diff --git a/v2/CLAUDE.md b/v2/CLAUDE.md
index 840ca28..9dc8d38 100644
--- a/v2/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/v2/CLAUDE.md
@@ -32,3 +32,15 @@
 6. Streaming via pull-based `StreamReader.Next()`
 7. Middleware for logging, retry, timeout, usage tracking
 8. Ollama uses the native `/api/chat` API rather than the OpenAI-compat `/v1` endpoint. Native API supports `think: false` for thinking-capable models, has more reliable tool calling, and is approximately 15-20% lower latency. Both local and cloud share the same provider; only the apiKey/baseURL differ. `llm.Ollama()` targets `http://localhost:11434` with no Authorization header; `llm.OllamaCloud(key)` targets `https://ollama.com` with `Authorization: Bearer <key>`.
+
+### DD#9 — Parse() function and extensible Registry (2026-05-23)
+**Context:** mort's ParseModelRequest resolves "provider/model" strings but is
+mort-specific. Multi-instance providers (foreman) need named targets.
+**Decision:** Add `llm.Parse(spec)` backed by an extensible `Registry`. Supports
+aliases, dynamic resolvers, and `LLM_X` env var DSNs for named targets.
+Provider/model syntax: `"openai/gpt-4o"`, aliases: `"fast"`, named targets:
+`"m5/qwen3:30b"` (reads `LLM_M5` env var). Registry is extensible via
+`RegisterProvider`, `RegisterAlias`, `RegisterResolver`.
+**Consequence:** Any go-llm consumer gets model-string parsing. mort migrates by
+registering its tier aliases as resolvers. Foreman instances are addressed via
+`LLM_X` DSN env vars without code changes.
diff --git a/v2/constructors.go b/v2/constructors.go
index c819505..70c5994 100644
--- a/v2/constructors.go
+++ b/v2/constructors.go
@@ -119,6 +119,22 @@ func Ollama(opts ...ClientOption) *Client {
 	return NewClient(ollamaProvider.New("", cfg.baseURL))
 }
 
+// Foreman creates a client targeting a foreman daemon (a private, authenticated
+// Ollama endpoint with queuing and observability). The token is sent as a Bearer
+// token; pass "" for unauthenticated (network-trusted) deployments. Use
+// WithBaseURL to set the foreman host URL.
+//
+// Example:
+//
+//	model := llm.Foreman("my-token", llm.WithBaseURL("https://foreman.local")).Model("qwen3:30b")
+func Foreman(token string, opts ...ClientOption) *Client {
+	cfg := &clientConfig{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(cfg)
+	}
+	return NewClient(ollamaProvider.New(token, cfg.baseURL))
+}
+
 // OllamaCloud creates a client targeting Ollama Cloud (https://ollama.com).
 // The apiKey is required and is sent as `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. Use
 // WithBaseURL to point at a private Ollama deployment that requires auth.
diff --git a/v2/errors.go b/v2/errors.go
index 52db82c..1fe5c2b 100644
--- a/v2/errors.go
+++ b/v2/errors.go
@@ -17,4 +17,16 @@ var (
 
 	// ErrNoStructuredOutput is returned when the model did not return a structured output tool call.
 	ErrNoStructuredOutput = errors.New("model did not return structured output")
+
+	// ErrAliasLoop is returned when alias resolution exceeds the maximum depth (10),
+	// indicating a cycle such as "a" → "b" → "a".
+	ErrAliasLoop = errors.New("alias resolution loop detected (depth > 10)")
+
+	// ErrUnknownProvider is returned when a spec references a provider name that
+	// is not registered and has no corresponding LLM_X environment variable.
+	ErrUnknownProvider = errors.New("unknown provider")
+
+	// ErrInvalidDSN is returned when a DSN string (from an LLM_X env var) cannot
+	// be parsed. Expected format: scheme://[token@]host[/path].
+	ErrInvalidDSN = errors.New("invalid DSN")
 )
diff --git a/v2/parse.go b/v2/parse.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b2b5d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v2/parse.go
@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+package llm
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// DSN represents a parsed Data Source Name for an LLM provider endpoint.
+// Format: scheme://[token@]host[/path]
+//
+// Why: multi-instance providers (e.g., multiple foreman daemons) need a compact
+// way to encode scheme, credentials, and host in a single env var.
+// What: holds the three components after parsing.
