to the metered Opus API
+ * instead of the Claude subscription (issue #985).
+ *
+ * When no OAuth token is set, the API key is preserved so CI / key-only
+ * environments continue to authenticate.
+ *
+ * The deletion is scoped to this subprocess env only — other callers that need
+ * the API key (persona, dev:local) are unaffected.
+ */
+export function buildClaudeConsultEnv(
+  processEnv: NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
+): Record<string, string> {
+  const env: Record<string, string> = {};
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(processEnv)) {
+    if (value !== undefined) {
+      env[key] = value;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (env.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN) {
+    delete env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY;
+    delete env.ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN;
+  }
+
+  return env;
+}
+
 /**
  * Run Claude consultation via Agent SDK.
  * Uses the SDK's query() function instead of CLI subprocess.
@@ -501,12 +535,7 @@ async function runClaudeConsultation(
   const savedClaudeCode = process.env.CLAUDECODE;
   delete process.env.CLAUDECODE;
 
-  const env: Record<string, string> = {};
-  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(process.env)) {
-    if (value !== undefined) {
-      env[key] = value;
-    }
-  }
+  const env = buildClaudeConsultEnv(process.env);
 
   try {
     const session = claudeQuery({