diff --git a/client/src/components/Planner/TransitSearchPanel.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Planner/TransitSearchPanel.test.tsx
index 7169c3afc..23bbc559a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Planner/TransitSearchPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Planner/TransitSearchPanel.test.tsx
@@ -91,6 +91,27 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 })
 
 describe('TransitSearchPanel', () => {
+  it.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)('updates attribution when a later search returns %s fallback routes', async (provider) => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup()
+    const onAdd = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({})
+    const previous = provider === 'google' ? 'transitous' : 'google'
+    transitApiMock.plan
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ itineraries: [ITINERARY], provider: previous })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ itineraries: [ITINERARY], provider })
+    render(<TransitSearchPanel {...makeProps({ onAdd })} />)
+    await pickFromAndTo(user)
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /^Search$/ }))
+    await screen.findByText(previous === 'google' ? 'Google Maps' : 'Transitous')
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /^Search$/ }))
+    expect(await screen.findByText(provider === 'google' ? 'Google Maps' : 'Transitous')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.queryByText(previous === 'google' ? 'Google Maps' : 'Transitous')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    await user.click(await screen.findByText(/08:30 – 09:00/))
+    await user.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: 'Add to day' }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onAdd).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({
+      metadata: expect.objectContaining({ transit: expect.objectContaining({ provider }) }),
+    })))
+  })
+
   it('FE-PLANNER-TRANSIT-001: renders from/to pickers, modes and preferences', () => {
     render(<TransitSearchPanel {...makeProps()} />)
     expect(screen.getAllByPlaceholderText('Search stop or station…')).toHaveLength(2)
diff --git a/server/src/nest/transit/google-transit.provider.ts b/server/src/nest/transit/google-transit.provider.ts
index a749dc160..3ad4600dc 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/transit/google-transit.provider.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/transit/google-transit.provider.ts
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@ export class GoogleTransitProvider {
     return !!(await this.resolveKey(userId)).key;
   }
 
+  /** Fallback may bill only an operator or instance key, never a personal key. */
+  async isAvailableForFallback(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return !!(await this.resolveKey(0)).key;
+  }
+
   private async call(
     endpoint: string,
     label: string,
diff --git a/server/src/nest/transit/transit.mcp.ts b/server/src/nest/transit/transit.mcp.ts
index 9213f6b88..9d4e9a699 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/transit/transit.mcp.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/transit/transit.mcp.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 } from './transit-itinerary.helpers';
 import { SCHEDULED_TRANSIT_MODES, type TransitItinerary } from './transit.helpers';
 import { TransitService } from './transit.service';
-import { idSchema } from '@trek/shared';
+import { adminTransitProviderRequestSchema, idSchema, type TransitProvider } from '@trek/shared';
 
