diff --git a/src/olmo_eval/cli/run/config.py b/src/olmo_eval/cli/run/config.py
index 2e51981c2..d12f2db3d 100644
--- a/src/olmo_eval/cli/run/config.py
+++ b/src/olmo_eval/cli/run/config.py
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ def _merge_dict_into_list_items(items: list[Any], override: dict[str, Any], key_
         _deep_merge(item, copy.deepcopy(override))
 
 
+def _overrides_provider_kind(overrides: list[str]) -> bool:
+    """Whether dotlist overrides explicitly set the harness provider kind."""
+    for override in overrides:
+        if "=" not in override:
+            continue
+        key_path, value = override.split("=", 1)
+        if key_path == "provider.kind":
+            return True
+        if key_path == "provider":
+            parsed_value = _parse_override_value(value)
+            if isinstance(parsed_value, dict) and "kind" in parsed_value:
+                return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _apply_dotlist_overrides(base_dict: dict[str, Any], overrides: list[str]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     """Apply dotlist overrides to a dictionary, handling list indices.
 
@@ -391,11 +406,14 @@ def _resolve_harness_config(self, model_name: str) -> HarnessConfig:
 
         harness_config: HarnessConfig
 
+        preserve_provider_kind = False
+
         if self.harness_preset:
             try:
                 from olmo_eval.harness import get_harness_preset
 
                 harness_config = get_harness_preset(self.harness_preset)
+                preserve_provider_kind = True
             except ValueError as e:
                 console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] {e}")
                 raise SystemExit(1) from None
@@ -412,6 +430,8 @@ def _resolve_harness_config(self, model_name: str) -> HarnessConfig:
                     else:
                         config_dict = yaml.safe_load(f)
 
+                provider_dict = config_dict.get("provider", {})
+                preserve_provider_kind = isinstance(provider_dict, dict) and "kind" in provider_dict
                 harness_config = HarnessConfig.from_dict(config_dict)
                 console.print(f"[dim]Using harness config: {self.harness_config_path}[/dim]")
             except FileNotFoundError:
@@ -431,6 +451,9 @@ def _resolve_harness_config(self, model_name: str) -> HarnessConfig:
 
         # Apply CLI overrides to harness config
         if self.cli_harness_overrides:
+            preserve_provider_kind = preserve_provider_kind or _overrides_provider_kind(
+                self.cli_harness_overrides
+            )
             harness_dict = harness_config.to_dict()
             harness_dict = _apply_dotlist_overrides(harness_dict, self.cli_harness_overrides)
             harness_config = HarnessConfig.from_dict(harness_dict)
@@ -438,7 +461,10 @@ def _resolve_harness_config(self, model_name: str) -> HarnessConfig:
         from olmo_eval.common.configs import get_provider_config
 
         provider_config = get_provider_config(model_name)
-        harness_config = harness_config.merge_provider(provider_config)
+        harness_config = harness_config.merge_provider(
+            provider_config,
+            preserve_provider_kind=preserve_provider_kind,
+        )
         if self.force_download_model:
             harness_config = harness_config.with_provider_overrides(force_download=True)
 
diff --git a/src/olmo_eval/harness/config.py b/src/olmo_eval/harness/config.py
index 0f6d50785..e731adbc5 100644
--- a/src/olmo_eval/harness/config.py
+++ b/src/olmo_eval/harness/config.py
@@ -236,11 +236,18 @@ def with_provider(self, provider: ProviderConfig) -> HarnessConfig:
         """Create a new config with a different provider configuration."""
         return replace(self, provider=provider)
 
-    def merge_provider(self, provider: ProviderConfig) -> HarnessConfig:
+    def merge_provider(
+        self,
+        provider: ProviderConfig,
+        *,
+        preserve_provider_kind: bool = False,
+    ) -> HarnessConfig:
         """Merge model info from provider while preserving harness provider settings.
 
-        The harness's provider kind takes precedence if explicitly set (non-default),
-        while model-specific fields come from the new provider.
+        Harness provider settings take precedence when they differ from the base
+        provider defaults, while model-specific fields come from the new provider.
+        Set preserve_provider_kind when the caller knows the harness provider kind
+        was explicitly configured, even if it equals the base default.
         """
         defaults = ProviderConfig()
         overrides = {
@@ -248,6 +255,8 @@ def merge_provider(self, provider: ProviderConfig) -> HarnessConfig:
             for f in fields(self.provider)
             if getattr(self.provider, f.name) != getattr(defaults, f.name)
         }
+        if preserve_provider_kind:
+            overrides["kind"] = self.provider.kind
         # kwargs should merge, not replace
         if self.provider.kwargs:
             overrides["kwargs"] = {**provider.kwargs, **self.provider.kwargs}
diff --git a/tests/cli/beaker/test_launch.py b/tests/cli/beaker/test_launch.py
index 6984b8ceb..d9ca5a1b5 100644
--- a/tests/cli/beaker/test_launch.py
+++ b/tests/cli/beaker/test_launch.py
@@ -194,6 +194,61 @@ def test_provider_package_skips_vllm_extra_in_job_config(self):
         assert job_config.provider_packages is not None
         assert "https://github.com/user/vllm@custom" in job_config.provider_packages
 
