diff --git a/crates/tty7-core/src/core/agent_hooks.rs b/crates/tty7-core/src/core/agent_hooks.rs
index 1cdcac26..bedad4bc 100644
--- a/crates/tty7-core/src/core/agent_hooks.rs
+++ b/crates/tty7-core/src/core/agent_hooks.rs
@@ -214,12 +214,34 @@ fn claude_readout(payload: &serde_json::Value, body: &mut serde_json::Value) {
     if let Some(effort) = std::env::var("CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL")
         .ok()
         .filter(|e| !e.is_empty())
-        .or_else(|| str_of(settings.get("effortLevel")))
+        .or_else(|| configured_effort(&settings, model.as_deref()))
     {
         body["effort"] = effort.into();
     }
 }
 
+/// The effort level Claude's settings give a model: the one set for that
+/// model if there is one, the general one otherwise.
+fn configured_effort(settings: &serde_json::Value, model: Option<&str>) -> Option<String> {
+    let level = |v: Option<&serde_json::Value>| {
+        v.and_then(|v| v.get("effortLevel"))
+            .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+            .map(str::to_string)
+    };
+    let per_model = settings.get("modelSettings");
+    model
+        .and_then(|m| {
+            let per_model = per_model?;
+            level(
+                per_model
+                    .get(m)
+                    .or_else(|| per_model.get(m.trim_end_matches("[1m]"))),
+            )
+        })
+        .or_else(|| level(Some(settings)))
+}
+
 fn claude_settings() -> serde_json::Value {
     let dir = std::env::var_os("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR")
         .filter(|d| !d.is_empty())
@@ -2103,6 +2125,28 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn an_effort_set_for_the_model_wins_over_the_general_one() {
+        let settings = serde_json::json!({
+            "effortLevel": "high",
+            "modelSettings": { "claude-opus-5-5": { "effortLevel": "medium" } },
+        });
+        assert_eq!(
+            configured_effort(&settings, Some("claude-opus-5-5")).as_deref(),
+            Some("medium")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            configured_effort(&settings, Some("claude-opus-5-5[1m]")).as_deref(),
+            Some("medium")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            configured_effort(&settings, Some("claude-sonnet-5-5")).as_deref(),
+            Some("high")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(configured_effort(&settings, None).as_deref(), Some("high"));
+        assert_eq!(configured_effort(&serde_json::json!({}), None), None);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn other_agents_carry_no_readout() {
         let stdin = r#"{"session_id":"s","permission_mode":"plan"}"#;
diff --git a/src/terminal/composer.rs b/src/terminal/composer.rs
index f95e7dca..6e22ce82 100644
--- a/src/terminal/composer.rs
+++ b/src/terminal/composer.rs
@@ -1526,6 +1526,10 @@ impl TerminalView {
                 .left_0()
                 .bottom_full()
                 .mb(px(8.))
+                .on_mouse_down(MouseButton::Left, |_, window, cx| {
+                    window.prevent_default();
+                    cx.stop_propagation();
+                })
                 .min_w(px(180.))
                 .p(px(5.))
                 .flex()
@@ -1582,6 +1586,16 @@ impl TerminalView {
             div()
                 .relative()
                 .flex_none()
+                // A click anywhere else closes the list, as a menu's would.
+                // The button and the list stop their own clicks short of this.
+                .when(open, |s| {
+                    s.on_mouse_down_out(cx.listener(|this, _: &MouseDownEvent, _w, cx| {
+                        if let Some(c) = this.composer.as_mut() {
+                            c.picker = None;
+                        }
+                        cx.notify();
+                    }))
+                })
                 .child(
                     tool(id)
                         .gap(px(5.))
@@ -1643,16 +1657,15 @@ impl TerminalView {
         });
         let current_effort = c.effort.clone().or_else(|| readout.effort.clone());
         let effort = claude.then(|| {
-            // "Effort" in the toolbar's grey, the level in the text's ink.
+            // The level alone, as the model button shows the model alone;
+            // the tooltip and the list's title say what it is.
+            let name = match current_effort.as_deref() {
+                Some(level) => effort_label(level),
+                None => t(L10nKey::ComposerEffort).to_string(),
+            };
             let label = h_flex()
                 .gap(px(5.))
-                .text_color(ink.opacity(0.45))
-                .child(t(L10nKey::ComposerEffort))
-                .children(
-                    current_effort
-                        .as_deref()
-                        .map(|level| div().text_color(ink).child(effort_label(level))),
-                )
+                .child(name)
                 .child(
                     Icon::new(IconName::ChevronDown)
                         .size(px(8.))