diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/admin/components/admin-language-models-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/admin/components/admin-language-models-page.tsx
index 5461e6ce..96b8cd4b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/admin/components/admin-language-models-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/admin/components/admin-language-models-page.tsx
@@ -768,8 +768,10 @@ function GatewaySettingsDialog({
 
   const isAssistantGateway =
     Boolean(gateway?.id) && assistantRoute?.gatewayProfileId === gateway?.id
+  const supportsCatalogReasoning =
+    !assistantRoute?.openAiReasoningEffort || assistantRoute.openAiReasoningEffort === "NONE"
   const supportsAssistantChoices =
-    isAssistantGateway && !assistantRoute?.openAiReasoningEffort
+    isAssistantGateway && supportsCatalogReasoning
 
   function parsedAssistantModels() {
     return assistantModels
@@ -892,9 +894,9 @@ function GatewaySettingsDialog({
                 <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
                   Set this gateway as the Answer generation route before publishing choices to users.
                 </p>
-              ) : assistantRoute?.openAiReasoningEffort ? (
+              ) : !supportsCatalogReasoning ? (
                 <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                  Alternate choices are unavailable while the answer route pins a reasoning effort.
+                  Alternate choices require provider-default or None reasoning on the answer route.
                 </p>
               ) : discoveredModels.length > 0 ? (
                 <Button
diff --git a/apps/web/test/e2e/admin-language-models.spec.ts b/apps/web/test/e2e/admin-language-models.spec.ts
index bf368f1f..744780d3 100644
--- a/apps/web/test/e2e/admin-language-models.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/test/e2e/admin-language-models.spec.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ test("admin connects providers and can restore the deployment model route", asyn
   })
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Close" }).click()
 
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: /9Router primary/ }).first().click()
+  await expect(page.getByLabel("Assistant model choices")).toBeEnabled()
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Close" }).click()
+
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Use deployment default" }).first().click()
   await expect(page.getByText("Deployment default restored.")).toBeVisible()
   await expect(page.getByText("Deployment default", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(3)
@@ -239,6 +243,7 @@ async function modelSettingsHarness(
                 gatewayKey: "nine-router-primary",
                 gatewayProfileId: GATEWAY_ID,
                 modelId: "openai/gpt-5",
+                openAiReasoningEffort: "NONE",
                 source: "ORGANIZATION_OVERRIDE",
                 editable: true,
                 version: 1,
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationService.java b/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationService.java
index d17b3825..58079ab0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationService.java
@@ -460,10 +460,11 @@ public List<AiAssistantModelActivationView> replaceAssistantModels(
                     "ai.assistant-model-gateway-inactive",
                     "Additional Assistant models must belong to the active Assistant gateway");
         }
-        if (route.openAiReasoningEffort() != null) {
+        if (route.openAiReasoningEffort() != null
+                && route.openAiReasoningEffort() != OpenAiReasoningEffort.NONE) {
             throw new BusinessConflictException(
                     "ai.assistant-model-options-incompatible",
-                    "Additional Assistant models require provider-default reasoning options");
+                    "Additional Assistant models require provider-default or none reasoning options");
         }
 
         List<AiAssistantModelDefinition> normalized = normalizeAssistantModels(
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityService.java b/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityService.java
index 0c19be44..3e4ff109 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityService.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public List<AssistantModelChoice> choices(UUID organizationId) {
                 route.modelId(),
                 route.modelId(),
                 true));
-        if (override.isEmpty() || route.openAiReasoningEffort() != null) {
+        if (override.isEmpty() || !supportsCatalog(route.openAiReasoningEffort())) {
             return List.copyOf(result);
         }
         administration.assistantModels(
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public AssistantModelRouteAuthority authorize(
         }
         AiRouteOverrideView selectedRoute = override.orElseThrow(
                 AssistantModelAuthorityService::unavailable);
-        if (selectedRoute.openAiReasoningEffort() != null) {
+        if (!supportsCatalog(selectedRoute.openAiReasoningEffort())) {
             throw unavailable();
         }
         AiAssistantModelActivation activation = activations
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ private AiRoute revalidateCatalog(CatalogAssistantModelRouteAuthority selected)
         if (!active.id().equals(selected.routeOverrideId())
                 || active.version() != selected.routeOverrideVersion()
                 || !active.gatewayProfileId().equals(selected.gatewayProfileId())
-                || active.openAiReasoningEffort() != null) {
+                || !supportsCatalog(active.openAiReasoningEffort())) {
             throw unavailable();
         }
         AiAssistantModelActivation activation = activations
@@ -196,7 +196,14 @@ private AiRoute revalidateCatalog(CatalogAssistantModelRouteAuthority selected)
         AiGatewayProfileView profile = administration.require(
                 selected.organizationId(),
                 selected.gatewayProfileId());
-        return new AiRoute(profile.gatewayKey(), activation.modelId());
+        return new AiRoute(
+                profile.gatewayKey(),
+                activation.modelId(),
+                active.openAiReasoningEffort());
+    }
+
+    private static boolean supportsCatalog(OpenAiReasoningEffort reasoning) {
+        return reasoning == null || reasoning == OpenAiReasoningEffort.NONE;
     }
 
