Default to explicit medium reasoning for 5.1 (#6593)

codex-rs/core/src/client.rs

@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ use crate::auth::RefreshTokenError;
 use crate::chat_completions::AggregateStreamExt;
 use crate::chat_completions::stream_chat_completions;
 use crate::client_common::Prompt;
+use crate::client_common::Reasoning;
 use crate::client_common::ResponseEvent;
 use crate::client_common::ResponseStream;
 use crate::client_common::ResponsesApiRequest;
-use crate::client_common::create_reasoning_param_for_request;
 use crate::client_common::create_text_param_for_request;
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::default_client::CodexHttpClient;
@@ -199,12 +199,18 @@ impl ModelClient {
         let auth_manager = self.auth_manager.clone();
 
         let full_instructions = prompt.get_full_instructions(&self.config.model_family);
-        let tools_json = create_tools_json_for_responses_api(&prompt.tools)?;
-        let reasoning = create_reasoning_param_for_request(
-            &self.config.model_family,
-            self.effort,
-            self.summary,
-        );
+        let tools_json: Vec<Value> = create_tools_json_for_responses_api(&prompt.tools)?;
+
+        let reasoning = if self.config.model_family.supports_reasoning_summaries {
+            Some(Reasoning {
+                effort: self
+                    .effort
+                    .or(self.config.model_family.default_reasoning_effort),
+                summary: Some(self.summary),
+            })
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
 
         let include: Vec<String> = if reasoning.is_some() {
             vec!["reasoning.encrypted_content".to_string()]

codex-rs/core/src/client_common.rs

@@ -342,21 +342,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tools {
     }
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn create_reasoning_param_for_request(
-    model_family: &ModelFamily,
-    effort: Option<ReasoningEffortConfig>,
-    summary: ReasoningSummaryConfig,
-) -> Option<Reasoning> {
-    if !model_family.supports_reasoning_summaries {
-        return None;
-    }
-
-    Some(Reasoning {
-        effort,
-        summary: Some(summary),
-    })
-}
-
 pub(crate) fn create_text_param_for_request(
     verbosity: Option<VerbosityConfig>,
     output_schema: &Option<Value>,

codex-rs/core/src/model_family.rs

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use codex_protocol::config_types::ReasoningEffort;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::Verbosity;
 
 use crate::config::types::ReasoningSummaryFormat;
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ pub struct ModelFamily {
     // `summary` is optional).
     pub supports_reasoning_summaries: bool,
 
+    // The reasoning effort to use for this model family when none is explicitly chosen.
+    pub default_reasoning_effort: Option<ReasoningEffort>,
+
     // Define if we need a special handling of reasoning summary
     pub reasoning_summary_format: ReasoningSummaryFormat,
 
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@ macro_rules! model_family {
             support_verbosity: false,
             shell_type: ConfigShellToolType::Default,
             default_verbosity: None,
+            default_reasoning_effort: None,
         };
 
         // apply overrides
@@ -181,6 +186,7 @@ pub fn find_family_for_model(slug: &str) -> Option<ModelFamily> {
             support_verbosity: true,
             default_verbosity: Some(Verbosity::Low),
             base_instructions: GPT_5_1_INSTRUCTIONS.to_string(),
+            default_reasoning_effort: Some(ReasoningEffort::Medium),
         )
     } else if slug.starts_with("gpt-5") {
         model_family!(
@@ -209,5 +215,6 @@ pub fn derive_default_model_family(model: &str) -> ModelFamily {
         support_verbosity: false,
         shell_type: ConfigShellToolType::Default,
         default_verbosity: None,
+        default_reasoning_effort: None,
     }
 }