diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
index 459dd0d3c..0950b3f0b 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ describe("buildStatusMessage", () => {
     expect(normalized).toContain("updated 10m ago");
     expect(normalized).toContain("Runtime: direct");
     expect(normalized).toContain("Think: medium");
-    expect(normalized).toContain("Verbose: off");
-    expect(normalized).toContain("Elevated: on");
+    expect(normalized).not.toContain("verbose");
+    expect(normalized).toContain("elevated");
     expect(normalized).toContain("Queue: collect");
   });
 
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ describe("buildStatusMessage", () => {
       sessionScope: "per-sender",
       resolvedThink: "low",
       resolvedVerbose: "on",
-      resolvedElevated: "on",
-      queue: { mode: "collect", depth: 0 },
-    });
+    resolvedElevated: "on",
+    queue: { mode: "collect", depth: 0 },
+  });
 
-    expect(text).toContain("Verbose: on");
-    expect(text).toContain("Elevated: on");
+    expect(text).toContain("verbose");
+    expect(text).toContain("elevated");
   });
 
   it("prefers model overrides over last-run model", () => {
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
index 5784d03f8..6b9345274 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
@@ -288,12 +288,14 @@ export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
 
   const queueMode = args.queue?.mode ?? "unknown";
   const queueDetails = formatQueueDetails(args.queue);
+  const verboseLabel = verboseLevel === "on" ? "verbose" : null;
+  const elevatedLabel = elevatedLevel === "on" ? "elevated" : null;
   const optionParts = [
     `Runtime: ${runtime.label}`,
     `Think: ${thinkLevel}`,
-    `Verbose: ${verboseLevel}`,
+    verboseLabel,
     reasoningLevel !== "off" ? `Reasoning: ${reasoningLevel}` : null,
-    `Elevated: ${elevatedLevel}`,
+    elevatedLabel,
   ];
   const optionsLine = optionParts.filter(Boolean).join(" · ");
   const activationParts = [