diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/custom-editor.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/custom-editor.ts
index f01075a0..08527dff 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/custom-editor.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/custom-editor.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,15 @@ import { Editor } from "@mariozechner/pi-tui";
 export class CustomEditor extends Editor {
 	public onEscape?: () => void;
 	public onCtrlC?: () => void;
+	public onShiftTab?: () => void;
 
 	handleInput(data: string): void {
+		// Intercept Shift+Tab for thinking level cycling
+		if (data === "\x1b[Z" && this.onShiftTab) {
+			this.onShiftTab();
+			return;
+		}
+
 		// Intercept Escape key - but only if autocomplete is NOT active
 		// (let parent handle escape for autocomplete cancellation)
 		if (data === "\x1b" && this.onEscape && !this.isShowingAutocomplete()) {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/footer.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/footer.ts
index 0ececaff..88f2e34c 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/footer.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/footer.ts
@@ -85,30 +85,40 @@ export class FooterComponent {
 
 		const statsLeft = statsParts.join(" ");
 
-		// Add model name on the right side
-		let modelName = this.state.model?.id || "no-model";
+		// Add model name on the right side, plus thinking level if model supports it
+		const modelName = this.state.model?.id || "no-model";
+
+		// Add thinking level hint if model supports reasoning
+		let rightSide = modelName;
+		if (this.state.model?.reasoning) {
+			const thinkingLevel = this.state.thinkingLevel || "off";
+			rightSide = `${modelName} • Thinking: ${thinkingLevel}`;
+		}
+
 		const statsLeftWidth = visibleWidth(statsLeft);
-		const modelWidth = visibleWidth(modelName);
+		const rightSideWidth = visibleWidth(rightSide);
 
 		// Calculate available space for padding (minimum 2 spaces between stats and model)
 		const minPadding = 2;
-		const totalNeeded = statsLeftWidth + minPadding + modelWidth;
+		const totalNeeded = statsLeftWidth + minPadding + rightSideWidth;
 
 		let statsLine: string;
 		if (totalNeeded <= width) {
 			// Both fit - add padding to right-align model
-			const padding = " ".repeat(width - statsLeftWidth - modelWidth);
-			statsLine = statsLeft + padding + modelName;
+			const padding = " ".repeat(width - statsLeftWidth - rightSideWidth);
+			statsLine = statsLeft + padding + rightSide;
 		} else {
-			// Need to truncate model name
-			const availableForModel = width - statsLeftWidth - minPadding;
-			if (availableForModel > 3) {
-				// Truncate model name to fit
-				modelName = modelName.substring(0, availableForModel);
-				const padding = " ".repeat(width - statsLeftWidth - visibleWidth(modelName));
-				statsLine = statsLeft + padding + modelName;
+			// Need to truncate right side
+			const availableForRight = width - statsLeftWidth - minPadding;
+			if (availableForRight > 3) {
+				// Truncate to fit (strip ANSI codes for length calculation, then truncate raw string)
+				const plainRightSide = rightSide.replace(/\x1b\[[0-9;]*m/g, "");
+				const truncatedPlain = plainRightSide.substring(0, availableForRight);
+				// For simplicity, just use plain truncated version (loses color, but fits)
+				const padding = " ".repeat(width - statsLeftWidth - truncatedPlain.length);
+				statsLine = statsLeft + padding + truncatedPlain;
 			} else {
-				// Not enough space for model name at all
+				// Not enough space for right side at all
 				statsLine = statsLeft;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/tui-renderer.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/tui-renderer.ts
index 30afb97e..3d690e3f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/tui-renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/tui/tui-renderer.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { Agent, AgentEvent, AgentState } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent";
+import type { Agent, AgentEvent, AgentState, ThinkingLevel } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent";
 import type { AssistantMessage, Message } from "@mariozechner/pi-ai";
 import type { SlashCommand } from "@mariozechner/pi-tui";
 import {
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ export class TuiRenderer {
 			chalk.dim("ctrl+k") +
 			chalk.gray(" to delete line") +
 			"\n" +
+			chalk.dim("shift+tab") +
+			chalk.gray(" to cycle thinking") +
+			"\n" +
 			chalk.dim("/") +
 			chalk.gray(" for commands") +
 			"\n" +
@@ -229,6 +232,10 @@ export class TuiRenderer {
 			this.handleCtrlC();
 		};
 