+// Test: ParseDSN("foreman://tok@host") → {Scheme:"foreman", Token:"tok", Host:"host"}.
+type DSN struct {
+	Scheme string // provider type: "foreman", "ollama", etc.
+	Token  string // API key / bearer token; empty = none
+	Host   string // hostname[:port][/path], no scheme prefix
+}
+
+// ParseDSN parses a raw DSN string into its components.
+// Expected format: scheme://[token@]host[/path]
+//
+// Why: LLM_X env vars encode provider type, optional credentials, and host
+// in a single string; this function decodes that.
+// What: splits on "://", then optional "@" for token, remainder is host.
+// Test: valid DSNs parse correctly, missing scheme or host returns ErrInvalidDSN.
+func ParseDSN(raw string) (DSN, error) {
+	schemeEnd := strings.Index(raw, "://")
+	if schemeEnd < 0 {
+		return DSN{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: missing scheme://: %q", ErrInvalidDSN, raw)
+	}
+	scheme := raw[:schemeEnd]
+	rest := raw[schemeEnd+3:]
+
+	var token, host string
+	if atIdx := strings.Index(rest, "@"); atIdx >= 0 {
+		token = rest[:atIdx]
+		host = rest[atIdx+1:]
+	} else {
+		host = rest
+	}
+	host = strings.TrimRight(host, "/")
+	if host == "" {
+		return DSN{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: missing host: %q", ErrInvalidDSN, raw)
+	}
+	return DSN{Scheme: scheme, Token: token, Host: host}, nil
+}
+
+// splitReasoning strips a trailing ":low", ":medium", or ":high" reasoning
+// suffix from a spec string. Only the last colon-delimited segment is
+// considered, and only if it matches a known ReasoningLevel. This preserves
+// Ollama-style tags like ":30b" or ":14b" which are not reasoning levels.
+//
+// Why: reasoning level is encoded as a suffix in the spec grammar, but
+// colons also appear in Ollama model tags — this function disambiguates.
+// What: returns the base string and the extracted level (empty if none).
+// Test: "gpt-4o:high" → ("gpt-4o", high); "qwen3:30b" → ("qwen3:30b", "").
+func splitReasoning(s string) (string, ReasoningLevel) {
+	idx := strings.LastIndex(s, ":")
+	if idx < 0 || idx == len(s)-1 {
+		return s, ""
+	}
+	suffix := ReasoningLevel(s[idx+1:])
+	switch suffix {
+	case ReasoningLow, ReasoningMedium, ReasoningHigh:
+		return s[:idx], suffix
+	}
+	return s, ""
+}
+
+// Parse resolves a spec string to a ready-to-use *Model using the
+// DefaultRegistry. See Registry.Parse for the full grammar and resolution
+// order.
+//
+// Why: provides a one-call entry point for resolving model strings without
+// requiring callers to interact with the Registry directly.
+// What: delegates to DefaultRegistry.Parse.
+// Test: Parse("openai/gpt-4o") returns a non-nil *Model.
+func Parse(spec string) (*Model, error) {
+	return DefaultRegistry.Parse(spec)
+}
+
+// Parse resolves a spec string to a ready-to-use *Model.
+//
+// Spec grammar:
+//
+//	spec     = alias | provider "/" model | envname "/" model
+//	alias    = name (registered via RegisterAlias or matched by a Resolver)
+//	provider = registered-name (e.g., "openai", "foreman")
+//	envname  = name (resolved via LLM_{UPPER(name)} env var containing a DSN)
+//	model    = everything after the first "/"
+//
+// Any spec may carry a ":reasoning" suffix (":low", ":medium", ":high") after
+// the last colon. Ollama-style tags like ":30b" are NOT consumed as reasoning.
+//
+// Resolution order:
+//  1. Strip reasoning suffix
+//  2. Check static aliases → recurse
+//  3. Check dynamic resolvers → recurse
+//  4. Split on first "/" → provider/model
+//  5. Look up provider in registry
+//  6. Look up LLM_{UPPER(left)} env var → parse DSN → create client
+//  7. Return ErrUnknownProvider
+//
+// Why: consumers need a single function to go from a user-supplied string
+// (CLI flag, config file, database row) to a ready-to-use Model.
+// What: walks the resolution chain and returns the final *Model with reasoning applied.
+// Test: see parse_test.go for comprehensive table-driven tests.