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
@@ -178,13 +178,16 @@ export class TransitMcp {
   @Tool({
     name: 'create_transit_journey',
     description:
-      'Add one itinerary returned by search_transit_routes to a trip day as a first-class automated public-transit journey.',
+      'Add one itinerary returned by search_transit_routes to a trip day as a first-class automated public-transit journey. Pass the search response provider unchanged so fallback routes retain their source.',
     inputSchema: {
       tripId: idSchema,
       dayId: idSchema.describe('Trip day on which the journey departs'),
       from: transitPlaceInput,
       to: transitPlaceInput,
       itinerary: transitItinerarySchema,
+      provider: adminTransitProviderRequestSchema.shape.provider
+        .optional()
+        .describe('Provider returned by search_transit_routes'),
       notes: z.string().max(1000).optional(),
     },
     annotations: TOOL_ANNOTATIONS_OPEN_WORLD_NON_IDEMPOTENT,
@@ -197,6 +200,7 @@ export class TransitMcp {
       from,
       to,
       itinerary,
+      provider,
       notes,
     }: {
       tripId: number;
@@ -206,6 +210,7 @@ export class TransitMcp {
       // The schema validates exactly the wire TransitItinerary shape; its
       // z.infer prints looser optionals, so name the contract type directly.
       itinerary: TransitItinerary;
+      provider?: TransitProvider;
       notes?: string;
     },
     ctx: McpContext,
@@ -228,11 +233,11 @@ export class TransitMcp {
         isError: true,
       };
     }
-    // The itinerary came from search_transit_routes, which the active backend answered.
-    const provider = await this.transit.activeProvider(ctx.userId);
+    // New callers carry the actual search source; omission keeps legacy callers working.
+    const itineraryProvider = provider ?? (await this.transit.activeProvider(ctx.userId));
     let reservationParts: ReturnType<typeof buildTransitReservationParts>;
     try {
-      reservationParts = buildTransitReservationParts(from, to, cleaned, provider);
+      reservationParts = buildTransitReservationParts(from, to, cleaned, itineraryProvider);
     } catch (err) {
       return errorResult(err, 'Unable to resolve the transit journey timezones.');
     }
diff --git a/server/src/nest/transit/transit.service.ts b/server/src/nest/transit/transit.service.ts
index ff105d5e5..69eb91098 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/transit/transit.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/transit/transit.service.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ import type { TransitProvider } from '@trek/shared';
  * regions Transitous has no feed for. This class stays the entry point and the
  * validator either way: the request is checked here, then dispatched, so both
  * backends are held to the same coordinate/mode/transfer contract and answer in
- * the same compact shape. Transitous remains the default and the fallback —
- * see GoogleTransitProvider.isActive.
+ * the same compact shape. Transitous remains the default. Empty plans try the
+ * other backend when available; Google fallback requires an admin-set key.
  *
  * Both responses name the backend that answered. The fallback is silent by
  * design, so without this an empty result is indistinguishable between "this
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export class TransitService {
     @Inject(transitConfig.KEY) private readonly transitEnv: ConfigType<typeof transitConfig>,
   ) {}
 
-  /** The backend that answers this user's searches: Google where it is set up and keyed, Transitous otherwise. */
+  /** Configured primary for this user; an empty plan may be answered by the other provider. */
   async activeProvider(userId = 0): Promise<TransitProvider> {
     return (await this.google.isActive(userId)) ? 'google' : 'transitous';
   }
@@ -264,10 +264,33 @@ export class TransitService {
 
     // After validation on purpose: whichever backend answers, the caller is held
     // to the same coordinate/mode/transfer contract and gets the same 400s.
-    if ((await this.activeProvider(userId)) === 'google') {
-      return { ...(await this.google.plan(q, language, userId)), provider: 'google' };
-    }
+    const googlePrimary = (await this.activeProvider(userId)) === 'google';
+    const primary = googlePrimary
+      ? { ...(await this.google.plan(q, language, userId)), provider: 'google' as const }
+      : await this.planTransitous(params);
+    if (primary.itineraries.length > 0) return primary;
 
