diff --git a/apps/server/src/providers/simple-query-service.ts b/apps/server/src/providers/simple-query-service.ts
index b37ef732..5882b96f 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/providers/simple-query-service.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/providers/simple-query-service.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@
  */
 
 import { ProviderFactory } from './provider-factory.js';
-import type { ProviderMessage, ContentBlock, ThinkingLevel } from '@automaker/types';
+import type {
+  ProviderMessage,
+  ContentBlock,
+  ThinkingLevel,
+  ReasoningEffort,
+} from '@automaker/types';
+import { stripProviderPrefix } from '@automaker/types';
 
 /**
  * Options for simple query execution
@@ -42,6 +48,8 @@ export interface SimpleQueryOptions {
   };
   /** Thinking level for Claude models */
   thinkingLevel?: ThinkingLevel;
+  /** Reasoning effort for Codex/OpenAI models */
+  reasoningEffort?: ReasoningEffort;
   /** If true, runs in read-only mode (no file writes) */
   readOnly?: boolean;
   /** Setting sources for CLAUDE.md loading */
@@ -97,6 +105,7 @@ const DEFAULT_MODEL = 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514';
 export async function simpleQuery(options: SimpleQueryOptions): Promise<SimpleQueryResult> {
   const model = options.model || DEFAULT_MODEL;
   const provider = ProviderFactory.getProviderForModel(model);
+  const bareModel = stripProviderPrefix(model);
 
   let responseText = '';
   let structuredOutput: Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
@@ -104,7 +113,8 @@ export async function simpleQuery(options: SimpleQueryOptions): Promise<SimpleQu
   // Build provider options
   const providerOptions = {
     prompt: options.prompt,
-    model: model,
+    model: bareModel,
+    originalModel: model,
     cwd: options.cwd,
     systemPrompt: options.systemPrompt,
     maxTurns: options.maxTurns ?? 1,
@@ -112,6 +122,7 @@ export async function simpleQuery(options: SimpleQueryOptions): Promise<SimpleQu
     abortController: options.abortController,
     outputFormat: options.outputFormat,
     thinkingLevel: options.thinkingLevel,
+    reasoningEffort: options.reasoningEffort,
     readOnly: options.readOnly,
     settingSources: options.settingSources,
   };
@@ -176,6 +187,7 @@ export async function simpleQuery(options: SimpleQueryOptions): Promise<SimpleQu
 export async function streamingQuery(options: StreamingQueryOptions): Promise<SimpleQueryResult> {
   const model = options.model || DEFAULT_MODEL;
   const provider = ProviderFactory.getProviderForModel(model);
+  const bareModel = stripProviderPrefix(model);
 
   let responseText = '';
   let structuredOutput: Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
@@ -183,7 +195,8 @@ export async function streamingQuery(options: StreamingQueryOptions): Promise<Si
   // Build provider options
   const providerOptions = {
     prompt: options.prompt,
-    model: model,
+    model: bareModel,
+    originalModel: model,
     cwd: options.cwd,
     systemPrompt: options.systemPrompt,
     maxTurns: options.maxTurns ?? 250,
@@ -191,6 +204,7 @@ export async function streamingQuery(options: StreamingQueryOptions): Promise<Si
     abortController: options.abortController,
     outputFormat: options.outputFormat,
     thinkingLevel: options.thinkingLevel,
+    reasoningEffort: options.reasoningEffort,
     readOnly: options.readOnly,
     settingSources: options.settingSources,
   };
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/auto-mode-service.ts b/apps/server/src/services/auto-mode-service.ts
index a587e1eb..29caa4e1 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/auto-mode-service.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/auto-mode-service.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import type {
   ThinkingLevel,
   PlanningMode,
 } from '@automaker/types';
-import { DEFAULT_PHASE_MODELS, stripProviderPrefix } from '@automaker/types';
+import { DEFAULT_PHASE_MODELS, isClaudeModel, stripProviderPrefix } from '@automaker/types';
 import {
   buildPromptWithImages,
   classifyError,
@@ -3586,10 +3586,29 @@ If nothing notable: {"learnings": []}`;
       const phaseModelEntry =
         settings?.phaseModels?.memoryExtractionModel || DEFAULT_PHASE_MODELS.memoryExtractionModel;
       const { model } = resolvePhaseModel(phaseModelEntry);
+      const hasClaudeKey = Boolean(process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY);
+      let resolvedModel = model;
+
+      if (isClaudeModel(model) && !hasClaudeKey) {
+        const fallbackModel = feature.model
+          ? resolveModelString(feature.model, DEFAULT_MODELS.claude)
+          : null;
+        if (fallbackModel && !isClaudeModel(fallbackModel)) {
+          console.log(
+            `[AutoMode] Claude not configured for memory extraction; using feature model "${fallbackModel}".`
+          );
+          resolvedModel = fallbackModel;
+        } else {
+          console.log(
+            '[AutoMode] Claude not configured for memory extraction; skipping learning extraction.'
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+      }
 