+func (r *Registry) Parse(spec string) (*Model, error) {
+	m, level, err := r.parse(spec, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if level != "" {
+		m = m.WithReasoning(level)
+	}
+	return m, nil
+}
+
+// parse is the internal recursive resolver. depth is bounded to prevent
+// alias loops.
+func (r *Registry) parse(spec string, depth int) (*Model, ReasoningLevel, error) {
+	if depth > 10 {
+		return nil, "", ErrAliasLoop
+	}
+
+	// 1. Strip reasoning suffix.
+	base, userLevel := splitReasoning(spec)
+
+	// 2. Check static aliases.
+	r.mu.RLock()
+	target, isAlias := r.aliases[base]
+	r.mu.RUnlock()
+	if isAlias {
+		m, aliasLevel, err := r.parse(target, depth+1)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, "", err
+		}
+		if userLevel != "" {
+			return m, userLevel, nil
+		}
+		return m, aliasLevel, nil
+	}
+
+	// 3. Check dynamic resolvers (copy slice under lock to avoid holding
+	// the lock while calling back — resolvers may access the registry).
+	r.mu.RLock()
+	resolvers := make([]Resolver, len(r.resolvers))
+	copy(resolvers, r.resolvers)
+	r.mu.RUnlock()
+	for _, res := range resolvers {
+		if resolved, defaultLevel, ok := res.Resolve(base); ok {
+			if resolved == "" {
+				return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("resolver returned empty spec for %q", base)
+			}
+			m, resolvedLevel, err := r.parse(resolved, depth+1)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, "", err
+			}
+			level := resolvedLevel
+			if defaultLevel != "" && level == "" {
+				level = defaultLevel
+			}
+			if userLevel != "" {
+				level = userLevel
+			}
+			return m, level, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	// 4. Split on first "/".
+	slashIdx := strings.Index(base, "/")
+	if slashIdx < 0 {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %q is not an alias and has no provider/ prefix", ErrUnknownProvider, spec)
+	}
+	left := base[:slashIdx]
+	right := base[slashIdx+1:]
+
+	// 5. Look up in provider registry.
+	if info := r.ProviderByName(left); info != nil {
+		client := r.createClient(info)
+		return client.Model(right), userLevel, nil
+	}
+
+	// 6. Check LLM_{UPPER(left)} env var.
+	envKey := "LLM_" + strings.ToUpper(strings.ReplaceAll(left, "-", "_"))
+	lookup := r.envLookup
+	if lookup == nil {
+		lookup = os.Getenv
+	}
+	envVal := lookup(envKey)
+	if envVal == "" {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %q (checked registry and %s env var)", ErrUnknownProvider, left, envKey)
+	}
+	dsn, err := ParseDSN(envVal)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("parse %s: %w", envKey, err)
+	}
+	schemeInfo := r.ProviderByName(dsn.Scheme)
+	if schemeInfo == nil {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("%w: DSN scheme %q in %s is not a registered provider", ErrUnknownProvider, dsn.Scheme, envKey)
+	}
+	url := "https://" + dsn.Host
+	client := schemeInfo.New(dsn.Token, WithBaseURL(url))
+	return client.Model(right), userLevel, nil
+}
+
+// createClient builds a Client from a ProviderInfo, reading the API key from
+// the environment when the provider specifies an EnvKey.
+//
+// Why: avoids duplicating env-var lookup logic across parse paths.
+// What: reads the env var (if any), calls info.New with the key.
+// Test: indirectly tested via Parse("openai/gpt-4o") with injected envLookup.
+func (r *Registry) createClient(info *ProviderInfo) *Client {
+	apiKey := ""
+	if info.EnvKey != "" {
+		lookup := r.envLookup
+		if lookup == nil {
+			lookup = os.Getenv
+		}
+		apiKey = lookup(info.EnvKey)
+	}
+	return info.New(apiKey)
+}
diff --git a/v2/parse_test.go b/v2/parse_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73c15b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v2/parse_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,639 @@
+package llm
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/go-llm/v2/provider"
+)
+
+// recordingProvider captures the model name passed to Complete so tests can
+// verify that Parse resolved to the correct model without network calls.