+    // An empty successful response alone triggers fallback. Primary errors keep
+    // propagating; a secondary outage must not replace a valid empty response.
+    try {
+      if (googlePrimary) {
+        const secondary = await this.planTransitous(params);
+        if (secondary.itineraries.length > 0) return secondary;
+      } else if (await this.google.isAvailableForFallback()) {
+        // Resolve again without a user id so a changed instance key can never
+        // cause the fallback to bill the caller's personal key.
+        const secondary = await this.google.plan(q, language, 0);
+        if (secondary.itineraries.length > 0) return { ...secondary, provider: 'google' };
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // Keep the primary's empty result and its provider attribution.
+    }
+    return primary;
+  }
+
+  private async planTransitous(
+    params: URLSearchParams,
+  ): Promise<{ itineraries: TransitItinerary[]; provider: TransitProvider }> {
     const key = `plan:${params.toString()}`;
     const cached = cacheGet(key);
     if (cached) return { ...(cached as { itineraries: TransitItinerary[] }), provider: 'transitous' };
diff --git a/server/tests/e2e/transit-provider.e2e.test.ts b/server/tests/e2e/transit-provider.e2e.test.ts
index 86948abf5..f103d14c0 100644
--- a/server/tests/e2e/transit-provider.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/e2e/transit-provider.e2e.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { db } from '../../src/db/database';
 import { AppSettings } from '../../src/db/entities/AppSettings.entity';
 import { Users } from '../../src/db/entities/Users.entity';
 import { TrekExceptionFilter } from '../../src/nest/common/trek-exception.filter';
+import { GoogleQuotaService } from '../../src/nest/google-quota/google-quota.service';
 import { RealtimeModule } from '../../src/nest/realtime/realtime.module';
 import { clearGoogleTransitCache } from '../../src/nest/transit/google-transit.provider';
 import { TransitModule } from '../../src/nest/transit/transit.module';
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ describe('Transit backend switch e2e (#1699)', () => {
   });
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
     vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchMock);
     fetchMock.mockReset();
     // MOTIS and Routes shapes both parse as "no itineraries", which is all this
@@ -137,4 +139,101 @@ describe('Transit backend switch e2e (#1699)', () => {
     expect(await planUpstream()).toBe('https://routes.googleapis.com/directions/v2:computeRoutes');
     expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][1].headers['X-Goog-Api-Key']).toBe('personal-key');
   });
+
+  const motisRoute = {
+    itineraries: [
+      {
+        startTime: '2026-09-10T09:00:00Z',
+        endTime: '2026-09-10T09:08:00Z',
+        legs: [
+          {
+            mode: 'SUBWAY',
+            duration: 480,
+            from: { name: 'A', lat: 34.69, lon: 135.49 },
+            to: { name: 'B', lat: 34.68, lon: 135.51 },
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+  const googleRoute = {
+    routes: [
+      {
+        legs: [
+          {
+            steps: [
+              {
+                travelMode: 'TRANSIT',
+                staticDuration: '480s',
+                transitDetails: {
+                  stopDetails: {
+                    departureStop: { name: 'A', location: { latLng: { latitude: 34.69, longitude: 135.49 } } },
+                    arrivalStop: { name: 'B', location: { latLng: { latitude: 34.68, longitude: 135.51 } } },
+                    departureTime: '2026-09-10T09:00:00Z',
+                    arrivalTime: '2026-09-10T09:08:00Z',
+                  },
+                  transitLine: { vehicle: { type: 'SUBWAY' } },
+                },
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+  const okJson = (data: unknown) => ({ ok: true, status: 200, headers: { get: () => null }, json: async () => data });
+
+  describe.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)('%s primary fallback', (primary) => {
+    it.each(['success', 'primary-success', 'empty', 'secondary-error', 'primary-error'])('%s', async (outcome) => {
+      await setAppSetting(orm, 'transit_provider', primary);
+      await setAppSetting(orm, 'maps_api_key', 'instance-key');
+      const secondary = primary === 'google' ? 'transitous' : 'google';
+      fetchMock.mockImplementation(async (url: string) => {
+        const provider = String(url).includes('googleapis') ? 'google' : 'transitous';
+        if (
+          (outcome === 'primary-error' && provider === primary) ||
+          (outcome === 'secondary-error' && provider === secondary)
+        ) {
+          return { ok: false, status: 500, headers: { get: () => null }, json: async () => ({}) };
+        }
+        const hasRoutes =
+          (outcome === 'success' && provider === secondary) || (outcome === 'primary-success' && provider === primary);
+        return okJson(hasRoutes ? (provider === 'google' ? googleRoute : motisRoute) : {});
+      });
+      const res = await request(server).get(nextPlanUrl()).set('Cookie', sessionCookie(ADMIN));
+      expect(res.status).toBe(outcome === 'primary-error' ? 502 : 200);
+      if (outcome !== 'primary-error') {
+        expect(res.body.provider).toBe(outcome === 'success' ? secondary : primary);
+        expect(res.body.itineraries).toHaveLength(['success', 'primary-success'].includes(outcome) ? 1 : 0);
+      }
+      expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(outcome.startsWith('primary-') ? 1 : 2);
+      expect(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0]).includes('googleapis')).toBe(primary === 'google');
+      if (secondary === 'google' && outcome === 'success') {
+        expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[1][1].headers['X-Goog-Api-Key']).toBe('instance-key');
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each(['absent', 'personal-only', 'quota-exhausted'])('does not fall back to Google when %s', async (state) => {
+    if (state === 'personal-only') await updateRows(orm, Users, { id: ADMIN }, { maps_api_key: 'personal-key' });
+    if (state === 'quota-exhausted') {
+      await setAppSetting(orm, 'maps_api_key', 'instance-key');
+      vi.spyOn(app.get(GoogleQuotaService), 'exhausted').mockResolvedValue(true);
+    }
+    await planUpstream();
+    expect(lastBody.provider).toBe('transitous');
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('uses the operator key for Google fallback', async () => {
+    vi.stubEnv('PLACES_API_KEY', 'operator-key');
+    try {
+      fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce(okJson({})).mockResolvedValueOnce(okJson(googleRoute));
+      await planUpstream();
+      expect(lastBody.provider).toBe('google');
+      expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[1][1].headers['X-Goog-Api-Key']).toBe('operator-key');
+    } finally {
+      vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-transit.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-transit.test.ts
index 507b1233a..de7e8eacf 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-transit.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-transit.test.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,21 @@ async function withHarness(userId: number, scopes: string[] | null, fn: (harness
 }
 
