diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
index be51d3de063..3f415a40367 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-directives.ts
@@ -413,7 +413,8 @@ export async function resolveReplyDirectives(params: {
   // be emitted as visible "Reasoning:" messages.
   const reasoningExplicitlySet =
     directives.reasoningLevel !== undefined ||
-    (sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== undefined && sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== null);
+    (sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== undefined && sessionEntry?.reasoningLevel !== null) ||
+    agentCfg?.reasoningDefault !== undefined;
   const thinkingActive = resolvedThinkLevelWithDefault !== "off";
   if (!reasoningExplicitlySet && resolvedReasoningLevel === "off" && !thinkingActive) {
     resolvedReasoningLevel = await modelState.resolveDefaultReasoningLevel();