diff --git a/config/settings.sentiment_macro.yaml b/config/settings.sentiment_macro.yaml
index ba3182b..12a3ea6 100644
--- a/config/settings.sentiment_macro.yaml
+++ b/config/settings.sentiment_macro.yaml
@@ -38,14 +38,12 @@ telegram:
 
 ai:
   enabled: true
-  # 2026-08-18: xAI 403'd on exhausted credits. DeepSeek carried sentiment until
-  # 2026-08-26; now Z.AI (GLM) is the primary. The key is a Coding Plan
-  # subscription key — it only answers on the /api/coding/ endpoint (the
-  # pay-as-you-go /api/paas/v4 path returns error 1113 for it).
-  provider: zai
-  model: glm-5.3
-  zai_base_url: https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4
+  # Z.AI Coding Plan is not permitted for automated sentiment polling.
+  # DeepSeek is funded and remains the active provider. Z.AI implementation
+  # stays available for a future permitted general/API-package credential.
+  provider: deepseek
   polling_interval: 60.0
+  fallback_model: deepseek-v4-pro
 
 trading_execution:
   enabled: false
diff --git a/tests/test_config_merge.py b/tests/test_config_merge.py
index 072a421..a9bb9aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_config_merge.py
+++ b/tests/test_config_merge.py
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@
 
 ai:
   enabled: true
-  provider: zai
-  model: glm-5.3
+  provider: deepseek
   polling_interval: 60.0
+  fallback_model: deepseek-v4-pro
   max_history: 10
   allowed_chat_ids: []
   api_key: ""
diff --git a/tests/test_settings_integration.py b/tests/test_settings_integration.py
index 4044ac4..6e8074d 100644
--- a/tests/test_settings_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_settings_integration.py
@@ -145,11 +145,32 @@ def test_sentiment_macro_config_resolves_sentiment_strategy_only():
     assert settings.telegram.daily_summary_send_empty is False
     assert settings.display_name == "sentiment-macro-1h-multiasset"
     assert settings.ai.enabled is True
-    assert settings.ai.provider == "zai"
-    assert settings.ai.model == "glm-5.3"
+    assert settings.ai.provider == "deepseek"
+    assert settings.ai.fallback_model == "deepseek-v4-pro"
     assert aggregator_config["buy_threshold"] == 0.6
 
 
+def test_sentiment_macro_config_selects_funded_deepseek_not_zai_coding_plan():
+    """Sentiment-macro uses funded DeepSeek; Z.AI Coding Plan is not selected."""
+    overlay_path = Path("config/settings.sentiment_macro.yaml")
+    overlay_text = overlay_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    assert "provider: deepseek" in overlay_text
+    assert "fallback_model: deepseek-v4-pro" in overlay_text
+    assert "zai_base_url:" not in overlay_text
+    assert "api/coding/paas/v4" not in overlay_text
+    assert "glm-5.3" not in overlay_text
+
+    settings = load_settings(overlay_path)
+    assert settings.ai.enabled is True
+    assert settings.ai.provider == "deepseek"
+    assert settings.ai.fallback_model == "deepseek-v4-pro"
+    assert settings.ai.fallback_base_url == "https://api.deepseek.com/v1"
+    assert settings.ai.zai_base_url != "https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4"
+    assert settings.mode == "paper"
+    assert settings.trading_execution.enabled is False
+    assert settings.trading_execution.test_mode is True
+
+
 def test_sol_panic_block_paper_config_resolves_paper_safe_strategy():
     settings = load_settings(Path("config/settings.sol_4h_panic_block_paper.yaml"))
     strategy_classes, strategy_configs, aggregator_config, _per_symbol = _resolve_strategy_config(