Model Switching Has a Handoff Tax: Stronger Models Need Cleaner History
rohanpaul_ai · x · 2026-09-01
Research reveals a "handoff tax" when switching models mid-run in LLM agents.
- Asymmetric Impact: Switching to a stronger model works best if much of the weaker model's history is removed, preventing the inheritance of errors. Conversely, switching down benefits from preserving the stronger model's groundwork.
- Inheritance Issue: The receiving model inherits the predecessor's reasoning, tool calls, and dead ends rather than starting fresh.
Conclusion: Context history preservation strategies must adapt to the direction of the switch. Source: arXiv:2608.24358.
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