     private static BusinessConflictException unavailable() {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests.java b/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests.java
index 10517cfb..6bca0331 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests.java
@@ -386,6 +386,45 @@ void reasoningCapabilityCannotBeDisabledWhileAnExplicitRouteUsesIt() {
         assertTrue(storedProfile.get().supportsOpenAiReasoningEffort());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void assistantCatalogRejectsReasoningPoliciesOtherThanNone() {
+        UUID organizationId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID adminUserId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        AiGatewayProfile profile = new AiGatewayProfile(
+                organizationId,
+                "openai-main",
+                "OpenAI",
+                AiGatewayPreset.OPENAI,
+                AiGatewayCategory.DIRECT_PROVIDER,
+                AiGatewayProtocol.OPENAI_COMPATIBLE,
+                "https://api.openai.com/v1",
+                60,
+                true,
+                adminUserId);
+        AiRouteOverride route = new AiRouteOverride(
+                organizationId,
+                AiWorkload.ASSISTANT_CHAT,
+                profile.getId(),
+                "gpt-default",
+                OpenAiReasoningEffort.HIGH,
+                adminUserId,
+                java.time.Instant.now());
+        when(profiles.findByIdAndOrganizationIdAndEnabledTrue(
+                        profile.getId(), organizationId))
+                .thenReturn(Optional.of(profile));
+        when(routes.findByOrganizationIdAndWorkload(
+                        organizationId, AiWorkload.ASSISTANT_CHAT))
+                .thenReturn(Optional.of(route));
+
+        assertThrows(
+                BusinessConflictException.class,
+                () -> service.replaceAssistantModels(
+                        organizationId,
+                        profile.getId(),
+                        List.of(new AiAssistantModelDefinition("gpt-fast", "Fast")),
+                        adminUserId));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void assistantCatalogSoftDisablesAndReenableCreatesANewOpaqueActivation() {
         UUID organizationId = UUID.randomUUID();
@@ -406,6 +445,7 @@ void assistantCatalogSoftDisablesAndReenableCreatesANewOpaqueActivation() {
                 AiWorkload.ASSISTANT_CHAT,
                 profile.getId(),
                 "gpt-default",
+                OpenAiReasoningEffort.NONE,
                 adminUserId,
                 java.time.Instant.now());
         List<AiAssistantModelActivation> stored = new ArrayList<>();
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityServiceTests.java b/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityServiceTests.java
index 29b60774..757a2fed 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityServiceTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai/AssistantModelAuthorityServiceTests.java
@@ -89,7 +89,49 @@ void catalogSelectionIsBoundToTheExactRouteIdentityAndVersion() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void explicitReasoningKeepsOnlyTheDefaultAndRejectsAlternateActivations() {
+    void explicitNoneOffersCatalogAndPropagatesTheGovernedReasoningPolicy() {
+        UUID organizationId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID profileId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID routeId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID actorId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        AiRouteOverrideView current = routeOverride(
+                routeId,
+                profileId,
+                3,
+                OpenAiReasoningEffort.NONE);
+        AiAssistantModelActivation activation = new AiAssistantModelActivation(
+                organizationId,
+                profileId,
+                "gpt-5.6-luna",
+                "GPT-5.6 Luna",
+                actorId);
+        when(routes.reference(organizationId, AiWorkload.ASSISTANT_CHAT))
+                .thenReturn(current.route());
+        when(administration.route(organizationId, AiWorkload.ASSISTANT_CHAT))
+                .thenReturn(Optional.of(current));
+        when(administration.require(organizationId, profileId))
+                .thenReturn(profile(profileId));
+        when(administration.assistantModels(organizationId, profileId))
+                .thenReturn(List.of(activation.view()));
+        when(activations.findByIdAndOrganizationIdAndEnabledTrue(
+                        activation.getId(), organizationId))
+                .thenReturn(Optional.of(activation));
+
+        List<AssistantModelChoice> choices = service.choices(organizationId);
+        AssistantModelRouteAuthority authority = service.authorize(
+                organizationId,
+                activation.getId());
+
+        assertEquals(List.of("gpt-default", "gpt-5.6-luna"), choices.stream()
+                .map(AssistantModelChoice::modelId)
+                .toList());
+        assertEquals(
+                new AiRoute("openai-main", "gpt-5.6-luna", OpenAiReasoningEffort.NONE),
+                service.revalidate(authority));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unsupportedExplicitReasoningKeepsOnlyTheDefaultAndRejectsAlternateActivations() {
         UUID organizationId = UUID.randomUUID();
         UUID profileId = UUID.randomUUID();
         AiRouteOverrideView current = routeOverride(
diff --git a/docs/specs/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md b/docs/specs/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
index 763e2530..16115b04 100644
--- a/docs/specs/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
+++ b/docs/specs/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Source: `core/src/main/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai`,
 API/worker `application*.yml`, and
 `apps/web/src/features/admin/components/admin-language-models-page.tsx`.
 
