diff --git a/internal/registry/models/models.json b/internal/registry/models/models.json
index 1934f8d0..10784301 100644
--- a/internal/registry/models/models.json
+++ b/internal/registry/models/models.json
@@ -2092,13 +2092,9 @@
       "context_length": 131072,
       "max_completion_tokens": 32768,
       "thinking": {
-        "min": 1024,
-        "max": 32000,
         "zero_allowed": true,
-        "dynamic_allowed": true,
         "levels": [
           "low",
-          "medium",
           "high"
         ]
       }
@@ -2114,13 +2110,9 @@
       "context_length": 262144,
       "max_completion_tokens": 32768,
       "thinking": {
-        "min": 1024,
-        "max": 32000,
         "zero_allowed": true,
-        "dynamic_allowed": true,
         "levels": [
           "low",
-          "medium",
           "high"
         ]
       }
@@ -2136,13 +2128,9 @@
       "context_length": 262144,
       "max_completion_tokens": 65536,
       "thinking": {
-        "min": 1024,
-        "max": 32000,
         "zero_allowed": true,
-        "dynamic_allowed": true,
         "levels": [
           "low",
-          "medium",
           "high"
         ]
       }
@@ -2158,13 +2146,9 @@
       "context_length": 262144,
       "max_completion_tokens": 65536,
       "thinking": {
-        "min": 1024,
-        "max": 32000,
         "zero_allowed": false,
-        "dynamic_allowed": true,
         "levels": [
           "low",
-          "medium",
           "high"
         ]
       }
@@ -2180,16 +2164,29 @@
       "context_length": 262144,
       "max_completion_tokens": 65536,
       "thinking": {
-        "min": 1024,
-        "max": 32000,
         "zero_allowed": false,
-        "dynamic_allowed": true,
         "levels": [
           "low",
-          "medium",
           "high"
         ]
       }
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "kimi-k3",
+      "object": "model",
+      "created": 1784073600,
+      "owned_by": "moonshot",
+      "type": "kimi",
+      "display_name": "Kimi K3",
+      "description": "Kimi K3 - Moonshot AI's next-generation flagship model (~2.5T MoE) with multimodal input and 1M context",
+      "context_length": 1048576,
+      "max_completion_tokens": 65536,
+      "thinking": {
+        "zero_allowed": false,
+        "levels": [
+          "max"
+        ]
+      }
     }
   ],
   "antigravity": [
diff --git a/internal/thinking/apply.go b/internal/thinking/apply.go
index 7194988c..8a6f873e 100644
--- a/internal/thinking/apply.go
+++ b/internal/thinking/apply.go
@@ -421,8 +421,7 @@ func extractThinkingConfig(body []byte, provider string) ThinkingConfig {
 	case "codex", "xai":
 		return extractCodexConfig(body)
 	case "kimi":
-		// Kimi uses OpenAI-compatible reasoning_effort format
-		return extractOpenAIConfig(body)
+		return extractKimiConfig(body)
 	default:
 		return ThinkingConfig{}
 	}
@@ -680,6 +679,50 @@ func extractOpenAIConfig(body []byte) ThinkingConfig {
 	return ThinkingConfig{}
 }
 