+type recordingProvider struct {
+	lastModel string
+}
+
+func (p *recordingProvider) Complete(_ context.Context, req provider.Request) (provider.Response, error) {
+	p.lastModel = req.Model
+	return provider.Response{Text: "ok"}, nil
+}
+
+func (p *recordingProvider) Stream(_ context.Context, _ provider.Request, events chan<- provider.StreamEvent) error {
+	close(events)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// testRegistry builds a Registry with two mock providers ("alpha" and "beta")
+// and an injectable envLookup. No real API keys or network access required.
+func testRegistry(envFn func(string) string) (*Registry, *recordingProvider, *recordingProvider) {
+	alpha := &recordingProvider{}
+	beta := &recordingProvider{}
+
+	r := &Registry{
+		providers: map[string]ProviderInfo{
+			"alpha": {
+				Name:        "alpha",
+				DisplayName: "Alpha",
+				EnvKey:      "ALPHA_API_KEY",
+				Models:      []string{"model-a"},
+				New: func(apiKey string, opts ...ClientOption) *Client {
+					return NewClient(alpha)
+				},
+			},
+			"beta": {
+				Name:        "beta",
+				DisplayName: "Beta",
+				EnvKey:      "",
+				Models:      []string{"model-b"},
+				New: func(_ string, opts ...ClientOption) *Client {
+					return NewClient(beta)
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		order:     []string{"alpha", "beta"},
+		aliases:   make(map[string]string),
+		envLookup: envFn,
+	}
+	return r, alpha, beta
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// splitReasoning
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func TestSplitReasoning(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input     string
+		wantBase  string
+		wantLevel ReasoningLevel
+	}{
+		{"gpt-4o", "gpt-4o", ""},
+		{"gpt-4o:high", "gpt-4o", ReasoningHigh},
+		{"gpt-4o:low", "gpt-4o", ReasoningLow},
+		{"gpt-4o:medium", "gpt-4o", ReasoningMedium},
+		{"qwen3:30b", "qwen3:30b", ""},           // Ollama tag, not a level
+		{"qwen3:30b:high", "qwen3:30b", ReasoningHigh}, // tag + reasoning
+		{"model:", "model:", ""},                   // trailing colon, empty suffix
+		{"", "", ""},                               // empty string
+		{"a:b:c:high", "a:b:c", ReasoningHigh},    // multiple colons
+		{"a:b:c:30b", "a:b:c:30b", ""},            // multiple colons, non-level
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.input, func(t *testing.T) {
+			base, level := splitReasoning(tt.input)
+			if base != tt.wantBase {
+				t.Errorf("splitReasoning(%q) base = %q, want %q", tt.input, base, tt.wantBase)
+			}
+			if level != tt.wantLevel {
+				t.Errorf("splitReasoning(%q) level = %q, want %q", tt.input, level, tt.wantLevel)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// ParseDSN
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func TestParseDSN(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		raw     string
+		want    DSN
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "full DSN with token",
+			raw:  "foreman://test-token@foreman-m5.orgrimmar.dudenhoeffer.casa",
+			want: DSN{Scheme: "foreman", Token: "test-token", Host: "foreman-m5.orgrimmar.dudenhoeffer.casa"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no token",
+			raw:  "ollama://localhost:11434",
+			want: DSN{Scheme: "ollama", Token: "", Host: "localhost:11434"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "trailing slash stripped",
+			raw:  "foreman://tok@host.com/",
+			want: DSN{Scheme: "foreman", Token: "tok", Host: "host.com"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "with path",
+			raw:  "foreman://tok@host.com/v1/api",
+			want: DSN{Scheme: "foreman", Token: "tok", Host: "host.com/v1/api"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "missing scheme",
+			raw:     "no-scheme-here",
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "missing host",
+			raw:     "foreman://token@",
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "empty string",
+			raw:     "",
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "scheme only",
+			raw:     "foreman://",
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := ParseDSN(tt.raw)
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Fatalf("ParseDSN(%q) expected error, got nil", tt.raw)
+				}
+				if !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidDSN) {
+					t.Errorf("ParseDSN(%q) error = %v, want ErrInvalidDSN", tt.raw, err)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("ParseDSN(%q) unexpected error: %v", tt.raw, err)
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("ParseDSN(%q) = %+v, want %+v", tt.raw, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Registry.Parse
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func TestRegistryParse(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("basic provider/model", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		m, err := r.Parse("alpha/model-a")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected non-nil model")
+		}
+		// Verify the model name by exercising it.