-Reconciled: `2026-08-06-assistant-chat-reasoning-effort (c3da6b25)`.
+Reconciled: `2026-08-06-assistant-catalog-none-reasoning`.
 
 ## Current Behavior
 
@@ -58,8 +58,13 @@ creates a new immutable activation UUID when a model is later re-enabled. Each
 row repeats organization ownership in its profile and actor foreign keys; only
 one active row may exist for an organization/profile/model tuple. Catalog
 mutation is unavailable on deployment defaults, inactive gateways, or Answer
-routes with explicit reasoning effort. Catalog changes are audited without
-model prompts, output, endpoints, or credentials.
+routes with explicit reasoning effort other than `none`. Provider-default and
+explicit `none` may publish additional choices. Every selected activation
+inherits that server-owned route policy; the composer sends only the opaque
+activation UUID and cannot submit a raw model ID or reasoning value. Higher
+reasoning policies suppress alternate choices because catalog models have not
+been capability-validated for them. Catalog changes are audited without model
+prompts, output, endpoints, or credentials.
 
 Deployment gateways use binder-safe nested objects. A production profile may
 contribute only a managed credential while retaining the endpoint,
diff --git a/docs/tests/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md b/docs/tests/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
index 43143c73..4dfe2509 100644
--- a/docs/tests/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
+++ b/docs/tests/domains/ai-model-control-plane.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Source: `core/src/test/java/com/orgmemory/core/ai`,
 `apps/web/src/features/admin/components/provider-logo.test.tsx`,
 `apps/web/test/e2e/admin-language-models.spec.ts`, and the admin web build.
 
-Reconciled: `2026-08-06-assistant-chat-reasoning-effort (c3da6b25)`.
+Reconciled: `2026-08-06-assistant-catalog-none-reasoning`.
 
 | Behavior | Evidence | Status |
 | --- | --- | --- |
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Reconciled: `2026-08-06-assistant-chat-reasoning-effort (c3da6b25)`.
 | Profile, credential, and route actor FKs cannot cross tenant boundaries | `PermissionsAdminIntegrationTests#aiControlPlaneActorReferencesCannotCrossTenantBoundaries` | covered |
 | Credential rotation invalidates runtime model caches | `AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests#credentialRotationAlwaysAdvancesTheRuntimeCacheRevision` | covered |
 | Assistant catalog replacement soft-disables old authority and re-enable receives a new UUID | `AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests#assistantCatalogSoftDisablesAndReenableCreatesANewOpaqueActivation`, `AssistantModelSelectionMigrationTests#activeModelIdentityIsUniqueButARevokedIdentityCanBeReplaced` | covered |
+| Assistant catalogs can be managed under explicit `none`, selected activations inherit `none`, and higher efforts remain fail-closed | `AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests#assistantCatalogSoftDisablesAndReenableCreatesANewOpaqueActivation`, `#assistantCatalogRejectsReasoningPoliciesOtherThanNone`, `AssistantModelAuthorityServiceTests#explicitNoneOffersCatalogAndPropagatesTheGovernedReasoningPolicy`, `#unsupportedExplicitReasoningKeepsOnlyTheDefaultAndRejectsAlternateActivations`, `admin-language-models.spec.ts` | covered |
 | Route identity can be authorized without requiring provider availability, while generation resolution still fails closed | `AiGatewayPropertiesTests#routeReferenceCanBeAuthorizedBeforeProviderAvailabilityIsNeeded`, `#anExplicitOrganizationRouteFailsClosedWhenItsGatewayIsUnavailable` | covered |
 | Chat model dispatch selects the factory matching the route protocol and fails closed for missing or duplicate factories | `SpringAiChatModelFactoriesTests` | covered |
 | Updating metadata and rotating a credential is one service transaction | `AiGatewayAdministrationServiceTests#metadataAndCredentialUpdateShareOneServiceTransaction` | covered |