diff --git a/supplier/src/config.ts b/supplier/src/config.ts
index e11b7b6..9436147 100644
--- a/supplier/src/config.ts
+++ b/supplier/src/config.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ export interface SupplierConfig {
    * proxies). Required for hosted OpenAI-compatible APIs (DeepSeek, OpenAI, etc.).
    */
   openaiApiKey: string;
+  /**
+   * When true, upstream OpenAI/OpenRouter calls send `reasoning:{enabled:false}`
+   * to disable "thinking" tokens (faster/cheaper straight answers; avoids
+   * reasoning starving the completion into a length-truncated empty answer).
+   * Set via OPENAI_REASONING=off. Default false. OpenRouter-only.
+   */
+  openaiReasoningDisabled: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Optional `max_tokens` ceiling forwarded on upstream calls. 0 = omit (the
+   * provider then grants the max available = context − prompt). Must stay below
+   * the model context or the provider 400s (e.g. kimi context = 262144).
+   */
+  openaiMaxTokens: number;
   /** Empty string when capabilityKind="chat". */
   piperUrl: string;
   advertRef: AdvertRef;
@@ -230,6 +243,31 @@ export function loadConfig(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): SupplierCon
 
   const openaiApiKey = env.OPENAI_API_KEY ?? "";
 
+  // OPENAI_REASONING — "off"/"false"/"0"/"no" disables OpenRouter reasoning
+  // ("thinking") by sending reasoning:{enabled:false} on every upstream call.
+  // Unset/any other value leaves the model's own default untouched (no param
+  // sent). Only valid for OpenRouter-backed suppliers — do NOT set for
+  // ChatMock/DeepSeek-direct, which reject the param.
+  const reasoningRaw = (env.OPENAI_REASONING ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  const openaiReasoningDisabled =
+    reasoningRaw === "off" ||
+    reasoningRaw === "false" ||
+    reasoningRaw === "0" ||
+    reasoningRaw === "no";
+
+  // OPENAI_MAX_TOKENS — optional hard ceiling forwarded as `max_tokens`. Unset
+  // or non-positive omits it (provider grants max available = context − prompt).
+  // Keep it below the model context (kimi 262144) or the provider 400s when
+  // prompt+max_tokens exceeds context.
+  const maxTokStr = env.OPENAI_MAX_TOKENS;
+  let openaiMaxTokens = 0;
+  if (maxTokStr !== undefined && maxTokStr !== "") {
+    if (!POS_INT_RE.test(maxTokStr)) {
+      throw new Error("loadConfig: OPENAI_MAX_TOKENS must be a positive integer");
+    }
+    openaiMaxTokens = Number(maxTokStr);
+  }
+
   // CHAT_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS — idle auto-end window for chat sessions (default 5 min).
   const chatIdleStr = env.CHAT_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS;
   let chatIdleTimeoutMs = 300_000;
@@ -270,6 +308,8 @@ export function loadConfig(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): SupplierCon
     ollamaUrl,
     openaiBaseUrl,
     openaiApiKey,
+    openaiReasoningDisabled,
+    openaiMaxTokens,
     piperUrl,
     advertRef,
     networkId,
diff --git a/supplier/src/jobRunner.ts b/supplier/src/jobRunner.ts
index 60f7c46..677fa62 100644
--- a/supplier/src/jobRunner.ts
+++ b/supplier/src/jobRunner.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ export async function runChatJob(params: RunChatJobParams): Promise<void> {
           messages: requestBody.messages,
           timeoutMs: deps.config.openaiTimeoutMs,
           apiKey: deps.config.openaiApiKey,
+          maxTokens: deps.config.openaiMaxTokens,
+          disableReasoning: deps.config.openaiReasoningDisabled,
         });
       } else {
         inference = await ollama.callOllama({
diff --git a/supplier/src/openai.ts b/supplier/src/openai.ts
index e8dbdb1..6f333be 100644
--- a/supplier/src/openai.ts
+++ b/supplier/src/openai.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,20 @@ export interface CallOpenAiParams {
    * e.g. the ChatMock localhost proxy.
    */
   apiKey?: string;
+  /**
+   * Forwarded as `max_tokens` when a positive number; omitted otherwise. The
+   * caller is responsible for keeping prompt+max_tokens within the model's
+   * context window (some providers 400 when it exceeds context).
+   */
+  maxTokens?: number;
+  /**
+   * When true, sends `reasoning: { enabled: false }` to disable OpenRouter
+   * "thinking" tokens — faster/cheaper straight answers, and avoids reasoning
+   * starving the completion budget into a length-truncated (empty) answer.
+   * Only valid for OpenRouter endpoints; leave false for ChatMock / direct
+   * DeepSeek, which don't accept the param.
+   */
+  disableReasoning?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface OpenAiResult {
@@ -68,9 +82,12 @@ function isAbortError(err: unknown): boolean {
 }
 
 export async function callOpenAi(params: CallOpenAiParams): Promise<OpenAiResult> {
-  const { baseUrl, model, messages, timeoutMs, apiKey } = params;
+  const { baseUrl, model, messages, timeoutMs, apiKey, maxTokens, disableReasoning } = params;
   const url = `${baseUrl}/v1/chat/completions`;
-  const body = JSON.stringify({ model, messages, stream: false });
+  const payload: Record<string, unknown> = { model, messages, stream: false };
+  if (typeof maxTokens === "number" && maxTokens > 0) payload.max_tokens = maxTokens;
+  if (disableReasoning) payload.reasoning = { enabled: false };
+  const body = JSON.stringify(payload);
 
   const headers: Record<string, string> = { "content-type": "application/json" };
   if (apiKey) {
@@ -187,14 +204,17 @@ export async function callOpenAiStream(
   params: CallOpenAiParams,
   onToken: (delta: string) => void,
 ): Promise<OpenAiResult> {
-  const { baseUrl, model, messages, timeoutMs, apiKey } = params;
+  const { baseUrl, model, messages, timeoutMs, apiKey, maxTokens, disableReasoning } = params;
   const url = `${baseUrl}/v1/chat/completions`;
-  const body = JSON.stringify({
+  const payload: Record<string, unknown> = {
     model,
     messages,
     stream: true,
     stream_options: { include_usage: true },
-  });
+  };
+  if (typeof maxTokens === "number" && maxTokens > 0) payload.max_tokens = maxTokens;
+  if (disableReasoning) payload.reasoning = { enabled: false };
+  const body = JSON.stringify(payload);
 
   const headers: Record<string, string> = {
     "content-type": "application/json",
diff --git a/supplier/src/server.ts b/supplier/src/server.ts
index 836adf1..d0823e6 100644
--- a/supplier/src/server.ts
+++ b/supplier/src/server.ts
@@ -856,6 +856,8 @@ function makeChatSessionHandlers(deps: ResolvedDeps) {
             messages: record.transcript,
             timeoutMs: deps.config.openaiTimeoutMs,
             apiKey: deps.config.openaiApiKey,
+            maxTokens: deps.config.openaiMaxTokens,
+            disableReasoning: deps.config.openaiReasoningDisabled,
           },
           (delta) => sse({ type: "token", value: delta }),
         );