diff --git a/.changeset/driver-usage-omit-cost.md b/.changeset/driver-usage-omit-cost.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80dafc24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/driver-usage-omit-cost.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@gemstack/framework': patch
+---
+
+Fix the Claude Code driver reporting `costUsd: 0` when a result line carries token usage but no price. `DriverUsage.costUsd` is documented as omitted (never `0`) when there is no price, because the budget cap reads `0` as "this turn was free" rather than "the price is unknown" (#540). The driver now omits the field in that case, matching the Codex driver and the type's own contract. Claude runs that do report a price are unchanged.
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.test.ts b/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.test.ts
index 64b1c5de..07191087 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.test.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.test.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,24 @@ test('StreamJsonParser leaves usage off when the result line reports none (#322)
   assert.deepEqual(p.result(), { text: 'done', sessionId: 's' })
 })
 
+test('StreamJsonParser omits costUsd (never 0) when tokens report but no price (#540)', () => {
+  const p = new StreamJsonParser()
+  p.push(
+    JSON.stringify({
+      type: 'result',
+      subtype: 'success',
+      result: 'done',
+      session_id: 's',
+      usage: { input_tokens: 100, output_tokens: 40, cache_read_input_tokens: 900, cache_creation_input_tokens: 50 },
+    }),
+  )
+  const { usage } = p.result()
+  // Tokens surface; costUsd is absent (unknown), not 0 (which the budget gate reads as free).
+  assert.equal(usage?.costUsd, undefined)
+  assert.equal(Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(usage, 'costUsd'), false)
+  assert.deepEqual(usage, { inputTokens: 100, outputTokens: 40, cacheReadTokens: 900, cacheCreationTokens: 50 })
+})
+
 test('StreamJsonParser ignores non-JSON noise and falls back to assistant text', () => {
   const p = new StreamJsonParser()
   assert.deepEqual(p.push('some banner line'), [])
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.ts b/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.ts
index 2a7d9b41..4c71a863 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/driver/claude-code.ts
@@ -265,8 +265,10 @@ function parseUsage(obj: Record<string, unknown>): DriverUsage | undefined {
   if (typeof cost !== 'number' && !hasUsage) return undefined
   const usage = (hasUsage ? raw : {}) as Record<string, unknown>
   const num = (v: unknown): number => (typeof v === 'number' && Number.isFinite(v) ? v : 0)
+  // Omit costUsd when there is no price, never 0: the budget gate reads 0 as "free"
+  // and undefined as "unknown" (#540), and Codex reports tokens without a price.
   return {
-    costUsd: typeof cost === 'number' && Number.isFinite(cost) ? cost : 0,
+    ...(typeof cost === 'number' && Number.isFinite(cost) ? { costUsd: cost } : {}),
     inputTokens: num(usage['input_tokens']),
     outputTokens: num(usage['output_tokens']),
     cacheReadTokens: num(usage['cache_read_input_tokens']),