       const result = await simpleQuery({
         prompt: userPrompt,
-        model,
+        model: resolvedModel,
         cwd: projectPath,
         maxTurns: 1,
         allowedTools: [],
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/shared/use-model-override.ts b/apps/ui/src/components/shared/use-model-override.ts
index 82e6685a..1a3efe2a 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/shared/use-model-override.ts
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/shared/use-model-override.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store/app-store';
-import type { ModelAlias, CursorModelId, PhaseModelKey, PhaseModelEntry } from '@automaker/types';
+import type { ModelId, PhaseModelKey, PhaseModelEntry } from '@automaker/types';
 import { DEFAULT_PHASE_MODELS } from '@automaker/types';
 
 export interface UseModelOverrideOptions {
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export interface UseModelOverrideResult {
   /** The effective model entry (override or global default) */
   effectiveModelEntry: PhaseModelEntry;
   /** The effective model string (for backward compatibility with APIs that only accept strings) */
-  effectiveModel: ModelAlias | CursorModelId;
+  effectiveModel: ModelId;
   /** Whether the model is currently overridden */
   isOverridden: boolean;
   /** Set a model override */
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export interface UseModelOverrideResult {
  */
 function normalizeEntry(entry: PhaseModelEntry | string): PhaseModelEntry {
   if (typeof entry === 'string') {
-    return { model: entry as ModelAlias | CursorModelId };
+    return { model: entry as ModelId };
   }
   return entry;
 }
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ function normalizeEntry(entry: PhaseModelEntry | string): PhaseModelEntry {
 /**
  * Extract model string from PhaseModelEntry or string
  */
-function extractModel(entry: PhaseModelEntry | string): ModelAlias | CursorModelId {
+function extractModel(entry: PhaseModelEntry | string): ModelId {
   if (typeof entry === 'string') {
-    return entry as ModelAlias | CursorModelId;
+    return entry as ModelId;
   }
   return entry.model;
 }
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/lib/electron.ts b/apps/ui/src/lib/electron.ts
index 29c8aa2e..b7f72d55 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/lib/electron.ts
+++ b/apps/ui/src/lib/electron.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import type {
   IssueValidationResponse,
   IssueValidationEvent,
   StoredValidation,
-  AgentModel,
+  ModelId,
+  ThinkingLevel,
+  ReasoningEffort,
   GitHubComment,
   IssueCommentsResult,
   Idea,
@@ -314,7 +316,9 @@ export interface GitHubAPI {
   validateIssue: (
     projectPath: string,
     issue: IssueValidationInput,
-    model?: AgentModel
+    model?: ModelId,
+    thinkingLevel?: ThinkingLevel,
+    reasoningEffort?: ReasoningEffort
   ) => Promise<{ success: boolean; message?: string; issueNumber?: number; error?: string }>;
   /** Check validation status for an issue or all issues */
   getValidationStatus: (
@@ -1294,6 +1298,7 @@ interface SetupAPI {
     success: boolean;
     hasAnthropicKey: boolean;
     hasGoogleKey: boolean;
+    hasOpenaiKey: boolean;
   }>;
   deleteApiKey: (
     provider: string
@@ -1377,6 +1382,7 @@ function createMockSetupAPI(): SetupAPI {
         success: true,
         hasAnthropicKey: false,
         hasGoogleKey: false,
+        hasOpenaiKey: false,
       };
     },
 
