diff --git a/tests/cron/test_cron_reasoning_effort.py b/tests/cron/test_cron_reasoning_effort.py
index d9f257439c..cea6d11230 100644
--- a/tests/cron/test_cron_reasoning_effort.py
+++ b/tests/cron/test_cron_reasoning_effort.py
@@ -191,13 +191,42 @@ class TestCronjobToolReasoningEffort:
         listed = json.loads(cronjob(action="list"))["jobs"][0]
         assert "reasoning_effort" not in listed
 
+    def _tool_handler(self):
+        import tools.cronjob_tools as mod
+
+        return mod.registry._tools["cronjob"].handler
+
     def test_schema_does_not_expose_reasoning_effort(self):
-        """Policy pin: the model-facing tool schema must NOT offer the
+        """Policy pin: the model-facing surface must NOT offer the
         reasoning_effort knob. Models never choose model config; the CLI is
-        the only mutation surface for this field."""
+        the only mutation surface for this field. The cronjob() function
+        keeps the parameter for the CLI lane (hermes_cli/cron.py), but the
+        tool schema and the registry dispatch drop it — same pattern as
+        model/provider/base_url."""
         import inspect
 
-        from tools.cronjob_tools import CRONJOB_SCHEMA, cronjob
+        import tools.cronjob_tools as mod
 
-        assert "reasoning_effort" not in CRONJOB_SCHEMA["parameters"]["properties"]
-        assert "reasoning_effort" not in inspect.signature(cronjob).parameters
+        assert "reasoning_effort" not in mod.CRONJOB_SCHEMA["parameters"]["properties"]
+        # The registry handler lambda must not forward the agent's args to
+        # the parameter (mirrors the intentional model/provider omission).
+        source = inspect.getsource(self._tool_handler())
+        assert 'args.get("reasoning_effort")' not in source
+
+    def test_tool_dispatch_drops_reasoning_effort_arg(self, tmp_cron_dir):
+        """Even if a model hallucinates the argument, dispatch ignores it:
+        the created job must carry NO pin."""
+        import json
+
+        out = json.loads(
+            self._tool_handler()(
+                {
+                    "action": "create",
+                    "prompt": "daily digest",
+                    "schedule": "every 1h",
+                    "reasoning_effort": "max",
+                }
+            )
+        )
+        assert out["success"] is True
+        assert load_jobs()[0].get("reasoning_effort") is None
diff --git a/tools/cronjob_tools.py b/tools/cronjob_tools.py
index b224b87c4e..ae507b75c7 100644
--- a/tools/cronjob_tools.py
+++ b/tools/cronjob_tools.py
@@ -1213,6 +1213,7 @@ def cronjob(
     attach_to_session: Optional[bool] = None,
     monitor_script: Optional[str] = None,
     monitor_url: Optional[str] = None,
+    reasoning_effort: Optional[str] = None,
     task_id: str = None,
     session_id: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> str:
@@ -1313,6 +1314,12 @@ def cronjob(
                     attach_to_session=attach_to_session,
                     monitor_script=_normalize_optional_job_value(monitor_script),
                     monitor_url=_normalize_optional_job_value(monitor_url),
+                    # reasoning_effort reaches here from the CLI
+                    # (hermes cron create --reasoning-effort) ONLY — it is
+                    # deliberately absent from CRONJOB_SCHEMA and the model
+                    # dispatch below: models do not make model-config
+                    # decisions (standing policy).
+                    reasoning_effort=reasoning_effort,
                 )
             except CronSchedulerRegistrationError as exc:
                 _partial = exc.to_dict()
@@ -1495,6 +1502,10 @@ def cronjob(
                 updates["provider"] = _normalize_optional_job_value(provider)
             if base_url is not None:
                 updates["base_url"] = _normalize_optional_job_value(base_url, strip_trailing_slash=True)
+            if reasoning_effort is not None:
+                # CLI-only lane (see create above): update_job validates
+                # against the canonical grammar; empty string clears the pin.
+                updates["reasoning_effort"] = reasoning_effort
             # Re-validate the EFFECTIVE provider/base_url on EVERY update, not
             # only when this update supplies provider/base_url. A job persisted
             # before this guard (or written directly to the jobs store) may