+		this.editor.onShiftTab = () => {
+			this.cycleThinkingLevel();
+		};
+
 		// Handle editor submission
 		this.editor.onSubmit = async (text: string) => {
 			text = text.trim();
@@ -503,6 +510,9 @@ export class TuiRenderer {
 		// Update footer with loaded state
 		this.footer.updateState(state);
 
+		// Update editor border color based on current thinking level
+		this.updateEditorBorderColor();
+
 		// Render messages
 		for (let i = 0; i < state.messages.length; i++) {
 			const message = state.messages[i];
@@ -591,6 +601,61 @@ export class TuiRenderer {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private getThinkingBorderColor(level: ThinkingLevel): (str: string) => string {
+		// More thinking = more color (gray → dim colors → bright colors)
+		switch (level) {
+			case "off":
+				return chalk.gray;
+			case "minimal":
+				return chalk.dim.blue;
+			case "low":
+				return chalk.blue;
+			case "medium":
+				return chalk.cyan;
+			case "high":
+				return chalk.magenta;
+			default:
+				return chalk.gray;
+		}
+	}
+
+	private updateEditorBorderColor(): void {
+		const level = this.agent.state.thinkingLevel || "off";
+		const color = this.getThinkingBorderColor(level);
+		this.editor.borderColor = color;
+		this.ui.requestRender();
+	}
+
+	private cycleThinkingLevel(): void {
+		// Only cycle if model supports thinking
+		if (!this.agent.state.model?.reasoning) {
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(chalk.dim("Current model does not support thinking"), 1, 0));
+			this.ui.requestRender();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const levels: ThinkingLevel[] = ["off", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high"];
+		const currentLevel = this.agent.state.thinkingLevel || "off";
+		const currentIndex = levels.indexOf(currentLevel);
+		const nextIndex = (currentIndex + 1) % levels.length;
+		const nextLevel = levels[nextIndex];
+
+		// Apply the new thinking level
+		this.agent.setThinkingLevel(nextLevel);
+
+		// Save thinking level change to session
+		this.sessionManager.saveThinkingLevelChange(nextLevel);
+
+		// Update border color
+		this.updateEditorBorderColor();
+
+		// Show brief notification
+		this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+		this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(chalk.dim(`Thinking level: ${nextLevel}`), 1, 0));
+		this.ui.requestRender();
+	}
+
 	clearEditor(): void {
 		this.editor.setText("");
 		this.ui.requestRender();
@@ -621,6 +686,9 @@ export class TuiRenderer {
 				// Save thinking level change to session
 				this.sessionManager.saveThinkingLevelChange(level);
 
+				// Update border color
+				this.updateEditorBorderColor();
+
 				// Show confirmation message with proper spacing
 				this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
 				const confirmText = new Text(chalk.dim(`Thinking level: ${level}`), 1, 0);
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/components/editor.ts b/packages/tui/src/components/editor.ts
index 4374775d..6195e404 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/components/editor.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/src/components/editor.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ export class Editor implements Component {
 
 	private config: TextEditorConfig = {};
 
+	// Border color (can be changed dynamically)
+	public borderColor: (str: string) => string = chalk.gray;
+
 	// Autocomplete support
 	private autocompleteProvider?: AutocompleteProvider;
 	private autocompleteList?: SelectList;
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ export class Editor implements Component {
 	}
 
 	render(width: number): string[] {
-		const horizontal = chalk.gray("─");
+		const horizontal = this.borderColor("─");
 
 		// Layout the text - use full width
 		const layoutLines = this.layoutText(width);