diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.test.ts
index b47fa247f2b..45797d8a0ed 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.test.ts
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ describe("resolveCurrentDirectiveLevels", () => {
     expect(result.currentReasoningLevel).toBe("stream");
   });
 
-  it("skips agent reasoningDefault when thinking is active", async () => {
-    const resolveDefaultThinkingLevel = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue("low");
+  it("applies agent reasoningDefault even when thinking is active", async () => {
+    const resolveDefaultThinkingLevel = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue("high");
 
     const result = await resolveCurrentDirectiveLevels({
       sessionEntry: {},
@@ -105,6 +105,20 @@ describe("resolveCurrentDirectiveLevels", () => {
       resolveDefaultThinkingLevel,
     });
 
+    // reasoningDefault should work independently of thinking level
+    expect(result.currentThinkLevel).toBe("high");
+    expect(result.currentReasoningLevel).toBe("stream");
+  });
+
+  it("defaults reasoning to off when no agent default is set", async () => {
+    const resolveDefaultThinkingLevel = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue("low");
+
+    const result = await resolveCurrentDirectiveLevels({
+      sessionEntry: {},
+      agentEntry: {},
+      resolveDefaultThinkingLevel,
+    });
+
     expect(result.currentReasoningLevel).toBe("off");
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.ts
index 42f9fcc224a..df9b252b6d6 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/directive-handling.levels.ts
@@ -39,12 +39,10 @@ export async function resolveCurrentDirectiveLevels(params: {
   const currentVerboseLevel =
     (params.sessionEntry?.verboseLevel as VerboseLevel | undefined) ??
     (params.agentCfg?.verboseDefault as VerboseLevel | undefined);
-  const sessionReasoningLevel = params.sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel as ReasoningLevel | undefined;
   const currentReasoningLevel =
-    sessionReasoningLevel ??
-    (currentThinkLevel === "off"
-      ? ((params.agentEntry?.reasoningDefault as ReasoningLevel | undefined) ?? "off")
-      : "off");
+    (params.sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel as ReasoningLevel | undefined) ??
+    (params.agentEntry?.reasoningDefault as ReasoningLevel | undefined) ??
+    "off";
   const currentElevatedLevel =
     (params.sessionEntry?.elevatedLevel as ElevatedLevel | undefined) ??
     (params.agentCfg?.elevatedDefault as ElevatedLevel | undefined);
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
index 4b65c29751e..9dad0b76875 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
@@ -386,9 +386,8 @@ export async function resolveReplyDirectives(params: {
   let resolvedReasoningLevel: ReasoningLevel =
     directives.reasoningLevel ??
     (sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel as ReasoningLevel | undefined) ??
+    (agentEntry?.reasoningDefault as ReasoningLevel | undefined) ??
     "off";
-  const agentReasoningDefault = agentEntry?.reasoningDefault as ReasoningLevel | undefined;
-  const hasAgentReasoningDefault = agentReasoningDefault !== undefined;
   const resolvedElevatedLevel = elevatedAllowed
     ? (directives.elevatedLevel ??
       (sessionEntry?.elevatedLevel as ElevatedLevel | undefined) ??
@@ -434,20 +433,13 @@ export async function resolveReplyDirectives(params: {
     (await modelState.resolveDefaultThinkingLevel()) ??
     (agentCfg?.thinkingDefault as ThinkLevel | undefined);
 
-  // When neither directive nor session set reasoning, default to model capability
-  // (e.g. OpenRouter with reasoning: true). Skip auto-enabling when thinking is
-  // active, including model-inferred defaults, or internal thinking blocks can
-  // be emitted as visible "Reasoning:" messages.
+  // When neither directive nor session nor agent set reasoning, default to model capability
+  // (e.g. OpenRouter with reasoning: true).
   const reasoningExplicitlySet =
     directives.reasoningLevel !== undefined ||
     (sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== undefined && sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== null);
-  const thinkingActive = resolvedThinkLevelWithDefault !== "off";
-  if (!reasoningExplicitlySet && resolvedReasoningLevel === "off" && !thinkingActive) {
-    if (hasAgentReasoningDefault) {
-      resolvedReasoningLevel = agentReasoningDefault;
-    } else {
-      resolvedReasoningLevel = await modelState.resolveDefaultReasoningLevel();
-    }
+  if (!reasoningExplicitlySet && resolvedReasoningLevel === "off") {
+    resolvedReasoningLevel = await modelState.resolveDefaultReasoningLevel();
   }
 
   let contextTokens = resolveContextTokens({