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "model-a" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "model-a")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("provider/model with reasoning suffix", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		m, err := r.Parse("alpha/model-a:high")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningHigh {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningHigh)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "model-a" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "model-a")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ollama-style tag preserved", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, beta := testRegistry(nil)
+		m, err := r.Parse("beta/qwen3:30b")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != "" {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want empty (30b is not a level)", m.defaultReasoning)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if beta.lastModel != "qwen3:30b" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", beta.lastModel, "qwen3:30b")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ollama-style tag with reasoning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, beta := testRegistry(nil)
+		m, err := r.Parse("beta/qwen3:30b:high")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningHigh {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningHigh)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if beta.lastModel != "qwen3:30b" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", beta.lastModel, "qwen3:30b")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("static alias", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterAlias("fast", "alpha/model-a")
+		m, err := r.Parse("fast")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "model-a" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "model-a")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("alias with embedded reasoning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterAlias("thinking", "alpha/model-a:high")
+		m, err := r.Parse("thinking")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningHigh {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningHigh)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "model-a" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "model-a")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("user reasoning overrides alias default", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterAlias("thinking", "alpha/model-a:high")
+		m, err := r.Parse("thinking:low")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningLow {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q (user override)", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningLow)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("dynamic resolver", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterResolver(ResolverFunc(func(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool) {
+			if name == "custom" {
+				return "alpha/resolved-model", "", true
+			}
+			return "", "", false
+		}))
+		m, err := r.Parse("custom")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "resolved-model" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "resolved-model")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("resolver with default reasoning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterResolver(ResolverFunc(func(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool) {
+			if name == "smart" {
+				return "alpha/model-a", ReasoningHigh, true
+			}
+			return "", "", false
+		}))
+		m, err := r.Parse("smart")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningHigh {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningHigh)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("resolver default reasoning overridden by user", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterResolver(ResolverFunc(func(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool) {
+			if name == "smart" {
+				return "alpha/model-a", ReasoningHigh, true
+			}
+			return "", "", false
+		}))
+		m, err := r.Parse("smart:low")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if m.defaultReasoning != ReasoningLow {
+			t.Errorf("reasoning = %q, want %q (user override)", m.defaultReasoning, ReasoningLow)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("resolver returns empty spec", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterResolver(ResolverFunc(func(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool) {
+			if name == "bad" {
+				return "", "", true
+			}
+			return "", "", false
+		}))
+		_, err := r.Parse("bad")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for empty resolver spec")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("LLM_X env var with token", func(t *testing.T) {
+		envFn := func(key string) string {
+			if key == "LLM_M5" {
+				return "alpha://mytoken@myhost.com"
+			}
+			return ""
+		}
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(envFn)
+		m, err := r.Parse("m5/qwen3:30b")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "qwen3:30b" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "qwen3:30b")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("LLM_X env var without token", func(t *testing.T) {
+		envFn := func(key string) string {
+			if key == "LLM_LOCAL" {
+				return "beta://localhost:11434"
+			}
+			return ""
+		}
+		r, _, beta := testRegistry(envFn)
+		m, err := r.Parse("local/llama3.2")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if beta.lastModel != "llama3.2" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", beta.lastModel, "llama3.2")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("LLM_X with hyphenated name", func(t *testing.T) {
+		envFn := func(key string) string {
+			if key == "LLM_MY_BOX" {
+				return "alpha://tok@host.com"
+			}
+			return ""
+		}
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(envFn)
+		m, err := r.Parse("my-box/some-model")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "some-model" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "some-model")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("unknown provider no env var", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(func(string) string { return "" })
+		_, err := r.Parse("unknown/model")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for unknown provider")
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownProvider) {
+			t.Errorf("error = %v, want ErrUnknownProvider", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("bare unknown name no slash", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		_, err := r.Parse("nonexistent")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for bare unknown name")
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownProvider) {
+			t.Errorf("error = %v, want ErrUnknownProvider", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("alias loop", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterAlias("a", "b")
+		r.RegisterAlias("b", "a")
+		_, err := r.Parse("a")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for alias loop")
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrAliasLoop) {
+			t.Errorf("error = %v, want ErrAliasLoop", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("deep alias chain within limit", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, alpha, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		// chain: a0 → a1 → a2 → ... → a9 → alpha/model-a (depth 10 is fine, >10 is not)
+		r.RegisterAlias("a9", "alpha/model-a")
+		for i := 8; i >= 0; i-- {
+			r.RegisterAlias(
+				"a"+string(rune('0'+i)),
+				"a"+string(rune('0'+i+1)),
+			)
+		}
+		m, err := r.Parse("a0")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error for deep but valid chain: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if alpha.lastModel != "model-a" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", alpha.lastModel, "model-a")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("RegisterProvider replaces existing", func(t *testing.T) {
+		replaced := &recordingProvider{}
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterProvider(ProviderInfo{
+			Name:        "alpha",
+			DisplayName: "Alpha Replaced",
+			New: func(_ string, _ ...ClientOption) *Client {
+				return NewClient(replaced)
+			},
+		})
+		m, err := r.Parse("alpha/new-model")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if replaced.lastModel != "new-model" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", replaced.lastModel, "new-model")
+		}
+		// Verify order is preserved (alpha is still at index 0).