 describe('MCP transit tools', () => {
+  it.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)('preserves the %s route provider', async (provider) => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    planMock.mockResolvedValue({ itineraries: [itinerary], provider });
+    await withHarness(user.id, ['geo:read'], async (harness) => {
+      const routes = parseToolResult(
+        await harness.client.callTool({
+          name: 'search_transit_routes',
+          arguments: { from, to },
+        }),
+      ) as { provider: string; itineraries: unknown[]; dropped: number };
+      expect(routes.provider).toBe(provider);
+      expect(routes.itineraries).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(routes.dropped).toBe(0);
+    });
+  });
   it('registers search tools for geo scope and create tool for reservations scope', async () => {
     const { user } = createUser(testDb);
     await withHarness(user.id, ['geo:read'], async (harness) => {
@@ -266,6 +281,66 @@ describe('MCP transit tools', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)(
+    'saves the %s fallback source from search rather than the configured primary',
+    async (provider) => {
+      const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+      const trip = createTrip(testDb, user.id, { start_date: '2026-12-03', end_date: '2026-12-04' });
+      const day = await dayOf(trip.id, '2026-12-03');
+      const primary = provider === 'google' ? 'transitous' : 'google';
+      const active = vi.spyOn(TransitService.prototype, 'activeProvider').mockResolvedValue(primary);
+      planMock.mockResolvedValue({ provider, itineraries: [itinerary] });
+      try {
+        await withHarness(user.id, ['geo:read', 'reservations:write'], async (harness) => {
+          const routes = parseToolResult(
+            await harness.client.callTool({
+              name: 'search_transit_routes',
+              arguments: { from, to },
+            }),
+          ) as { provider: typeof provider; itineraries: (typeof itinerary)[] };
+          const result = parseToolResult(
+            await harness.client.callTool({
+              name: 'create_transit_journey',
+              arguments: {
+                tripId: trip.id,
+                dayId: day.id,
+                from,
+                to,
+                itinerary: routes.itineraries[0],
+                provider: routes.provider,
+              },
+            }),
+          ) as { reservation: { metadata: string } };
+          expect(JSON.parse(result.reservation.metadata).transit.provider).toBe(provider);
+        });
+        expect(active).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      } finally {
+        active.mockRestore();
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('rejects an unknown itinerary provider before creating a journey', async () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const trip = createTrip(testDb, user.id, { start_date: '2026-12-03', end_date: '2026-12-04' });
+    const day = await dayOf(trip.id, '2026-12-03');
+    await withHarness(user.id, ['reservations:write'], async (harness) => {
+      const result = await harness.client.callTool({
+        name: 'create_transit_journey',
+        arguments: {
+          tripId: trip.id,
+          dayId: day.id,
+          from,
+          to,
+          itinerary,
+          provider: 'unknown',
+        },
+      });
+      expect(result.isError).toBe(true);
+      expect(await transitCount()).toBe(0);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('rejects dateless, mismatched, and out-of-range journey dates', async () => {
     const { user } = createUser(testDb);
     const datelessTrip = createTrip(testDb, user.id);
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/nest/google-transit.provider.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/nest/google-transit.provider.test.ts
index 3d605d4a5..f084bea81 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/nest/google-transit.provider.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/nest/google-transit.provider.test.ts
@@ -44,14 +44,16 @@ const GOOGLE_SETTINGS = { transit_provider: 'google', maps_api_key: 'test-key' }
  * `GoogleTransitProvider` no longer takes a `DatabaseService` at all. The
  * settings object already carries exactly the instance-tier value every test
  * here configures, so `appSettingsStub.getValue` wraps it directly; the
- * per-user fallback tier was never exercised by this file (none of these
- * cases seed a per-user row), so it always answers null.
+ * optional personal key exercises the last tier without reading another user.
  */
-function makeProvider(settings: Record<string, string | undefined>): GoogleTransitProvider {
+function makeProvider(
+  settings: Record<string, string | undefined>,
+  personalKey: string | null = null,
+): GoogleTransitProvider {
   const appSettingsStub = {
     getValue: async (key: string) => settings[key] ?? null,
   } as unknown as AppSettingsRepository;
-  const usersStub = { getApiKeyColumn: async () => null } as unknown as UsersRepository;
+  const usersStub = { getApiKeyColumn: async () => personalKey } as unknown as UsersRepository;
   return new GoogleTransitProvider(appSettingsStub, usersStub, noGoogleQuota);
 }
 
