diff --git a/strix/llm/compaction.py b/strix/llm/compaction.py
index 59eb1bf2..85c008ec 100644
--- a/strix/llm/compaction.py
+++ b/strix/llm/compaction.py
@@ -192,9 +192,18 @@ def _fit_to_tokens(model: str, text: str, max_tokens: int) -> str:
     return candidate
 
 
+def _summary_output_tokens(model: str) -> int:
+    """Summary output allowance, capped at the model's own output limit.
+
+    A configured ``summary_max_tokens`` above the model's cap would make the
+    provider reject the summary request, so compaction would silently fail and
+    leave the overflowing session unchanged.
+    """
+    return min(load_settings().context.summary_max_tokens, output_limit(model))
+
+
 def _summary_input_budget(model: str, previous: str | None) -> int:
     """Token room left for the head after instructions and the summary output."""
-    context = load_settings().context
     overhead = count_tokens(model, _SUMMARY_INSTRUCTIONS)
     if previous:
         overhead += count_tokens(model, previous)
@@ -202,7 +211,7 @@ def _summary_input_budget(model: str, previous: str | None) -> int:
     # the update instructions, etc.) that is not part of ``overhead``. Never
     # floor above the actual room: doing so would let the summary request
     # itself overflow a small window (and then compaction silently fails).
-    room = context_window(model) - context.summary_max_tokens - overhead - 256
+    room = context_window(model) - _summary_output_tokens(model) - overhead - 256
     return max(0, room)
 
 
@@ -300,7 +309,7 @@ async def maybe_compact(
     summary = await _summarize(
         model,
         _build_summary_prompt(serialized_head, previous),
-        context.summary_max_tokens,
+        _summary_output_tokens(model),
     )
     if summary is None:
         return False
diff --git a/strix/llm/context_budget.py b/strix/llm/context_budget.py
index 6bd805e3..bfc50876 100644
--- a/strix/llm/context_budget.py
+++ b/strix/llm/context_budget.py
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ def count_tokens(model: str, text: str) -> int:
     """Token count for ``text`` under ``model``.
 
     LiteLLM's counter handles known tokenizers (and defaults to a tiktoken
-    encoding otherwise). If it still can't count, fall back to a *conservative*
-    estimate: token density varies, and dense text (code, base64, CJK) can run
-    well under 4 chars/token, so we assume ~3 to over-estimate rather than
-    under-estimate — an under-estimate would let a summary request be packed
+    encoding otherwise). If it still can't count, fall back to the UTF-8 byte
+    length as a guaranteed upper bound: byte-level BPE tokenizers (used by every
+    major provider) emit at least one byte per token, so token count can never
+    exceed the byte count. Over-counting is safe here — it makes budget checks
+    conservative — whereas any under-count could let a summary request be packed
     past the real context window and get rejected.
     """
     if not text:
@@ -82,4 +83,4 @@ def count_tokens(model: str, text: str) -> int:
     try:
         return int(litellm.token_counter(model=_lookup_key(model), text=text))
     except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 - tokenizer may be unavailable for some models.
-        return -(-len(text) // 3)
+        return len(text.encode("utf-8"))
diff --git a/tests/test_compaction.py b/tests/test_compaction.py
index 01d5d5ac..fcaf16a8 100644
--- a/tests/test_compaction.py
+++ b/tests/test_compaction.py
@@ -190,6 +190,19 @@ def test_fit_to_tokens_truncates_oversized_text(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch)
     assert compaction._fit_to_tokens("m", "short", 500) == "short"
 
 
+def test_summary_output_tokens_capped_at_model_limit(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    context = ContextSettings()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(compaction, "load_settings", lambda: SimpleNamespace(context=context))
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(compaction, "output_limit", lambda _m: 1_000)
+    context.summary_max_tokens = 4_096
+    # Configured allowance above the model cap is clamped down to the cap.
+    assert compaction._summary_output_tokens("m") == 1_000
+    # Below the cap, the configured value is used unchanged.
+    context.summary_max_tokens = 500
+    assert compaction._summary_output_tokens("m") == 500
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_maybe_compact_bounds_summary_prompt(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     # A tiny window with a huge head must not send an oversized summary request.
diff --git a/tests/test_context_budget.py b/tests/test_context_budget.py
index b2032137..f93bdce7 100644
--- a/tests/test_context_budget.py
+++ b/tests/test_context_budget.py
@@ -38,10 +38,11 @@ def test_count_tokens_fallback_on_error(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None
         raise RuntimeError("no tokenizer")
 
     monkeypatch.setattr("strix.llm.context_budget.litellm.token_counter", _raise)
-    # Conservative ~3-chars/token estimate, rounded up, so budgets never
+    # UTF-8 byte length is a guaranteed upper bound on tokens, so budgets never
     # under-count when no tokenizer is available.
-    assert context_budget.count_tokens("weird-model", "x" * 400) == 134
-    assert context_budget.count_tokens("weird-model", "x") == 1
+    assert context_budget.count_tokens("weird-model", "x" * 400) == 400
+    # Multibyte text: bytes (not chars) bound the token count.
+    assert context_budget.count_tokens("weird-model", "😀" * 10) == 40
 
 
 def test_count_tokens_empty_is_zero() -> None: