diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c38630e8e..4a1404b96 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 - Streamed `<think>` segments are stripped before partial replies are emitted.
 - System prompt now tags allowlisted owner numbers as the user identity to avoid mistaken “friend” assumptions.
 - LM Studio/Ollama replies now require <final> tags; streaming ignores content until <final> begins.
+- LM Studio responses API: tools payloads no longer include `strict: null`, and LM Studio no longer gets forced `<think>/<final>` tags.
 - `process log` pagination is now line-based (omit `offset` to grab the last N lines).
 - macOS WebChat: assistant bubbles now update correctly when toggling light/dark mode.
 - macOS: avoid spawning a duplicate gateway process when an external listener already exists.
diff --git a/patches/@mariozechner__pi-ai.patch b/patches/@mariozechner__pi-ai.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ac6d7d8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/@mariozechner__pi-ai.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+diff --git a/dist/providers/openai-responses.js b/dist/providers/openai-responses.js
+index 20fb0a22aaa28f7ff7c2f44a8b628fa1d9d7d936..c2bc63f483f3285b00755901ba97db810221cea6 100644
+--- a/dist/providers/openai-responses.js
++++ b/dist/providers/openai-responses.js
+@@ -486,7 +486,6 @@ function convertTools(tools) {
+         name: tool.name,
+         description: tool.description,
+         parameters: tool.parameters, // TypeBox already generates JSON Schema
+-        strict: null,
+     }));
+ }
+ function mapStopReason(status) {
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index adf49549a..86f28ae6a 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ settings:
   autoInstallPeers: true
   excludeLinksFromLockfile: false
 
+patchedDependencies:
+  '@mariozechner/pi-ai':
+    hash: bf3e904ebaad236b8c3bb48c7d1150a1463735e783acaab6d15d6cd381b43832
+    path: patches/@mariozechner__pi-ai.patch
+
 importers:
 
   .:
@@ -19,7 +24,7 @@ importers:
         version: 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
       '@mariozechner/pi-ai':
         specifier: ^0.30.2
-        version: 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
+        version: 0.30.2(patch_hash=bf3e904ebaad236b8c3bb48c7d1150a1463735e783acaab6d15d6cd381b43832)(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
       '@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent':
         specifier: ^0.30.2
         version: 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
@@ -3247,7 +3252,7 @@ snapshots:
 
   '@mariozechner/pi-agent-core@0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)':
     dependencies:
-      '@mariozechner/pi-ai': 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
+      '@mariozechner/pi-ai': 0.30.2(patch_hash=bf3e904ebaad236b8c3bb48c7d1150a1463735e783acaab6d15d6cd381b43832)(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
       '@mariozechner/pi-tui': 0.30.2
     transitivePeerDependencies:
       - '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk'
@@ -3257,7 +3262,7 @@ snapshots:
       - ws
       - zod
 
-  '@mariozechner/pi-ai@0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)':
+  '@mariozechner/pi-ai@0.30.2(patch_hash=bf3e904ebaad236b8c3bb48c7d1150a1463735e783acaab6d15d6cd381b43832)(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)':
     dependencies:
       '@anthropic-ai/sdk': 0.71.2(zod@4.2.1)
       '@google/genai': 1.34.0
@@ -3280,7 +3285,7 @@ snapshots:
   '@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent@0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)':
     dependencies:
       '@mariozechner/pi-agent-core': 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
-      '@mariozechner/pi-ai': 0.30.2(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
+      '@mariozechner/pi-ai': 0.30.2(patch_hash=bf3e904ebaad236b8c3bb48c7d1150a1463735e783acaab6d15d6cd381b43832)(ws@8.18.3)(zod@4.2.1)
       '@mariozechner/pi-tui': 0.30.2
       chalk: 5.6.2
       cli-highlight: 2.1.11
diff --git a/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
index 871880305..869f33732 100644
--- a/pnpm-workspace.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 packages:
-  - "."
-  - "ui"
+  - .
+  - ui
 
 onlyBuiltDependencies:
   - '@whiskeysockets/baileys'
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@ onlyBuiltDependencies:
   - esbuild
   - protobufjs
   - sharp
+
+patchedDependencies:
+  '@mariozechner/pi-ai': patches/@mariozechner__pi-ai.patch
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.ts
index b2a216453..19e82499d 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.ts
@@ -417,8 +417,7 @@ export async function runEmbeddedPiAgent(params: {
           node: process.version,
           model: `${provider}/${modelId}`,
         };
-        const reasoningTagHint =
-          provider === "lmstudio" || provider === "ollama";
+        const reasoningTagHint = provider === "ollama";
         const systemPrompt = buildSystemPrompt({
           appendPrompt: buildAgentSystemPromptAppend({
             workspaceDir: resolvedWorkspace,
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
index fa7f9b80c..04fe831cd 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
@@ -1177,8 +1177,7 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
         prompt: commandBody,
         extraSystemPrompt: groupIntro || undefined,
         ownerNumbers: ownerList.length > 0 ? ownerList : undefined,
-        enforceFinalTag:
-          provider === "lmstudio" || provider === "ollama" ? true : undefined,
+        enforceFinalTag: provider === "ollama" ? true : undefined,
         provider,
         model,
         thinkLevel: resolvedThinkLevel,