@@ -180,6 +182,26 @@ function subwayRoute(): FixtureRoutes {
 }
 
 describe('activation', () => {
+  it('allows an instance key for fallback without selecting Google', async () => {
+    expect(await makeProvider({ maps_api_key: 'test-key' }).isAvailableForFallback()).toBe(true);
+    expect(await makeProvider({}).isAvailableForFallback()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses personal-only fallback but preserves personal keys for Google primary', async () => {
+    const provider = makeProvider({ transit_provider: 'google' }, 'personal-key');
+    expect(await provider.isAvailableForFallback()).toBe(false);
+    expect(await provider.isActive(1)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('checks quota before making Google available for fallback', async () => {
+    const provider = makeProvider({ maps_api_key: 'test-key' });
+    const exhausted = vi.spyOn(noGoogleQuota, 'exhausted').mockResolvedValue(true);
+    try {
+      expect(await provider.isAvailableForFallback()).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      exhausted.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
   it('GTRANSIT-001: stays off while the instance is on Transitous, even with a key', async () => {
     const provider = makeProvider({ maps_api_key: 'test-key' });
     expect(await provider.isActive(1)).toBe(false);
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/nest/transit.service.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/nest/transit.service.test.ts
index f2abdc637..133b171f8 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/nest/transit.service.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/nest/transit.service.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { GoogleTransitProvider } from '../../../src/nest/transit/google-transit.
 import { deriveTransitStats, type TransitLeg } from '../../../src/nest/transit/transit.helpers';
 import { TransitService } from '../../../src/nest/transit/transit.service';
 import { noGoogleQuota } from '../../helpers/google-quota';
+import { Test } from '@nestjs/testing';
 