+    def test_default_harness_vllm_server_install_matches_runtime_provider(self):
+        """Default harness should install and run vLLM model presets as vllm_server."""
+        from unittest.mock import patch
+
+        from olmo_eval.cli.beaker.config_loader import LaunchConfig
+        from olmo_eval.cli.beaker.experiment_plan import ExperimentPlan
+        from olmo_eval.cli.beaker.job_assembler import JobConfigAssembler
+        from olmo_eval.cli.run.config import RunConfigBuilder
+        from olmo_eval.common.types import ProviderKind
+
+        launch_config = LaunchConfig(
+            name="test",
+            model_specs=["olmo-3-1025-7b"],
+            task_specs=["humaneval"],
+            cluster="h100",
+            workspace="ai2/test",
+            budget="ai2/test",
+            harness="default",
+        )
+        exp = ExperimentPlan(
+            name="test",
+            model_spec="olmo-3-1025-7b",
+            priority="normal",
+            tasks=["humaneval"],
+            original_task_specs=["humaneval"],
+            total_expanded_tasks=1,
+            num_gpus=1,
+        )
+        assembler = JobConfigAssembler(
+            config=launch_config,
+            effective_image="test-image",
+            effective_groups=[],
+            beaker_username="test-user",
+            common_secrets=[],
+            store_secrets=[],
+            task_secrets=[],
+            inject_aws_credentials=False,
+            inject_gcs_credentials=False,
+        )
+
+        with patch("olmo_eval.cli.beaker.job_assembler.cluster_has_weka", return_value=False):
+            job_config = assembler.assemble(exp)
+
+        run_config = RunConfigBuilder(
+            model=exp.model_spec,
+            task=tuple(exp.tasks),
+            output_dir="/tmp/results",
+            harness_preset=launch_config.harness,
+        ).build()
+
+        assert job_config.vllm_isolated_venv is True
+        assert "vllm" in job_config.extras
+        assert "clients" in job_config.extras
+        assert run_config.provider_config.kind == ProviderKind.VLLM_SERVER
+
     def test_olmo_core_provider_package_replaces_olmo_core_extra(self):
         """OLMo-core package overrides should replace the bundled olmo_core extra."""
         from unittest.mock import patch
diff --git a/tests/cli/run/__init__.py b/tests/cli/run/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c620fb27d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/run/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"""Tests for run CLI configuration."""
diff --git a/tests/cli/run/test_config.py b/tests/cli/run/test_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a0ddff3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/run/test_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Tests for run command configuration assembly."""
+
+from olmo_eval.cli.run.config import RunConfigBuilder
+from olmo_eval.common.types import ProviderKind
+
+
+class TestRunConfigBuilder:
+    """Tests for RunConfigBuilder provider resolution."""
+
+    def test_named_harness_preset_provider_kind_overrides_model_preset(self):
+        """The default harness should run vLLM model presets through vllm_server."""
+        builder = RunConfigBuilder(
+            model="olmo-3-1025-7b",
+            task=("humaneval",),
+            output_dir="/tmp/results",
+            harness_preset="default",
+        )
+
+        config = builder.build()
+
+        assert config.provider_config.kind == ProviderKind.VLLM_SERVER
+        assert config.provider_config.model == "allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B"
+
+    def test_model_preset_provider_kind_is_used_without_harness_preset(self):
+        """Without a harness preset, model presets should keep their provider kind."""
+        builder = RunConfigBuilder(
+            model="olmo-3-1025-7b",
+            task=("humaneval",),
+            output_dir="/tmp/results",
+        )
+
+        config = builder.build()
+
+        assert config.provider_config.kind == ProviderKind.VLLM
+        assert config.provider_config.model == "allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B"
diff --git a/tests/core/harness/test_harness.py b/tests/core/harness/test_harness.py
index b05cba94b..082225aed 100644
--- a/tests/core/harness/test_harness.py
+++ b/tests/core/harness/test_harness.py
@@ -163,6 +163,42 @@ def test_harness_no_inject_if_no_prompt(self, mock_provider_config):
         assert injected == messages
 
 
+class TestHarnessConfig:
+    """Tests for HarnessConfig helpers."""
+
+    def test_merge_provider_preserves_explicit_default_provider_kind(self):
+        """Explicit harness provider kind should win even when it matches the default."""
+        harness_config = HarnessConfig(
+            name="default",
+            provider=ProviderConfig(kind=ProviderKind.VLLM_SERVER),
+        )
+        model_provider = ProviderConfig(
+            kind=ProviderKind.VLLM,
+            model="allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B",
+        )
+
+        merged = harness_config.merge_provider(
+            model_provider,
+            preserve_provider_kind=True,
+        )
+
+        assert merged.provider.kind == ProviderKind.VLLM_SERVER
+        assert merged.provider.model == "allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B"
+
+    def test_merge_provider_uses_model_kind_without_explicit_harness_kind(self):
+        """The default empty harness should not override model preset provider kind."""
+        harness_config = HarnessConfig(name="default")
+        model_provider = ProviderConfig(
+            kind=ProviderKind.VLLM,
+            model="allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B",
+        )
+
+        merged = harness_config.merge_provider(model_provider)
+
+        assert merged.provider.kind == ProviderKind.VLLM
+        assert merged.provider.model == "allenai/Olmo-3-1025-7B"
+
+
 class TestCreateHarness:
     """Tests for create_harness factory function."""