How to turn a model's reasoning off

A thinking model (Qwen3.5, Qwen3.x, gpt-oss…) reasons before it answers. On a simple question that costs seconds and tokens for nothing. This guide shows how to ask the server not to reason, for every turn. It assumes you already run mm with a YAML configuration file and a thinking model.

Steps

Find your provider in the configuration file (provider:).
Add the server's own switch under sampling.

For dmr, llamacpp or llmman — all llama.cpp underneath:
```
sampling:
  temperature: 0.0
  max_tokens: 4096
  chat_template_kwargs:
    enable_thinking: false
```
For ollama:
```
sampling:
  temperature: 0.0
  max_tokens: 4096
  reasoning_effort: none
```
The keys you write are merged with the built-in ones (temperature, top_p, max_tokens): only the switch needs adding.
Ask a question and compare. With reasoning on, the line mode prints a dim 💭 block before the 🤖 answer; with it off, the answer comes straight away:
```
$ mm -p "What is 17*23? Answer with the number only." agent.yaml

🤖 391⚙ 0 command(s)
391
```
Measured with Qwen3.5 4B on Docker Model Runner: under a second, where the same question took four seconds of reasoning.

Variants

Hide the reasoning but let the model think. showThinking: false removes the 💭 block, the window's ‣ thinking entry and the editor's thought chunks. The model still reasons — same time, same tokens.
The model ignores the switch. enable_thinking is a variable of the model's chat template: a template that does not read it (a model without a thinking mode, or with another variable name) is not affected. Check the model card for the variable its template reads.
Turn it off for one run. Keep two configuration files, or start the server itself without reasoning (for llama-server, see its --reasoning-budget option).
Compaction summaries. Nothing to do: mm already asks the server not to reason for the summary of /compact and of the automatic compression, whatever sampling says.

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54


# How to turn a model's reasoning off

A thinking model (Qwen3.5, Qwen3.x, gpt-oss…) reasons before it answers. On a simple question that costs seconds and tokens for nothing. This guide shows how to ask the server not to reason, for every turn. It assumes you already run `mm` with a YAML configuration file and a thinking model.

## Steps

1. Find your provider in the configuration file (`provider:`).

2. Add the server's own switch under `sampling`.

   For `dmr`, `llamacpp` or `llmman` — all llama.cpp underneath:

   ```yaml
   sampling:
     temperature: 0.0
     max_tokens: 4096
     chat_template_kwargs:
       enable_thinking: false
   ```

   For `ollama`:

   ```yaml
   sampling:
     temperature: 0.0
     max_tokens: 4096
     reasoning_effort: none
   ```

   The keys you write are merged with the built-in ones (`temperature`, `top_p`, `max_tokens`): only the switch needs adding.

3. Ask a question and compare. With reasoning on, the line mode prints a dim `💭` block before the `🤖` answer; with it off, the answer comes straight away:

   ```
   $ mm -p "What is 17*23? Answer with the number only." agent.yaml

   🤖 391⚙ 0 command(s)
   391
   ```

   Measured with Qwen3.5 4B on Docker Model Runner: under a second, where the same question took four seconds of reasoning.

## Variants

- **Hide the reasoning but let the model think.** `showThinking: false` removes the `💭` block, the window's `‣ thinking` entry and the editor's thought chunks. The model still reasons — same time, same tokens.
- **The model ignores the switch.** `enable_thinking` is a variable of the model's chat template: a template that does not read it (a model without a thinking mode, or with another variable name) is not affected. Check the model card for the variable its template reads.
- **Turn it off for one run.** Keep two configuration files, or start the server itself without reasoning (for llama-server, see its `--reasoning-budget` option).
- **Compaction summaries.** Nothing to do: `mm` already asks the server not to reason for the summary of `/compact` and of the automatic compression, whatever `sampling` says.

## See also

- The `sampling` key and what it forwards: [configuration reference](../reference/configuration.md).
- Where reasoning comes from and why `mm` reads it itself: [Thinking models](../explanation/thinking-models.md).
- Why each server is told in its own words: [Providers](../explanation/providers.md).