diff --git a/strix/config/models.py b/strix/config/models.py
index 458f5c53..880e3fc6 100644
--- a/strix/config/models.py
+++ b/strix/config/models.py
@@ -168,11 +168,11 @@ class _NonStreamingModel(Model):
     Some OpenAI-compatible endpoints (notably gateways serving reasoning models)
     return valid ``tool_calls`` for a non-streamed completion but, when streamed,
     emit the tool call as plain text or drop it and close the stream — leaving
-    Strix's tool-driven loop with nothing to execute. For those endpoints we make
-    the real request non-streamed (where tool calling works) and synthesize the
-    minimal event sequence the runner consumes from a stream, so the rest of the
-    pipeline is unchanged. The only user-visible difference is no token-by-token
-    output.
+    Strix's tool-driven loop with nothing to execute. Selecting
+    ``STRIX_STREAM_MODE=never`` routes through this wrapper, which makes the real
+    request non-streamed (where tool calling works) and synthesizes the minimal
+    event sequence the runner consumes from a stream, so the rest of the pipeline
+    is unchanged. The only user-visible difference is no token-by-token output.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, inner: Model) -> None:
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ class _NonStreamingModel(Model):
         return self._inner.get_retry_advice(request)
 
 
+def _should_run_non_streamed(settings: Settings) -> bool:
+    return settings.llm.stream_mode == "never"
+
+
 class StrixProvider(MultiProvider):
     """Route any non-OpenAI prefix through LiteLLM with the prefix preserved,
     so users type ``deepseek/deepseek-chat`` rather than
@@ -272,9 +276,7 @@ class StrixProvider(MultiProvider):
                 reasoning_effort=settings.llm.reasoning_effort,
             )
         model = super().get_model(model_name)
-        # Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints often stream tool calls incorrectly
-        # (see _NonStreamingModel); run them non-streamed unless explicitly opted in.
-        if settings.llm.api_base and settings.llm.stream_custom_endpoint is False:
+        if _should_run_non_streamed(settings):
             return _NonStreamingModel(model)
         return model
 
diff --git a/strix/config/settings.py b/strix/config/settings.py
index bd227f6c..8da857d2 100644
--- a/strix/config/settings.py
+++ b/strix/config/settings.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings, SettingsConfigDict
 
 
 ReasoningEffort = Literal["none", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh"]
+StreamMode = Literal["auto", "always", "never"]
 
 _BASE_CONFIG = SettingsConfigDict(
     case_sensitive=False,
@@ -40,11 +41,11 @@ class LlmSettings(BaseSettings):
         default=False,
         alias="STRIX_FORCE_REQUIRED_TOOL_CHOICE",
     )
-    # Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints (api_base) run non-streamed by default
-    # because many stream tool calls incorrectly. Set to 1 to force streaming.
-    stream_custom_endpoint: bool = Field(
-        default=False,
-        alias="STRIX_STREAM_CUSTOM_ENDPOINT",
+    # auto/always stream; never runs non-streamed, for endpoints that stream tool
+    # calls incorrectly (some OpenAI-compatible gateways serving reasoning models).
+    stream_mode: StreamMode = Field(
+        default="auto",
+        alias="STRIX_STREAM_MODE",
     )
     prompt_cache: bool = Field(
         default=True,
diff --git a/tests/test_nonstreaming_model.py b/tests/test_nonstreaming_model.py
index 73b5591c..13c08b52 100644
--- a/tests/test_nonstreaming_model.py
+++ b/tests/test_nonstreaming_model.py
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ class _FakeModel(Model):
         raise AssertionError("inner stream_response must never be called")
 
 
-def _settings(*, api_base: str | None, stream_custom_endpoint: bool = False) -> SimpleNamespace:
+def _settings(*, api_base: str | None, stream_mode: str = "auto") -> SimpleNamespace:
     return SimpleNamespace(
         llm=SimpleNamespace(
             model="openai/glm",
             api_base=api_base,
-            stream_custom_endpoint=stream_custom_endpoint,
+            stream_mode=stream_mode,
             reasoning_effort="high",
         )
     )
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ async def test_stream_response_delegates_get_response() -> None:
     assert inner.get_response_calls == 1
 
 
-def test_get_model_wraps_custom_endpoint() -> None:
+def test_get_model_auto_streams_custom_endpoint() -> None:
     sentinel = _FakeModel(ModelResponse(output=[], usage=Usage(), response_id=None))
     with (
         patch("strix.config.models.load_settings", return_value=_settings(api_base="http://x/v1")),
@@ -141,10 +141,10 @@ def test_get_model_wraps_custom_endpoint() -> None:
         ),
     ):
         model = StrixProvider().get_model("openai/glm")
-    assert isinstance(model, _NonStreamingModel)
+    assert model is sentinel
 
 
-def test_get_model_hosted_stays_streamed() -> None:
+def test_get_model_auto_streams_hosted() -> None:
     sentinel = _FakeModel(ModelResponse(output=[], usage=Usage(), response_id=None))
     with (
         patch("strix.config.models.load_settings", return_value=_settings(api_base="")),
@@ -157,12 +157,12 @@ def test_get_model_hosted_stays_streamed() -> None:
     assert model is sentinel
 
 
-def test_get_model_opt_out_keeps_streaming() -> None:
+def test_get_model_stream_mode_never_wraps() -> None:
     sentinel = _FakeModel(ModelResponse(output=[], usage=Usage(), response_id=None))
     with (
         patch(
             "strix.config.models.load_settings",
-            return_value=_settings(api_base="http://x/v1", stream_custom_endpoint=True),
+            return_value=_settings(api_base="http://x/v1", stream_mode="never"),
         ),
         patch(
             "agents.models.multi_provider.MultiProvider.get_model",
@@ -170,4 +170,4 @@ def test_get_model_opt_out_keeps_streaming() -> None:
         ),
     ):
         model = StrixProvider().get_model("openai/glm")
-    assert model is sentinel
+    assert isinstance(model, _NonStreamingModel)