diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index a47768e68..3e78e584a 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "gsd-pi",
-  "version": "0.2.3",
+  "version": "0.2.4",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "gsd-pi",
-      "version": "0.2.3",
+      "version": "0.2.4",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6c95e4a7d..72f3ddb6b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gsd-pi",
-  "version": "0.2.3",
+  "version": "0.2.4",
   "description": "GSD — Get Stuff Done coding agent",
   "license": "MIT",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index d3a736515..00b917d5f 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -17,14 +17,19 @@ await runWizardIfNeeded(authStorage)
 const modelRegistry = new ModelRegistry(authStorage)
 const settingsManager = SettingsManager.create(agentDir)
 
-// Auto-select a default model if none is configured.
-// This prevents the "No model configured" error for users who logged in
-// but never explicitly ran /model to pick one.
-if (!settingsManager.getDefaultModel()) {
-  const availableModels = modelRegistry.getAvailable()
+// Auto-select a default model if none is configured, or if the configured
+// model no longer exists (e.g. stale settings referencing a retired model).
+const configuredProvider = settingsManager.getDefaultProvider()
+const configuredModel = settingsManager.getDefaultModel()
+const availableModels = modelRegistry.getAvailable()
+const configuredExists = configuredProvider && configuredModel &&
+  availableModels.some((m) => m.provider === configuredProvider && m.id === configuredModel)
+
+if (!configuredModel || !configuredExists) {
   if (availableModels.length > 0) {
-    // Prefer a mid-tier Anthropic model (sonnet), then any Anthropic, then first available
+    // Preferred default: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6
     const preferred =
+      availableModels.find((m) => m.provider === 'anthropic' && m.id === 'claude-sonnet-4-6') ||
       availableModels.find((m) => m.provider === 'anthropic' && m.id.includes('sonnet')) ||
       availableModels.find((m) => m.provider === 'anthropic') ||
       availableModels[0]
@@ -32,6 +37,11 @@ if (!settingsManager.getDefaultModel()) {
   }
 }
 
+// Default thinking level: off
+if (!settingsManager.getDefaultThinkingLevel()) {
+  settingsManager.setDefaultThinkingLevel('off')
+}
+
 // GSD always uses quiet startup — the gsd extension renders its own branded header
 if (!settingsManager.getQuietStartup()) {
   settingsManager.setQuietStartup(true)