diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/defaults.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/defaults.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d239179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/defaults.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import type { ThinkingLevel } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
+
+export const DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL: ThinkingLevel = "medium";
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/model-resolver.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/model-resolver.ts
index b7631725..b2051fb9 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/model-resolver.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/model-resolver.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { type Api, type KnownProvider, type Model, modelsAreEqual } from "@mario
 import chalk from "chalk";
 import { minimatch } from "minimatch";
 import { isValidThinkingLevel } from "../cli/args.js";
+import { DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL } from "./defaults.js";
 import type { ModelRegistry } from "./model-registry.js";
 
 /** Default model IDs for each known provider */
@@ -273,7 +274,7 @@ export async function findInitialModel(options: {
 	} = options;
 
 	let model: Model<Api> | undefined;
-	let thinkingLevel: ThinkingLevel = "off";
+	let thinkingLevel: ThinkingLevel = DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL;
 
 	// 1. CLI args take priority
 	if (cliProvider && cliModel) {
@@ -282,14 +283,14 @@ export async function findInitialModel(options: {
 			console.error(chalk.red(`Model ${cliProvider}/${cliModel} not found`));
 			process.exit(1);
 		}
-		return { model: found, thinkingLevel: "off", fallbackMessage: undefined };
+		return { model: found, thinkingLevel: DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL, fallbackMessage: undefined };
 	}
 
 	// 2. Use first model from scoped models (skip if continuing/resuming)
 	if (scopedModels.length > 0 && !isContinuing) {
 		return {
 			model: scopedModels[0].model,
-			thinkingLevel: scopedModels[0].thinkingLevel ?? defaultThinkingLevel ?? "off",
+			thinkingLevel: scopedModels[0].thinkingLevel ?? defaultThinkingLevel ?? DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL,
 			fallbackMessage: undefined,
 		};
 	}
@@ -315,16 +316,16 @@ export async function findInitialModel(options: {
 			const defaultId = defaultModelPerProvider[provider];
 			const match = availableModels.find((m) => m.provider === provider && m.id === defaultId);
 			if (match) {
-				return { model: match, thinkingLevel: "off", fallbackMessage: undefined };
+				return { model: match, thinkingLevel: DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL, fallbackMessage: undefined };
 			}
 		}
 
 		// If no default found, use first available
-		return { model: availableModels[0], thinkingLevel: "off", fallbackMessage: undefined };
+		return { model: availableModels[0], thinkingLevel: DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL, fallbackMessage: undefined };
 	}
 
 	// 5. No model found
-	return { model: undefined, thinkingLevel: "off", fallbackMessage: undefined };
+	return { model: undefined, thinkingLevel: DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL, fallbackMessage: undefined };
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
index 9acbab8f..2f8c9959 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { Message, Model } from "@mariozechner/pi-ai";
 import { getAgentDir, getDocsPath } from "../config.js";
 import { AgentSession } from "./agent-session.js";
 import { AuthStorage } from "./auth-storage.js";
+import { DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL } from "./defaults.js";
 import type { ExtensionRunner, LoadExtensionsResult, ToolDefinition } from "./extensions/index.js";
 import { convertToLlm } from "./messages.js";
 import { ModelRegistry } from "./model-registry.js";
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ export interface CreateAgentSessionOptions {
 
 	/** Model to use. Default: from settings, else first available */
 	model?: Model<any>;
-	/** Thinking level. Default: from settings, else 'off' (clamped to model capabilities) */
+	/** Thinking level. Default: from settings, else 'medium' (clamped to model capabilities) */
 	thinkingLevel?: ThinkingLevel;
 	/** Models available for cycling (Ctrl+P in interactive mode) */
 	scopedModels?: Array<{ model: Model<any>; thinkingLevel: ThinkingLevel }>;
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 
 	// Fall back to settings default
 	if (thinkingLevel === undefined) {
-		thinkingLevel = settingsManager.getDefaultThinkingLevel() ?? "off";
+		thinkingLevel = settingsManager.getDefaultThinkingLevel() ?? DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL;
 	}
 
 	// Clamp to model capabilities
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
index ed8798ac..35ec57d4 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { listModels } from "./cli/list-models.js";
 import { selectSession } from "./cli/session-picker.js";
 import { getAgentDir, getModelsPath, VERSION } from "./config.js";
 import { AuthStorage } from "./core/auth-storage.js";
+import { DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL } from "./core/defaults.js";
 import { exportFromFile } from "./core/export-html/index.js";
 import type { LoadExtensionsResult } from "./core/extensions/index.js";
 import { KeybindingsManager } from "./core/keybindings.js";
@@ -399,7 +400,7 @@ function buildSessionOptions(
 
 	// Scoped models for Ctrl+P cycling - fill in default thinking level for models without explicit level
 	if (scopedModels.length > 0) {
-		const defaultThinkingLevel = settingsManager.getDefaultThinkingLevel() ?? "off";
+		const defaultThinkingLevel = settingsManager.getDefaultThinkingLevel() ?? DEFAULT_THINKING_LEVEL;
 		options.scopedModels = scopedModels.map((sm) => ({
 			model: sm.model,
 			thinkingLevel: sm.thinkingLevel ?? defaultThinkingLevel,
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/footer.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/footer.ts
index 2ccbb5c9..f8865d2d 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/footer.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/footer.ts
@@ -172,13 +172,12 @@ export class FooterComponent implements Component {
 		// Calculate available space for padding (minimum 2 spaces between stats and model)
 		const minPadding = 2;
 
-		// Add thinking level hint if model supports reasoning and thinking is enabled
+		// Add thinking level indicator if model supports reasoning
 		let rightSideWithoutProvider = modelName;
 		if (state.model?.reasoning) {
 			const thinkingLevel = state.thinkingLevel || "off";
-			if (thinkingLevel !== "off") {
-				rightSideWithoutProvider = `${modelName} • ${thinkingLevel}`;
-			}
+			rightSideWithoutProvider =
+				thinkingLevel === "off" ? `${modelName} • thinking off` : `${modelName} • ${thinkingLevel}`;
 		}
 
 		// Prepend the provider in parentheses if there are multiple providers and there's enough room