diff --git a/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.test.ts b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d9ecde6a9d7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
+import { describe, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { GenericProviderSettings } from "@t3tools/contracts";
+import { makePendingGeminiCliProvider } from "./GeminiCliProvider.ts";
+
+const decodeSettings = Schema.decodeSync(GenericProviderSettings);
+
+/**
+ * The Gemini "Thinking Budget" selector was inert — its value was never read
+ * by the adapter and never reached the Gemini CLI. It was removed (rather than
+ * shipping a control that does nothing). This guard keeps it gone: an upstream
+ * sync that re-adds the descriptor without real wiring will fail here.
+ */
+describe("GeminiCliProvider capabilities", () => {
+  it("does not expose the removed (inert) thinkingBudget selector", () => {
+    const draft = makePendingGeminiCliProvider(decodeSettings({ enabled: true }));
+
+    const builtIn = draft.models.find((model) => !model.isCustom);
+    if (!builtIn) {
+      assert.fail("expected a built-in gemini model");
+    }
+
+    const descriptors = builtIn.capabilities?.optionDescriptors ?? [];
+    assert.ok(
+      !descriptors.some((descriptor) => descriptor.id === "thinkingBudget"),
+      "thinkingBudget was inert; keep it removed until wired to the Gemini CLI",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.ts b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.ts
index 38b1409d996d..79b19ea85bc4 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/GeminiCliProvider.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import { ChildProcess, ChildProcessSpawner } from "effect/unstable/process";
 import { createModelCapabilities } from "@t3tools/shared/model";
 
 import {
-  buildSelectOptionDescriptor,
   buildServerProvider,
   DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS,
   detailFromResult,
@@ -44,23 +43,17 @@ const GEMINI_PRESENTATION = {
 } as const;
 
 /**
- * Capabilities for known Gemini models. Includes a `thinkingBudget` selector
- * (fork-only feature) — kept in this layer because the probe / adapter both
- * need it.
+ * Capabilities for known Gemini models.
+ *
+ * A `thinkingBudget` selector used to live here, but it was inert: the chosen
+ * value was never read by the adapter and never reached the Gemini CLI (which
+ * exposes no per-invocation thinking flag), so it rendered a control that did
+ * nothing. It has been removed rather than ship a misleading trait. Reinstate
+ * it only together with real wiring (e.g. a per-turn settings.json
+ * `thinkingConfig` override) verified against an actual Gemini CLI.
  */
-const THINKING_BUDGET_DESCRIPTOR = buildSelectOptionDescriptor({
-  id: "thinkingBudget",
-  label: "Thinking Budget",
-  options: [
-    { value: "auto", label: "Auto", isDefault: true },
-    { value: "low", label: "Low" },
-    { value: "medium", label: "Medium" },
-    { value: "high", label: "High" },
-  ],
-});
-
 const DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_CAPABILITIES: ModelCapabilities = createModelCapabilities({
-  optionDescriptors: [THINKING_BUDGET_DESCRIPTOR],
+  optionDescriptors: [],
 });
 
 const BUILT_IN_MODELS: ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderModel> = [