diff --git a/app/services/ocr/vl_model.py b/app/services/ocr/vl_model.py
index b7c459c..df615c8 100644
--- a/app/services/ocr/vl_model.py
+++ b/app/services/ocr/vl_model.py
@@ -32,6 +32,29 @@ def _try_docuvision(image_path: str | Path) -> str | None:
     cf_orch_url = os.environ.get("CF_ORCH_URL")
     if not cf_orch_url:
         return None
+
+    # Tier 1: task-based routing — coordinator owns model selection.
+    try:
+        from app.services.task_inference import task_allocate, TaskNotRegistered
+        from app.services.ocr.docuvision_client import DocuvisionClient
+        try:
+            with task_allocate(
+                "kiwi", "ocr",
+                service_hint="cf-docuvision",
+                ttl_s=60.0,
+            ) as alloc:
+                doc_client = DocuvisionClient(alloc.url)
+                result = doc_client.extract_text(image_path)
+                return result.text if result.text else None
+        except TaskNotRegistered:
+            logger.debug(
+                "kiwi.ocr not in coordinator assignments — "
+                "falling back to direct cf-docuvision allocation"
+            )
+    except Exception as exc:
+        logger.debug("task allocation path failed, trying direct allocate: %s", exc)
+
+    # Tier 2: direct allocation — hardcoded service type.
     try:
         from circuitforge_orch.client import CFOrchClient
         from app.services.ocr.docuvision_client import DocuvisionClient
@@ -49,7 +72,7 @@ def _try_docuvision(image_path: str | Path) -> str | None:
             result = doc_client.extract_text(image_path)
             return result.text if result.text else None
     except Exception as exc:
-        logger.debug("cf-docuvision fast-path failed, falling back: %s", exc)
+        logger.debug("cf-docuvision fast-path failed, falling back to local VLM: %s", exc)
         return None
 
 
diff --git a/tests/services/test_vl_model_task.py b/tests/services/test_vl_model_task.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d75e3ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/services/test_vl_model_task.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+"""Tests for task-based routing added to _try_docuvision()."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def _mock_doc_result(text: str = "RECEIPT TEXT") -> MagicMock:
+    r = MagicMock()
+    r.text = text
+    return r
+
+
+def _make_task_ctx(url: str = "http://node:9010") -> MagicMock:
+    alloc = MagicMock()
+    alloc.url = url
+    alloc.allocation_id = "alloc-vis-1"
+    alloc.service = "cf-docuvision"
+    ctx = MagicMock()
+    ctx.__enter__ = MagicMock(return_value=alloc)
+    ctx.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+    return ctx
+
+
+def _make_task_not_registered() -> MagicMock:
+    from app.services.task_inference import TaskNotRegistered
+    ctx = MagicMock()
+    ctx.__enter__ = MagicMock(side_effect=TaskNotRegistered("not registered"))
+    ctx.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+    return ctx
+
+
+def _make_direct_alloc(url: str = "http://node:9011") -> MagicMock:
+    alloc = MagicMock()
+    alloc.url = url
+    ctx = MagicMock()
+    ctx.__enter__ = MagicMock(return_value=alloc)
+    ctx.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+    return ctx
+
+
+def test_try_docuvision_task_path_returns_text(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """_try_docuvision() uses task allocation and returns extracted text on success."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CF_ORCH_URL", "http://coord:7700")
+    fake_image = tmp_path / "receipt.jpg"
+    fake_image.write_bytes(b"fake")
+
+    with patch("app.services.task_inference.task_allocate",
+               return_value=_make_task_ctx(url="http://node:9010")), \
+         patch("app.services.ocr.docuvision_client.DocuvisionClient") as MockDoc:
+        MockDoc.return_value.extract_text.return_value = _mock_doc_result("STORE $12.34")
+        from app.services.ocr.vl_model import _try_docuvision
+        result = _try_docuvision(str(fake_image))
+
+    assert result == "STORE $12.34"
+    MockDoc.assert_called_once_with("http://node:9010")
+
+
+def test_try_docuvision_falls_back_to_direct_on_task_not_registered(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """_try_docuvision() falls back to direct cf-docuvision allocation on TaskNotRegistered."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CF_ORCH_URL", "http://coord:7700")
+    fake_image = tmp_path / "receipt.jpg"
+    fake_image.write_bytes(b"fake")
+
+    with patch("app.services.task_inference.task_allocate",
+               return_value=_make_task_not_registered()), \
+         patch("circuitforge_orch.client.CFOrchClient") as MockClient, \
+         patch("app.services.ocr.docuvision_client.DocuvisionClient") as MockDoc:
+        MockClient.return_value.allocate.return_value = _make_direct_alloc("http://node:9011")
+        MockDoc.return_value.extract_text.return_value = _mock_doc_result("FALLBACK TEXT")
+        from app.services.ocr.vl_model import _try_docuvision
+        result = _try_docuvision(str(fake_image))
+
+    assert result == "FALLBACK TEXT"
+    MockDoc.assert_called_once_with("http://node:9011")
+
+
+def test_try_docuvision_returns_none_without_cf_orch_url(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """_try_docuvision() returns None immediately when CF_ORCH_URL is not set."""
+    monkeypatch.delenv("CF_ORCH_URL", raising=False)
+    fake_image = tmp_path / "receipt.jpg"
+    fake_image.write_bytes(b"fake")
+
+    from app.services.ocr.vl_model import _try_docuvision
+    result = _try_docuvision(str(fake_image))
+
+    assert result is None