+		providers := r.Providers()
+		if providers[0].Name != "alpha" {
+			t.Errorf("first provider = %q, want %q (order preserved)", providers[0].Name, "alpha")
+		}
+		if providers[0].DisplayName != "Alpha Replaced" {
+			t.Errorf("display name = %q, want %q", providers[0].DisplayName, "Alpha Replaced")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("RegisterProvider adds new provider", func(t *testing.T) {
+		gamma := &recordingProvider{}
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(nil)
+		r.RegisterProvider(ProviderInfo{
+			Name:        "gamma",
+			DisplayName: "Gamma",
+			New: func(_ string, _ ...ClientOption) *Client {
+				return NewClient(gamma)
+			},
+		})
+		m, err := r.Parse("gamma/g-model")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, _ = m.Complete(context.Background(), nil)
+		if gamma.lastModel != "g-model" {
+			t.Errorf("model = %q, want %q", gamma.lastModel, "g-model")
+		}
+		// New provider should be last.
+		providers := r.Providers()
+		last := providers[len(providers)-1]
+		if last.Name != "gamma" {
+			t.Errorf("last provider = %q, want %q", last.Name, "gamma")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("DSN with unknown scheme", func(t *testing.T) {
+		envFn := func(key string) string {
+			if key == "LLM_X" {
+				return "nope://tok@host.com"
+			}
+			return ""
+		}
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(envFn)
+		_, err := r.Parse("x/model")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for unknown DSN scheme")
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownProvider) {
+			t.Errorf("error = %v, want ErrUnknownProvider", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("DSN with invalid format", func(t *testing.T) {
+		envFn := func(key string) string {
+			if key == "LLM_BAD" {
+				return "no-scheme"
+			}
+			return ""
+		}
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(envFn)
+		_, err := r.Parse("bad/model")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected error for invalid DSN")
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidDSN) {
+			t.Errorf("error = %v, want ErrInvalidDSN", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("createClient reads env key", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var capturedKey string
+		r, _, _ := testRegistry(func(key string) string {
+			if key == "MY_KEY" {
+				return "secret-123"
+			}
+			return ""
+		})
+		rec := &recordingProvider{}
+		r.RegisterProvider(ProviderInfo{
+			Name:   "keyed",
+			EnvKey: "MY_KEY",
+			New: func(apiKey string, opts ...ClientOption) *Client {
+				capturedKey = apiKey
+				return NewClient(rec)
+			},
+		})
+		_, err := r.Parse("keyed/m")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if capturedKey != "secret-123" {
+			t.Errorf("apiKey = %q, want %q", capturedKey, "secret-123")
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Backward compatibility: package-level Providers() and ProviderByName()
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func TestBackwardCompat(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("Providers includes foreman", func(t *testing.T) {
+		providers := Providers()
+		found := false
+		for _, p := range providers {
+			if p.Name == "foreman" {
+				found = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !found {
+			t.Error("Providers() does not include foreman")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ProviderByName openai", func(t *testing.T) {
+		p := ProviderByName("openai")
+		if p == nil {
+			t.Fatal("ProviderByName(\"openai\") returned nil")
+		}
+		if p.DisplayName != "OpenAI" {
+			t.Errorf("DisplayName = %q, want %q", p.DisplayName, "OpenAI")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ProviderByName foreman", func(t *testing.T) {
+		p := ProviderByName("foreman")
+		if p == nil {
+			t.Fatal("ProviderByName(\"foreman\") returned nil")
+		}
+		if p.DisplayName != "Foreman" {
+			t.Errorf("DisplayName = %q, want %q", p.DisplayName, "Foreman")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ProviderByName unknown", func(t *testing.T) {
+		p := ProviderByName("does-not-exist")
+		if p != nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected nil for unknown provider, got %+v", p)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Providers count", func(t *testing.T) {
+		providers := Providers()
+		// providerRegistry has 9 entries (openai, anthropic, google, deepseek,
