crates/skald-core/src/llm/manager.rs

@@ -356,7 +356,13 @@ impl LlmManager {
     pub async fn reasoning_mode_for(&self, provider_id: i64, model_id: &str) -> Option<ReasoningMode> {
         let record   = self.state.read().await.providers.get(&provider_id).cloned()?;
         let provider = self.registry.get(&record.provider)?;
-        provider.reasoning_mode(model_id, &[])
+        // Capability-gated modes need the model's real capabilities: resolve
+        // them from the provider's catalog. Empty when unlisted — id-glob
+        // rules still match.
+        let caps = self.fetch_model_info(provider_id, model_id).await
+            .map(|m| m.capabilities)
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+        provider.reasoning_mode(model_id, &caps)
     }
 
     pub async fn list_models_info(&self) -> Vec<LlmModelInfo> {

crates/skald-core/src/llm/providers/declared.rs

@@ -588,6 +588,17 @@ impl ApiProvider for DeclaredProvider {
         Ok(Some(self.list_models(record).await?))
     }
 
+    async fn llm_model_info(
+        &self,
+        record: &LlmProviderRecord,
+        model_id: &str,
+    ) -> Result<Option<RemoteLlmModelInfo>> {
+        if self.spec.models.is_none() {
+            return Ok(None);
+        }
+        Ok(self.list_models(record).await?.into_iter().find(|m| m.id == model_id))
+    }
+
     fn reasoning_mode(&self, model_id: &str, capabilities: &[String]) -> Option<ReasoningMode> {
         let spec = self.spec.reasoning.as_ref()?;
         let rule = spec

providers.yaml

@@ -190,13 +190,17 @@ providers:
       base_capabilities: [function_calling]
     reasoning:
       # Flat reasoning_effort (none/minimal/low/medium/high/xhigh/max);
-      # "none" disables reasoning where the model supports it. Models tagged
-      # `reasoning` but not `reasoning_effort` always think — no knob.
+      # "none" disables reasoning where the model supports it.
       request: { kind: effort, remap: { disabled: none } }
       modes:
         - when: { capability: reasoning_effort }
           values: [disabled, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh, max]
           default: high
+        # Models tagged only `reasoning` (R1, DeepSeek-V4-…) accept the plain
+        # levels — graded steps are a `reasoning_effort`-tag affair.
+        - when: { capability: reasoning }
+          values: [disabled, low, medium, high]
+          default: high
 
   - id: lm_studio
     name: "LM Studio"