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
 
@@ -290,3 +291,103 @@ describe('upstream base URL', () => {
     expect(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0])).toMatch(/^https:\/\/api\.transitous\.org\/api\/v1\/geocode\?/);
   });
 });
+
+describe('empty route fallback', () => {
+  let queryNo = 0;
+  const route = { startTime: '2026-07-13T08:00:00Z', endTime: '2026-07-13T08:30:00Z', legs: [] };
+
+  describe.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)('%s primary', (primary) => {
+    it.each(['primary-success', 'primary-error', 'empty', 'secondary-error', 'unavailable'])('%s', async (outcome) => {
+      const googlePrimary = primary === 'google';
+      const google = {
+        isActive: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(googlePrimary),
+        isAvailableForFallback: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true),
+        plan: vi.fn(),
+      };
+      const module = await Test.createTestingModule({
+        providers: [
+          TransitService,
+          { provide: GoogleTransitProvider, useValue: google },
+          { provide: transitConfig.KEY, useValue: transitConfig() },
+        ],
+      }).compile();
+      try {
+        const service = module.get(TransitService);
+        google.plan.mockReset();
+        fetchMock.mockReset();
+        google.isAvailableForFallback.mockClear().mockResolvedValue(outcome !== 'unavailable');
+        const q = { from: `50.${queryNo++},13`, to: '52,14' };
+        const error = new Error('provider unavailable');
+        const primaryData = { itineraries: outcome === 'primary-success' ? [route] : [] };
+        if (googlePrimary) {
+          if (outcome === 'primary-error') google.plan.mockRejectedValue(error);
+          else google.plan.mockResolvedValue(primaryData);
+          if (outcome === 'secondary-error') fetchMock.mockRejectedValue(error);
+          else fetchMock.mockResolvedValue(okJson({ itineraries: [] }));
+        } else {
+          if (outcome === 'primary-error') fetchMock.mockRejectedValue(error);
+          else fetchMock.mockResolvedValue(okJson(primaryData));
+          if (outcome === 'secondary-error') google.plan.mockRejectedValue(error);
+          else google.plan.mockResolvedValue({ itineraries: [] });
+        }
+        if (outcome === 'primary-error') {
+          await expect(service.plan(q)).rejects.toBe(error);
+        } else {
+          const result = await service.plan(q);
+          expect(result.provider).toBe(primary);
+          expect(result.itineraries).toHaveLength(outcome === 'primary-success' ? 1 : 0);
+        }
+        if (outcome.startsWith('primary-')) {
+          expect(googlePrimary ? fetchMock : google.plan).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        }
+        if (!googlePrimary && outcome === 'unavailable') expect(google.plan).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      } finally {
+        await module.close();
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each(['google', 'transitous'] as const)('falls back from %s and preserves request options', async (primary) => {
+    const google = {
+      isActive: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(primary === 'google'),
+      isAvailableForFallback: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true),
+      plan: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ itineraries: primary === 'google' ? [] : [route] }),
+    };
+    const module = await Test.createTestingModule({
+      providers: [
+        TransitService,
+        { provide: GoogleTransitProvider, useValue: google },
+        { provide: transitConfig.KEY, useValue: transitConfig() },
+      ],
+    }).compile();
+    try {
+      fetchMock.mockResolvedValue(okJson({ itineraries: primary === 'google' ? [route] : [] }));
+      const q = {
+        from: `51.${queryNo++},13`,
+        to: '52,14',
+        time: '2026-07-13T08:00:00Z',
+        arriveBy: true,
+        modes: 'BUS',
+        maxTransfers: 2,
+      };
+      const service = module.get(TransitService);
+      const result = await service.plan(q, 'de', 42);
+      expect(result.provider).toBe(primary === 'google' ? 'transitous' : 'google');
+      expect(result.itineraries).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(google.plan).toHaveBeenCalledWith(q, 'de', primary === 'google' ? 42 : 0);
+      const params = new URL(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0])).searchParams;
+      expect(Object.fromEntries(params)).toMatchObject({
+        fromPlace: q.from,
+        toPlace: q.to,
+        arriveBy: 'true',
+        transitModes: 'BUS',
+        maxTransfers: '2',
+        time: '2026-07-13T08:00:00.000Z',
+      });
+      await service.plan(q, 'de', 42);
+      expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    } finally {
+      await module.close();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/wiki/MCP-Tools-and-Resources.md b/wiki/MCP-Tools-and-Resources.md
index 187795a02..18a0af192 100644
--- a/wiki/MCP-Tools-and-Resources.md
+++ b/wiki/MCP-Tools-and-Resources.md
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ Transit search is powered by Transitous and uses the existing `geo:read` and `re
 |---|---|---|
 | `search_transit_stops` | `geo:read` | Search real public-transit stops and stations, optionally biased around coordinates. |
 | `search_transit_routes` | `geo:read` | Search scheduled routes between two coordinates with time, mode, and transfer filters. Also returns `provider` (`transitous` or `google`, the backend that answered) and `dropped`, the number of provider itineraries that failed validation and are absent from the results. |
-| `create_transit_journey` | `reservations:write` | Save a selected route as a first-class automated transit journey on a trip day, recording the backend that plans routes for the caller as its provider. |
+| `create_transit_journey` | `reservations:write` | Save a selected route as a first-class automated transit journey on a trip day. Pass `provider` from `search_transit_routes` to preserve the actual source, including fallback results. Older callers that omit it retain the configured-provider behavior. |
 
 ### Reservations