diff --git a/src/config/index.js b/src/config/index.js
index 0c0e94e..fa44340 100644
--- a/src/config/index.js
+++ b/src/config/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ module.exports = {
     baseUrl: process.env.AI_BASE_URL || 'https://aiprimetech.io/v1',
     apiKey: process.env.AI_API_KEY,
     imageApiKey: process.env.AI_IMAGE_API_KEY || process.env.AI_API_KEY,
+    imageBaseUrl: process.env.AI_IMAGE_BASE_URL || process.env.AI_BASE_URL || 'https://aiprimetech.io/v1',
+    imageModel: process.env.AI_MODEL_IMAGE || 'gpt-image-1-mini',
     // Per-task model selection — tune cost vs quality here
     models: {
       post: process.env.AI_MODEL_POST || 'claude-haiku-4-5-20251001',
diff --git a/src/services/covers.js b/src/services/covers.js
index 52013d1..4fe2dab 100644
--- a/src/services/covers.js
+++ b/src/services/covers.js
@@ -160,6 +160,39 @@ async function generateCoverViaImagesEndpoint({ prompt }) {
   throw new Error('No image data');
 }
 
+/**
+ * Основной путь — /images/generations (aiguoguo199.com или любой OpenAI-совместимый).
+ * Более стабильный чем /responses, поддерживает gpt-image-1-mini/gpt-image-2.
+ */
+async function generateCoverViaImageGenerations({ prompt }) {
+  const model = config.ai.imageModel || 'gpt-image-1-mini';
+  const baseUrl = config.ai.imageBaseUrl || config.ai.baseUrl;
+  const res = await axios.post(
+    `${baseUrl}/images/generations`,
+    {
+      model,
+      prompt: prompt.slice(0, 4000),
+      n: 1,
+      size: '1024x1024',
+    },
+    {
+      headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${config.ai.imageApiKey}` },
+      timeout: 120_000,
+    }
+  );
+  const item = res.data?.data?.[0];
+  if (!item) throw new Error('No image data in response');
+  // b64_json или url
+  const b64 = item.b64_json;
+  if (b64) return { bytes: Buffer.from(b64, 'base64'), format: 'png' };
+  if (item.url) {
+    const r = await axios.get(item.url, { responseType: 'arraybuffer', timeout: 60_000 });
+    return { bytes: Buffer.from(r.data), format: 'png' };
+  }
+  throw new Error('No b64_json or url in response');
+  return { bytes: Buffer.from(b64, 'base64'), format: 'png' };
+}
+
 /**
  * Резервный путь — Pollinations.AI (https://pollinations.ai).
  * 100% бесплатно, без API ключа, без регистрации.
@@ -194,34 +227,31 @@ async function generateCover({ articleId, title, tags = [] }) {
   console.log(`[Cover] article=${articleId} style=${styleIdx}:${styleName}`);
 
   let img;
-  let usedPath = 'responses';
+  let usedPath = 'images-generations';
 
-  // Пробуем все внешние API, при любой ошибке — сразу local SVG
+  // Цепочка: 1) aiguoguo /images/generations → 2) aiprimetech /responses → 3) legacy → 4) local SVG
   try {
     try {
-      img = await generateCoverViaResponses({ prompt });
+      img = await generateCoverViaImageGenerations({ prompt });
     } catch (err) {
-      const msg = err.response?.data?.error?.message || err.message;
-      console.warn(`[Cover] /responses path failed: ${msg.slice(0, 200)}`);
+      console.warn(`[Cover] /images/generations failed: ${(err.response?.data?.error?.message || err.message).slice(0, 150)}`);
       try {
-        img = await generateCoverViaImagesEndpoint({ prompt });
-        usedPath = 'images-legacy';
+        img = await generateCoverViaResponses({ prompt });
+        usedPath = 'responses';
       } catch (err2) {
-        const msg2 = err2.response?.data?.error?.message || err2.message;
-        console.warn(`[Cover] legacy path failed too: ${msg2.slice(0, 200)}`);
+        console.warn(`[Cover] /responses failed: ${(err2.response?.data?.error?.message || err2.message).slice(0, 150)}`);
         try {
-          img = await generateCoverViaPollinations({ prompt });
-          usedPath = 'pollinations';
-          console.log(`[Cover] article=${articleId} using Pollinations.AI fallback`);
+          img = await generateCoverViaImagesEndpoint({ prompt });
+          usedPath = 'images-legacy';
         } catch (err3) {
-          console.warn(`[Cover] Pollinations fallback failed: ${err3.message.slice(0, 200)}`);
+          console.warn(`[Cover] legacy failed: ${(err3.response?.data?.error?.message || err3.message).slice(0, 150)}`);
           throw new Error('all_external_failed');
         }
       }
     }
   } catch (outerErr) {
-    // Все внешние API упали — используем локальную SVG-генерацию
-    console.log(`[Cover] article=${articleId} → local SVG generator (all external APIs unavailable)`);
+    // Все внешние API упали — local SVG
+    console.log(`[Cover] article=${articleId} → local SVG (all external APIs unavailable)`);
     const localUrl = await localGen.generateLocalCover({ articleId, title, category: tags?.[0] || '' });
     await query('UPDATE articles SET cover_url=$1, updated_at=NOW() WHERE id=$2', [localUrl, articleId]);
     return localUrl;