diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
index c9139a3cc..187f0ac97 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ describe("buildStatusMessage", () => {
     expect(text).toContain("thinking=medium");
     expect(text).toContain("verbose=off");
     expect(text).not.toContain("Shortcuts:");
+    expect(text).not.toContain("set with");
   });
 
   it("handles missing agent config gracefully", () => {
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
index 0134a93ff..32e8a4482 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
   )}${entry?.abortedLastRun ? " • last run aborted" : ""}`;
 
   const optionsLine = runtime.sandboxed
-    ? `Options: thinking=${thinkLevel} | verbose=${verboseLevel} | elevated=${elevatedLevel} (set with /think <level>, /verbose on|off, /elevated on|off, /model <id>)`
-    : `Options: thinking=${thinkLevel} | verbose=${verboseLevel} (set with /think <level>, /verbose on|off, /model <id>)`;
+    ? `Options: thinking=${thinkLevel} | verbose=${verboseLevel} | elevated=${elevatedLevel}`
+    : `Options: thinking=${thinkLevel} | verbose=${verboseLevel}`;
 
   const modelLabel = model ? `${provider}/${model}` : "unknown";
 
@@ -257,5 +257,9 @@ export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
 }
 
 export function buildHelpMessage(): string {
-  return ["ℹ️ Help", "Shortcuts: /new reset | /restart relink"].join("\n");
+  return [
+    "ℹ️ Help",
+    "Shortcuts: /new reset | /restart relink",
+    "Options: /think <level> | /verbose on|off | /elevated on|off | /model <id>",
+  ].join("\n");
 }
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/thinking.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/thinking.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..72890de36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auto-reply/thinking.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { normalizeThinkLevel } from "./thinking.js";
+
+describe("normalizeThinkLevel", () => {
+  it("accepts mid as medium", () => {
+    expect(normalizeThinkLevel("mid")).toBe("medium");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/thinking.ts b/src/auto-reply/thinking.ts
index 9a50af8ba..d2a3be1e5 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/thinking.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/thinking.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ export function normalizeThinkLevel(
   if (["min", "minimal"].includes(key)) return "minimal";
   if (["low", "thinkhard", "think-hard", "think_hard"].includes(key))
     return "low";
-  if (["med", "medium", "thinkharder", "think-harder", "harder"].includes(key))
+  if (
+    ["mid", "med", "medium", "thinkharder", "think-harder", "harder"].includes(
+      key,
+    )
+  )
     return "medium";
   if (
     [