diff --git a/cmd/core-runtime/main.go b/cmd/core-runtime/main.go
index 1774872..9f7d259 100644
--- a/cmd/core-runtime/main.go
+++ b/cmd/core-runtime/main.go
@@ -1032,7 +1032,11 @@ func main() {
 			planningReply = memoryInstructionReply
 			needsCognition = false
 		}
-		if strings.TrimSpace(planningReply) != "" {
+		// Stable-knowledge answers have already passed the local cognitive
+		// route with compact, source-aware context. Re-reviewing the same answer
+		// serially can exhaust the household request budget on a loaded local
+		// provider and turn a valid answer into a degraded response.
+		if strings.TrimSpace(planningReply) != "" && !stableKnowledgeReply {
 			reviewContext, cancelReview := context.WithTimeout(r.Context(), 12*time.Second)
 			reviewedReply, reviewErr := cognitiveClient.ReviewResponse(reviewContext, session, utterance.Content, planningReply, gen2Context.Text, cognitive.TaskMeaning{
 				SpeechAct:              string(semantic.Interpretation.SpeechAct),