diff --git a/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.test.ts b/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 47a6e099..00000000
--- a/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
-import { AUTO_CHAT_SPACE_ID } from "./chat-auto-space"
-import { readChatThreadSettings } from "./chat-thread-settings"
-
-describe("chat thread settings", () => {
-	it("restores Auto mode independently of the physical default space", () => {
-		expect(
-			readChatThreadSettings(
-				{
-					model: "gemini-2.5-pro",
-					projectId: AUTO_CHAT_SPACE_ID,
-					reasoningEffort: "thinking",
-					spaceMode: "auto",
-				},
-				"sm_project_default",
-			),
-		).toEqual({
-			model: "gemini-2.5-pro",
-			projectId: AUTO_CHAT_SPACE_ID,
-			reasoningEffort: "thinking",
-			spaceMode: "auto",
-		})
-	})
-
-	it("falls back safely for a legacy manual-space thread", () => {
-		expect(readChatThreadSettings(undefined, "project_legacy")).toEqual({
-			model: "grok-4.3",
-			projectId: "project_legacy",
-			reasoningEffort: "instant",
-			spaceMode: "manual",
-		})
-	})
-})
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.ts b/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.ts
index acb3987b..58fa2711 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/chat-thread-settings.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export function readChatThreadSettings(
 		typeof value === "object" && value !== null
 			? (value as Record<string, unknown>)
 			: {}
-	const model = isModelId(settings.model) ? settings.model : "grok-4.3"
+	const model = isModelId(settings.model) ? settings.model : "grok-4.5"
 	const reasoningEffort =
 		settings.reasoningEffort === "instant" ||
 		settings.reasoningEffort === "thinking"