diff --git a/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-dialect.ts b/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-dialect.ts
index 211b71b55fd..255a1d44473 100644
--- a/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-dialect.ts
+++ b/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-dialect.ts
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@ function questionRequest(params: unknown): AcpRequestPresentation {
   if (!parsed.success) {
     throw new AcpRpcError(-32602, 'Invalid agent question request')
   }
-  // A card keeps only so many questions; refused, Cursor asks each one on its own.
-  if (parsed.data.questions.length > MAX_JOURNAL_GROUPED_PROMPT_QUESTIONS) {
-    throw new AcpRpcError(-32602, 'Too many questions for one card')
-  }
   const questions = parsed.data.questions.map((question) => ({
     id: question.id,
     question: question.prompt,
@@ -115,10 +111,20 @@ function fallbackQuestionRequest(params: unknown): AcpRequestPresentation | unde
   }
 }
 
+const TOO_MANY_QUESTIONS = `Orca shows at most ${MAX_JOURNAL_GROUPED_PROMPT_QUESTIONS} questions at once; ask again with at most ${MAX_JOURNAL_GROUPED_PROMPT_QUESTIONS}.`
+
 function settleRequest(method: string, params: unknown): AcpRequestSettlement | undefined {
   if (REPORTS.includes(method)) {
     return { reply: {} }
   }
+  // A card keeps only so many questions; any error would make Cursor drop multi-select ones.
+  if (
+    method === ASK_QUESTION &&
+    (questionRequestSchema.safeParse(params).data?.questions.length ?? 0) >
+      MAX_JOURNAL_GROUPED_PROMPT_QUESTIONS
+  ) {
+    return { reply: { outcome: { outcome: 'skipped', reason: TOO_MANY_QUESTIONS } } }
+  }
   if (method !== CREATE_PLAN) {
     return undefined
   }
diff --git a/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-model-catalog.ts b/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-model-catalog.ts
index e76a6b20620..10b3c79e94e 100644
--- a/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-model-catalog.ts
+++ b/src/main/acp/acp-dialects/cursor-model-catalog.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export async function readCursorModelCatalog(connection: {
       (raw) => SessionConfigOptionSchema.safeParse(raw).data ?? []
     )
     const effort = acpEffortOption(options)
+    const fast = options.find((option) => option.id === 'fast')
     return {
       id: model.value,
       label: model.name,
@@ -39,7 +40,8 @@ export async function readCursorModelCatalog(connection: {
         ? acpSelectChoices(effort).map((choice) => ({ value: choice.value, label: choice.name }))
         : [],
       ...(effort ? { defaultEffort: effort.currentValue } : {}),
-      supportsFastMode: options.some((option) => option.id === 'fast')
+      supportsFastMode: fast !== undefined,
+      ...(fast?.type === 'select' ? { defaultFastMode: fast.currentValue === 'true' } : {})
     }
   })
 }
diff --git a/src/main/acp/session/acp-structured-cursor.test.ts b/src/main/acp/session/acp-structured-cursor.test.ts
index fbfcfde2b11..60a16f7a378 100644
--- a/src/main/acp/session/acp-structured-cursor.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/acp/session/acp-structured-cursor.test.ts
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ it("writes the person's Fast choice again after a model switch resets it", async
   ).toEqual(['model=grok-4.7', 'fast=false', 'model=composer-2.5', 'fast=false'])
 })
 