+		// moonshot, xai, groq, ollama, ollama-cloud) + foreman = 10
+		if len(providers) < 10 {
+			t.Errorf("len(Providers()) = %d, want >= 10", len(providers))
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// NewRegistry isolation
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func TestNewRegistryIsolation(t *testing.T) {
+	r1 := NewRegistry()
+	r2 := NewRegistry()
+
+	r1.RegisterAlias("only-in-r1", "openai/gpt-4o")
+
+	// r2 should not see r1's alias
+	r2.mu.RLock()
+	_, found := r2.aliases["only-in-r1"]
+	r2.mu.RUnlock()
+	if found {
+		t.Error("alias registered in r1 should not appear in r2")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/v2/registry.go b/v2/registry.go
index 4c9f59e..a76dad0 100644
--- a/v2/registry.go
+++ b/v2/registry.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package llm
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"sync"
+
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/go-llm/v2/deepseek"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/go-llm/v2/groq"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/go-llm/v2/moonshot"
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ type ProviderInfo struct {
 
 // providerRegistry is the in-process list of known providers. Order is
 // intentional: the three original providers first, then OpenAI-compatible
-// additions in the order they were added.
+// additions in the order they were added. This slice seeds NewRegistry().
 var providerRegistry = []ProviderInfo{
 	{
 		Name:        "openai",
@@ -151,24 +154,189 @@ var providerRegistry = []ProviderInfo{
 		},
 		New: OllamaCloud,
 	},
+	{
+		Name:        "foreman",
+		DisplayName: "Foreman",
+		EnvKey:      "", // no single env key; discovered via LLM_* DSNs
+		DefaultURL:  "", // always requires a URL
+		Models:      []string{},
+		New:         Foreman,
+	},
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Resolver — dynamic model-spec resolution
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Resolver resolves an alias or short name to a full spec string. Consumers
+// register resolvers for dynamic lookups (e.g., database-backed tier aliases).
+type Resolver interface {
+	// Resolve returns the resolved spec and an optional default reasoning
+	// level. ok is false when the resolver does not handle this name.
+	Resolve(name string) (spec string, defaultReasoning ReasoningLevel, ok bool)
+}
+
+// ResolverFunc adapts a plain function to the Resolver interface.
+type ResolverFunc func(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool)
+
+// Resolve implements Resolver by calling the underlying function.
+func (f ResolverFunc) Resolve(name string) (string, ReasoningLevel, bool) {
+	return f(name)
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Registry — extensible provider/alias/resolver store
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Registry holds providers, static aliases, and dynamic resolvers. Use
+// NewRegistry to create one pre-populated with the built-in providers, or
+// use the package-level DefaultRegistry.
+type Registry struct {
+	mu        sync.RWMutex
+	providers map[string]ProviderInfo
+	order     []string // insertion order for Providers()
+	aliases   map[string]string
+	resolvers []Resolver
+	envLookup func(string) string // defaults to os.Getenv
+}
+
+// NewRegistry creates a Registry pre-populated with all built-in providers
+// (the same set returned by the providerRegistry package variable).
+//
+// Why: provides a fresh, isolated registry for testing or multi-tenant
+// scenarios while reusing the canonical provider list.
+// What: copies every entry from providerRegistry into a new Registry.
+// Test: call NewRegistry(), verify Providers() length matches providerRegistry
+// and ProviderByName("openai") is non-nil.
+func NewRegistry() *Registry {
+	r := &Registry{
+		providers: make(map[string]ProviderInfo, len(providerRegistry)),
+		order:     make([]string, 0, len(providerRegistry)),
+		aliases:   make(map[string]string),
+		envLookup: os.Getenv,
+	}
+	for _, info := range providerRegistry {
+		r.providers[info.Name] = info
+		r.order = append(r.order, info.Name)
+	}
+	return r
+}
+
+// DefaultRegistry is the package-level registry used by the convenience
+// functions Parse, Providers, ProviderByName, RegisterProvider, RegisterAlias,
+// and RegisterResolver. Initialized in init() with all built-in providers.