@@ -3008,8 +3014,20 @@ function createMockGitHubAPI(): GitHubAPI {
         mergedPRs: [],
       };
     },
-    validateIssue: async (projectPath: string, issue: IssueValidationInput, model?: AgentModel) => {
-      console.log('[Mock] Starting async validation:', { projectPath, issue, model });
+    validateIssue: async (
+      projectPath: string,
+      issue: IssueValidationInput,
+      model?: ModelId,
+      thinkingLevel?: ThinkingLevel,
+      reasoningEffort?: ReasoningEffort
+    ) => {
+      console.log('[Mock] Starting async validation:', {
+        projectPath,
+        issue,
+        model,
+        thinkingLevel,
+        reasoningEffort,
+      });
 
       // Simulate async validation in background
       setTimeout(() => {
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/lib/http-api-client.ts b/apps/ui/src/lib/http-api-client.ts
index e2333520..e90b347a 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/lib/http-api-client.ts
+++ b/apps/ui/src/lib/http-api-client.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import type {
 import type { Message, SessionListItem } from '@/types/electron';
 import type { Feature, ClaudeUsageResponse, CodexUsageResponse } from '@/store/app-store';
 import type { WorktreeAPI, GitAPI, ModelDefinition, ProviderStatus } from '@/types/electron';
+import type { ModelId, ThinkingLevel, ReasoningEffort } from '@automaker/types';
 import { getGlobalFileBrowser } from '@/contexts/file-browser-context';
 
 const logger = createLogger('HttpClient');
@@ -1173,6 +1174,7 @@ export class HttpApiClient implements ElectronAPI {
       success: boolean;
       hasAnthropicKey: boolean;
       hasGoogleKey: boolean;
+      hasOpenaiKey: boolean;
     }> => this.get('/api/setup/api-keys'),
 
     getPlatform: (): Promise<{
@@ -1838,9 +1840,17 @@ export class HttpApiClient implements ElectronAPI {
     validateIssue: (
       projectPath: string,
       issue: IssueValidationInput,
-      model?: string,
-      thinkingLevel?: string
-    ) => this.post('/api/github/validate-issue', { projectPath, ...issue, model, thinkingLevel }),
+      model?: ModelId,
+      thinkingLevel?: ThinkingLevel,
+      reasoningEffort?: ReasoningEffort
+    ) =>
+      this.post('/api/github/validate-issue', {
+        projectPath,
+        ...issue,
+        model,
+        thinkingLevel,
+        reasoningEffort,
+      }),
     getValidationStatus: (projectPath: string, issueNumber?: number) =>
       this.post('/api/github/validation-status', { projectPath, issueNumber }),
     stopValidation: (projectPath: string, issueNumber: number) =>
diff --git a/libs/platform/src/subprocess.ts b/libs/platform/src/subprocess.ts
index 7634dc5c..4fad5412 100644
--- a/libs/platform/src/subprocess.ts
+++ b/libs/platform/src/subprocess.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ export async function* spawnJSONLProcess(options: SubprocessOptions): AsyncGener
  * Spawns a subprocess and collects all output
  */
 export async function spawnProcess(options: SubprocessOptions): Promise<SubprocessResult> {
-  const { command, args, cwd, env, abortController } = options;
+  const { command, args, cwd, env, abortController, stdinData } = options;
 
   const processEnv = {
     ...process.env,
@@ -204,10 +204,15 @@ export async function spawnProcess(options: SubprocessOptions): Promise<Subproce
     const childProcess = spawn(command, args, {
       cwd,
       env: processEnv,
-      stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+      stdio: [stdinData ? 'pipe' : 'ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
       shell: needsShell,
     });
 
+    if (stdinData && childProcess.stdin) {
+      childProcess.stdin.write(stdinData);
+      childProcess.stdin.end();
+    }
+
     let stdout = '';
     let stderr = '';