diff --git a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
index c52d3f5f..0acc5af7 100644
--- a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
+++ b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor.go
@@ -861,6 +861,7 @@ func (e *XAIExecutor) prepareResponsesRequestTo(ctx context.Context, req cliprox
 	body, _ = sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "stream_options")
 	namespaceTools := collectXAINamespaceToolRefs(body)
 	body = normalizeXAITools(body)
+	body = normalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice(body)
 	body = normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body)
 	var replayScope xaiReasoningReplayScope
 	body, replayScope, err = applyXAIReasoningReplayCacheRequired(ctx, from, req, opts, body)
@@ -1246,6 +1247,34 @@ func normalizeXAIToolChoiceForTools(body []byte) []byte {
 	return body
 }
 
+// normalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice qualifies a forced namespaced function choice
+// using the same name sent in the flattened tools list. xAI does not accept the
+// Responses namespace field on tool_choice.
+func normalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice(body []byte) []byte {
+	if !gjson.ValidBytes(body) {
+		return body
+	}
+	toolChoice := gjson.GetBytes(body, "tool_choice")
+	if !toolChoice.IsObject() || toolChoice.Get("type").String() != xaiFunctionToolType {
+		return body
+	}
+	namespaceName := strings.TrimSpace(toolChoice.Get("namespace").String())
+	toolName := strings.TrimSpace(toolChoice.Get("name").String())
+	qualifiedName := qualifyXAINamespaceToolName(namespaceName, toolName)
+	if namespaceName == "" || qualifiedName == "" {
+		return body
+	}
+	updated, errSet := sjson.SetBytes(body, "tool_choice.name", qualifiedName)
+	if errSet != nil {
+		return body
+	}
+	updated, errDelete := sjson.DeleteBytes(updated, "tool_choice.namespace")
+	if errDelete != nil {
+		return body
+	}
+	return updated
+}
+
 func normalizeXAITool(tool gjson.Result, namespaceName string) ([]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 f69cb737..112d7e8e 100644
--- a/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go
+++ b/internal/runtime/executor/xai_executor_test.go
@@ -1136,6 +1136,44 @@ func TestNormalizeXAITools_QualifiesSameNamedNamespaceTools(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNormalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice(t *testing.T) {
+	body := []byte(`{
+		"tools":[{"type":"namespace","name":"mcp__exa","tools":[{"type":"function","name":"search","parameters":{"type":"object"}}]}],
+		"tool_choice":{"type":"function","name":"search","namespace":"mcp__exa"}
+	}`)
+	out := normalizeXAITools(body)
+	out = normalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice(out)
+
+	if got := gjson.GetBytes(out, "tools.0.name").String(); got != "mcp__exa__search" {
+		t.Fatalf("tools.0.name = %q, want mcp__exa__search; body=%s", got, string(out))
+	}
+	if got := gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice.name").String(); got != "mcp__exa__search" {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice.name = %q, want mcp__exa__search; body=%s", got, string(out))
+	}
+	if gjson.GetBytes(out, "tool_choice.namespace").Exists() {
+		t.Fatalf("tool_choice.namespace should be removed for xAI upstream: %s", string(out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice_PreservesOtherChoices(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		body []byte
+	}{
+		{name: "automatic choice", body: []byte(`{"tool_choice":"auto"}`)},
+		{name: "top-level function", body: []byte(`{"tool_choice":{"type":"function","name":"search"}}`)},
+		{name: "non-function choice", body: []byte(`{"tool_choice":{"type":"web_search","name":"search","namespace":"mcp__exa"}}`)},
+		{name: "malformed payload", body: []byte(`{"tool_choice":{"type":"function"`)},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := normalizeXAINamespaceToolChoice(tt.body); !bytes.Equal(got, tt.body) {
+				t.Fatalf("payload changed: got=%q want=%q", got, tt.body)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestQualifyXAINamespaceToolNamePreservesQualifiedNames(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name      string