+var DefaultRegistry *Registry
+
+func init() {
+	DefaultRegistry = NewRegistry()
+}
+
+// RegisterProvider adds or replaces a provider in the registry. When
+// replacing, the provider keeps its original position in the ordered list.
+//
+// Why: allows consumers to override built-in factories (e.g., wrapping with
+// middleware) or add entirely new providers at runtime.
+// What: upserts info by Name into the provider map and order slice.
+// Test: register a custom "openai" factory, verify ProviderByName returns it.
+func (r *Registry) RegisterProvider(info ProviderInfo) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if _, exists := r.providers[info.Name]; !exists {
+		r.order = append(r.order, info.Name)
+	}
+	r.providers[info.Name] = info
+}
+
+// RegisterAlias maps a short name to a full spec string. The spec is resolved
+// recursively by Parse, so an alias can point to another alias or to a
+// "provider/model" string.
+//
+// Why: lets consumers define convenient shortcuts like "fast" → "openai/gpt-4o-mini".
+// What: stores name→spec in the alias map.
+// Test: register "fast" → "openai/gpt-4o-mini", parse "fast", verify model.
+func (r *Registry) RegisterAlias(name, spec string) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.aliases[name] = spec
+}
+
+// RegisterResolver appends a dynamic resolver. Resolvers are checked in
+// registration order after static aliases. A resolver may return a spec
+// string that is itself an alias or "provider/model" — it will be recursed.
+//
+// Why: supports dynamic alias sources (databases, remote config) without
+// requiring static registration of every possible name.
+// What: appends res to the resolver list.
+// Test: register a ResolverFunc, parse a name it handles, verify resolution.
+func (r *Registry) RegisterResolver(res Resolver) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.resolvers = append(r.resolvers, res)
+}
+
+// ProviderByName returns the registered ProviderInfo with the given name, or
+// nil if no such provider is registered. Name matching is exact.
+//
+// Why: callers need to look up provider metadata by name for factory calls,
+// discovery, and DSN scheme resolution.
+// What: returns a copy of the ProviderInfo or nil.
+// Test: verify ProviderByName("openai") is non-nil, ProviderByName("nope") is nil.
+func (r *Registry) ProviderByName(name string) *ProviderInfo {
+	r.mu.RLock()
+	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	if info, ok := r.providers[name]; ok {
+		return &info
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Providers returns a copy of all registered providers in insertion order.
+//
+// Why: CLI pickers and admin tools need the full list for display.
+// What: returns a freshly allocated slice of ProviderInfo copies.
+// Test: verify length matches expected count after registration.
+func (r *Registry) Providers() []ProviderInfo {
+	r.mu.RLock()
+	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	out := make([]ProviderInfo, 0, len(r.order))
+	for _, name := range r.order {
+		if info, ok := r.providers[name]; ok {
+			out = append(out, info)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Package-level convenience functions — delegate to DefaultRegistry
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 // Providers returns a copy of the registered provider list so callers cannot
 // mutate library state.
 func Providers() []ProviderInfo {
-	out := make([]ProviderInfo, len(providerRegistry))
-	copy(out, providerRegistry)
-	return out
+	return DefaultRegistry.Providers()
 }
 
 // ProviderByName returns the registered ProviderInfo with the given name, or
 // nil if no such provider is registered. Name matching is exact.
 func ProviderByName(name string) *ProviderInfo {
-	for i := range providerRegistry {
-		if providerRegistry[i].Name == name {
-			p := providerRegistry[i]
-			return &p
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
+	return DefaultRegistry.ProviderByName(name)
+}
+
+// RegisterProvider adds or replaces a provider in the DefaultRegistry.
+func RegisterProvider(info ProviderInfo) {
+	DefaultRegistry.RegisterProvider(info)
+}
+
+// RegisterAlias maps a short name to a full spec in the DefaultRegistry.
+func RegisterAlias(name, spec string) {
+	DefaultRegistry.RegisterAlias(name, spec)
+}
+
+// RegisterResolver appends a dynamic resolver to the DefaultRegistry.
+func RegisterResolver(res Resolver) {
+	DefaultRegistry.RegisterResolver(res)
 }