-it("lists each model's own effort levels and Fast support before a chat exists", async () => {
+it("lists each model's own effort levels and Fast default before a chat exists", async () => {
   const models = await readCursorModelCatalog({
     requestSessionFreeExtension: async (method) => {
       expect(method).toBe('cursor/list_available_models')
@@ -255,7 +255,12 @@ it("lists each model's own effort levels and Fast support before a chat exists",
             name: 'Claude Opus 4.8',
             configOptions: OPUS_OPTIONS.slice(1)
           },
-          { value: 'gemini-3.1-pro', name: 'Gemini 3.1 Pro', configOptions: [] }
+          { value: 'gemini-3.1-pro', name: 'Gemini 3.1 Pro', configOptions: [] },
+          {
+            value: 'composer-2.5',
+            name: 'Composer 2.5',
+            configOptions: [{ ...OPUS_OPTIONS[3]!, currentValue: 'true' }]
+          }
         ]
       }
     }
@@ -272,7 +277,8 @@ it("lists each model's own effort levels and Fast support before a chat exists",
         { value: 'max', label: 'Max' }
       ],
       defaultEffort: 'high',
-      supportsFastMode: true
+      supportsFastMode: true,
+      defaultFastMode: false
     },
     {
       id: 'gemini-3.1-pro',
@@ -280,6 +286,14 @@ it("lists each model's own effort levels and Fast support before a chat exists",
       isDefault: false,
       efforts: [],
       supportsFastMode: false
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'composer-2.5',
+      label: 'Composer 2.5',
+      isDefault: false,
+      efforts: [],
+      supportsFastMode: true,
+      defaultFastMode: true
     }
   ])
 })
diff --git a/src/main/cursor/cursor-acp-launch-spec.ts b/src/main/cursor/cursor-acp-launch-spec.ts
index 23bb82ee350..baa29bc819a 100644
--- a/src/main/cursor/cursor-acp-launch-spec.ts
+++ b/src/main/cursor/cursor-acp-launch-spec.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const CURSOR_SESSION_HISTORY: StructuredAgentSessionHistory = {
 
 // The config folder holds Cursor's allowlist and sessions; its login lives elsewhere per platform.
 function cursorConfigDirectory(homePath: string, env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): string {
-  const xdg = env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME?.trim()
+  const xdg = (env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME ?? process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME)?.trim()
   return xdg ? join(xdg, 'cursor') : join(homePath, '.cursor')
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-models.ts b/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-models.ts
index 1f8021ffb60..7fb04a46cdb 100644
--- a/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-models.ts
+++ b/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-models.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ export function mergedAgentModelCatalogModels(
       ...(model.supportsFastMode === undefined && olderModel?.supportsFastMode !== undefined
         ? { supportsFastMode: olderModel.supportsFastMode }
         : {}),
+      ...(model.defaultFastMode === undefined && olderModel?.defaultFastMode !== undefined
+        ? { defaultFastMode: olderModel.defaultFastMode }
+        : {}),
       ...(observation !== undefined
         ? {
             declaredDefaultEffort:
diff --git a/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-persistence.ts b/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-persistence.ts
index 457bda5a97e..924fe9e6451 100644
--- a/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/main/native-chat/agent-model-catalog/agent-model-catalog-persistence.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ function parseModel(value: unknown): AgentSessionModelOption | null {
     ...(typeof row.supportsFastMode === 'boolean'
       ? { supportsFastMode: row.supportsFastMode }
       : {}),
+    ...(typeof row.defaultFastMode === 'boolean' ? { defaultFastMode: row.defaultFastMode } : {}),
     ...(typeof row.supportsAutoMode === 'boolean'
       ? { supportsAutoMode: row.supportsAutoMode }
       : {}),
diff --git a/src/main/native-chat/agent-session-wire/options/structured-agent-session-options-read.ts b/src/main/native-chat/agent-session-wire/options/structured-agent-session-options-read.ts
index eb233f33c8e..f7a3d28ec54 100644
--- a/src/main/native-chat/agent-session-wire/options/structured-agent-session-options-read.ts
+++ b/src/main/native-chat/agent-session-wire/options/structured-agent-session-options-read.ts
@@ -134,12 +134,14 @@ export async function readStructuredAgentSessionOptions(
   const restingOptions = await atRest()
   const recovery = await readStructuredSessionRecovery(session, context, sessionId)
   if (live && fillsLiveModelsFromCatalog(agent)) {
+    const listed = restingOptions.inventory.origin === 'unknown' ? null : restingOptions.inventory
     options = {
       ...options,
-      models: fillUnknownModelEfforts(
-        options.models,
-        restingOptions.inventory.origin === 'unknown' ? [] : restingOptions.inventory.models
-      )
+      models: fillUnknownModelEfforts(options.models, listed?.models ?? []),
+      // A current model without Fast must not hide it for the listed models that have it.
+      ...(!options.fastModeSupport && listed?.fastModeSupport
+        ? { fastModeSupport: listed.fastModeSupport }
+        : {})
     }
   }
   const resting = live ? restingOptions : null
diff --git a/src/shared/agent-session/agent-session-wire.ts b/src/shared/agent-session/agent-session-wire.ts
index b77ff8cd979..5c0035321f1 100644
--- a/src/shared/agent-session/agent-session-wire.ts
+++ b/src/shared/agent-session/agent-session-wire.ts
@@ -377,6 +377,8 @@ export type AgentSessionModelOption = {
   chatEfforts?: AgentSessionOptionChoice[]
   /** Provider catalog fact. Absent means the host could not determine support. */
   supportsFastMode?: boolean
+  /** Whether this model runs Fast until the person picks; absent is off. */
+  defaultFastMode?: boolean
   /** Whether the model runs Approve for me; absent is unknown, which neither offers nor launches it. */
   supportsAutoMode?: boolean
   /** Provider tier IDs beyond standard; capable clients replace Fast with one speed choice including default. Absence means unknown. */
diff --git a/src/shared/agent-session/options/agent-session-model-efforts.ts b/src/shared/agent-session/options/agent-session-model-efforts.ts
index cffdb07180b..9e679adf83d 100644
--- a/src/shared/agent-session/options/agent-session-model-efforts.ts
+++ b/src/shared/agent-session/options/agent-session-model-efforts.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ export function fillUnknownModelEfforts(
         : {}),
       ...(rest.supportsFastMode === undefined && discovered.supportsFastMode !== undefined
         ? { supportsFastMode: discovered.supportsFastMode }
+        : {}),
+      ...(rest.defaultFastMode === undefined && discovered.defaultFastMode !== undefined
+        ? { defaultFastMode: discovered.defaultFastMode }
         : {})
     }
   })
diff --git a/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-discovered-model.ts b/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-discovered-model.ts
index afb40cdfdfc..86ae58e01ad 100644
--- a/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-discovered-model.ts
+++ b/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-discovered-model.ts
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ function effortOption(
   }
 }
 
