diff --git a/zig/src/native/cuda.zig b/zig/src/native/cuda.zig
index d5ae7ed3eb..633161a777 100644
--- a/zig/src/native/cuda.zig
+++ b/zig/src/native/cuda.zig
@@ -330,14 +330,11 @@ const Host = struct {
     }
 };
 
-/// What the backend refuses before any device work, whatever the family; null when `o` may open.
-fn refusal(o: api.Open) ?[]const u8 {
-    return if (o.learn != null) "--learn learns prompt prefixes on Macs only: serve without --learn, --learn-dir or --learn-gib on CUDA" else null;
-}
+const refusals = @import("cuda_refusal.zig");
 
 /// The engine for `o.dir`, or null with `problem` set when `refusal` names a flag or no CUDA family reads it.
 pub fn open(a: Allocator, gpa: Allocator, io: std.Io, o: api.Open, problem: *[]const u8) !?api.Opened {
-    if (refusal(o)) |why| {
+    if (refusals.backend(o)) |why| {
         problem.* = why;
         return null;
     }
@@ -349,6 +346,10 @@ pub fn open(a: Allocator, gpa: Allocator, io: std.Io, o: api.Open, problem: *[]c
 }
 
 fn openWith(comptime F: type, a: Allocator, gpa: Allocator, io: std.Io, o: api.Open, problem: *[]const u8) !?api.Opened {
+    if (refusals.family(F, o)) |why| {
+        problem.* = why;
+        return null;
+    }
     const native = modelContext(a, io, o.dir);
     const window = contextWindow(o.context, native, F.default_context) catch |e| {
         problem.* = switch (e) {
@@ -485,11 +486,7 @@ fn toGib(bytes: u64) f64 {
 
 test {
     _ = budget; // cuda_memory.zig's own tests, which no other test binary reaches
-}
-
-test "--learn is refused whatever the family, and --slide or a learned-disk size alone is not" {
-    try std.testing.expectStringStartsWith(refusal(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .learn = "/x" }) orelse "", "--learn learns prompt prefixes on Macs only");
-    try std.testing.expect(refusal(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .slide = true, .learn_gib = 8, .learn_min_free_gib = 2 }) == null);
+    _ = refusals;
 }
 
 test "chip classes name the compute capability as gate entries do" {
diff --git a/zig/src/native/cuda_refusal.zig b/zig/src/native/cuda_refusal.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..689a58be73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zig/src/native/cuda_refusal.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+//! What the native CUDA server refuses before any device work: flags no CUDA family serves, and --drafter per family.
+const std = @import("std");
+const api = @import("engine_api");
+
+/// Flags refused whatever the family; null when `o` may open.
+pub fn backend(o: api.Open) ?[]const u8 {
+    if (o.learn != null) return "--learn learns prompt prefixes on Macs only: serve without --learn, --learn-dir or --learn-gib on CUDA";
+    if (o.speed_up != null) return "--speed-up links two Macs: serve without --speed-up on CUDA";
+    if (o.prompt_cache_over_cap) return "--prompt-cache-over-cap lifts a Mac's 70% cap: on CUDA the prompt cache takes at most the memory the weights and streams leave, so serve without it";
+    return null;
+}
+
+/// A family takes --drafter only if it says so (`takes_drafter`); null when `o` may open `F`.
+pub fn family(comptime F: type, o: api.Open) ?[]const u8 {
+    if (o.drafter != null and !@hasDecl(F, "takes_drafter")) return "--drafter loads a separate drafter, and this CUDA family drafts with its own MTP head: serve without --drafter";
+    return null;
+}
+
+test "--learn is refused whatever the family, and --slide or a learned-disk size alone is not" {
+    try std.testing.expectStringStartsWith(backend(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .learn = "/x" }) orelse "", "--learn learns prompt prefixes on Macs only");
+    try std.testing.expect(backend(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .slide = true, .learn_gib = 8, .learn_min_free_gib = 2 }) == null);
+}
+
+test "flags with nothing to do on CUDA are refused, not ignored" {
+    try std.testing.expectStringStartsWith(backend(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .speed_up = "rank0.json" }) orelse "", "--speed-up links two Macs");
+    try std.testing.expectStringStartsWith(backend(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .prompt_cache_over_cap = true }) orelse "", "--prompt-cache-over-cap");
+    try std.testing.expect(backend(.{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "nemotron_h", .prompt_cache_gib = 4 }) == null);
+}
+
+test "--drafter opens only a family that takes one" {
+    const Mtp = struct {};
+    const Drafted = struct {
+        pub const takes_drafter = true;
+    };
+    try std.testing.expectStringStartsWith(family(Mtp, .{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "m", .drafter = "/x" }) orelse "", "--drafter loads a separate drafter");
+    try std.testing.expect(family(Drafted, .{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "m", .drafter = "/x" }) == null);
+    try std.testing.expect(family(Mtp, .{ .dir = "d", .model_type = "m" }) == null);
+}