-function fastModeOption(): CatalogOption {
+function fastModeOption(defaultValue: boolean): CatalogOption {
   return {
     id: 'fastMode',
     label: 'Fast mode',
     category: 'mode',
-    kind: { type: 'boolean', defaultValue: false },
+    kind: { type: 'boolean', defaultValue },
     apply: {}
   }
 }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export function discoveredModel(
       ...(serviceTier
         ? [serviceTier]
         : sessionSupportsFastMode && model.supportsFastMode === true
-          ? [fastModeOption()]
+          ? [fastModeOption(model.defaultFastMode === true)]
           : [])
     ]
   }
diff --git a/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-option-view.test.ts b/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-option-view.test.ts
index b4555fdc952..fb1ab4caf7e 100644
--- a/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-option-view.test.ts
+++ b/src/shared/agent-session/options/structured-agent-session-option-view.test.ts
@@ -189,14 +189,15 @@ describe('a Claude chat on the model id an older host lists by alias', () => {
 })
 
 describe('what a send carries', () => {
-  it("leaves a Cursor model's own Fast default alone until the person picks Fast", () => {
+  it("shows and keeps a Cursor model's own Fast default until the person picks Fast", () => {
     const seed = structuredAgentSessionSeedCatalog('cursor')
     const composer = {
       id: 'composer-2.5',
       label: 'Composer 2.5',
       isDefault: true,
       efforts: [],
-      supportsFastMode: true
+      supportsFastMode: true,
+      defaultFastMode: true
     }
     const listed = applyStructuredAgentSessionModelCatalog(
       createStructuredAgentSessionOptionState('cursor', seed),
@@ -206,6 +207,9 @@ describe('what a send carries', () => {
     )
     const picked = commitStructuredAgentSessionOption(listed, 'model', 'composer-2.5')
     expect(structuredAgentSessionMessageSelection(picked)).toEqual({ model: 'composer-2.5' })
+    expect(
+      structuredAgentSessionOptionSnapshot(picked).find((option) => option.id === 'fastMode')?.kind
+    ).toMatchObject({ type: 'boolean', currentValue: true })
   })
 
   it('keeps a provisional Codex effort out of capture across a reply and catalog refresh', () => {