+// extractKimiConfig extracts Kimi's native thinking object while retaining
+// reasoning_effort as a legacy input fallback.
+//
+// Native fields take precedence over reasoning_effort. In particular,
+// thinking.type="enabled" without an explicit effort means "use the upstream
+// default" and therefore returns an empty config so ApplyThinking preserves the
+// request unchanged instead of interpreting it as CPA's ModeAuto.
+func extractKimiConfig(body []byte) ThinkingConfig {
+	thinkingType := gjson.GetBytes(body, "thinking.type")
+	if thinkingType.Exists() {
+		switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(thinkingType.String())) {
+		case "disabled":
+			return ThinkingConfig{Mode: ModeNone, Budget: 0}
+		case "enabled":
+			if !gjson.GetBytes(body, "thinking.effort").Exists() {
+				return ThinkingConfig{}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if effort := gjson.GetBytes(body, "thinking.effort"); effort.Exists() {
+		value := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(effort.String()))
+		switch value {
+		case "":
+			return ThinkingConfig{}
+		case "none":
+			return ThinkingConfig{Mode: ModeNone, Budget: 0}
+		case "auto":
+			return ThinkingConfig{Mode: ModeAuto, Budget: -1}
+		default:
+			return ThinkingConfig{Mode: ModeLevel, Level: ThinkingLevel(value)}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// An explicit native thinking object without an effort should be left for
+	// the Kimi upstream to interpret and must not be overridden by the legacy
+	// field.
+	if thinkingType.Exists() {
+		return ThinkingConfig{}
+	}
+
+	return extractOpenAIConfig(body)
+}
+
 // extractCodexConfig extracts thinking configuration from Codex format request body.
 //
 // Codex API format (OpenAI Responses API):
diff --git a/internal/thinking/provider/kimi/apply.go b/internal/thinking/provider/kimi/apply.go
index ea3ed572..6ed85049 100644
--- a/internal/thinking/provider/kimi/apply.go
+++ b/internal/thinking/provider/kimi/apply.go
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 // Package kimi implements thinking configuration for Kimi (Moonshot AI) models.
 //
-// Kimi models use the OpenAI-compatible reasoning_effort format for enabled thinking
-// levels, but use thinking.type=disabled when thinking is explicitly turned off.
+// Kimi models use a native thinking object for both enabled and disabled thinking.
+// The top-level reasoning_effort field is accepted only as a legacy input by the
+// unified extraction layer and is removed from the final Kimi payload.
 package kimi
 
 import (
@@ -16,9 +17,10 @@ import (
 // Applier implements thinking.ProviderApplier for Kimi models.
 //
 // Kimi-specific behavior:
-//   - Enabled thinking: reasoning_effort (string levels)
+//   - Enabled thinking: thinking.type="enabled" + thinking.effort=<level>
 //   - Disabled thinking: thinking.type="disabled"
 //   - Supports budget-to-level conversion
+//   - Preserves existing thinking.keep when enabling or changing effort
 type Applier struct{}
 
 var _ thinking.ProviderApplier = (*Applier)(nil)
@@ -37,7 +39,10 @@ func init() {
 // Expected output format (enabled):
 //
 //	{
-//	  "reasoning_effort": "high"
+//	  "thinking": {
+//	    "type": "enabled",
+//	    "effort": "high"
+//	  }
 //	}
 //
 // Expected output format (disabled):
@@ -91,7 +96,7 @@ func (a *Applier) Apply(body []byte, config thinking.ThinkingConfig, modelInfo *
 	if effort == "" {
 		return body, nil
 	}
-	return applyReasoningEffort(body, effort)
+	return applyEnabledThinking(body, effort)
 }
 
 // applyCompatibleKimi applies thinking config for user-defined Kimi models.
@@ -127,17 +132,21 @@ func applyCompatibleKimi(body []byte, config thinking.ThinkingConfig) ([]byte, e
 		return body, nil
 	}
 
-	return applyReasoningEffort(body, effort)
+	return applyEnabledThinking(body, effort)
 }
 
-func applyReasoningEffort(body []byte, effort string) ([]byte, error) {
-	result, errDeleteThinking := sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "thinking")
-	if errDeleteThinking != nil {
-		return body, fmt.Errorf("kimi thinking: failed to clear thinking object: %w", errDeleteThinking)
+func applyEnabledThinking(body []byte, effort string) ([]byte, error) {
+	result, errDeleteLegacyEffort := sjson.DeleteBytes(body, "reasoning_effort")
+	if errDeleteLegacyEffort != nil {
+		return body, fmt.Errorf("kimi thinking: failed to clear reasoning_effort: %w", errDeleteLegacyEffort)
 	}
-	result, errSetEffort := sjson.SetBytes(result, "reasoning_effort", effort)
+	result, errSetType := sjson.SetBytes(result, "thinking.type", "enabled")
+	if errSetType != nil {
+		return body, fmt.Errorf("kimi thinking: failed to set thinking.type: %w", errSetType)
+	}
+	result, errSetEffort := sjson.SetBytes(result, "thinking.effort", effort)
 	if errSetEffort != nil {
-		return body, fmt.Errorf("kimi thinking: failed to set reasoning_effort: %w", errSetEffort)
+		return body, fmt.Errorf("kimi thinking: failed to set thinking.effort: %w", errSetEffort)
 	}
 	return result, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/thinking/validate.go b/internal/thinking/validate.go
index 2352862f..7e92a771 100644
--- a/internal/thinking/validate.go
+++ b/internal/thinking/validate.go
@@ -157,6 +157,13 @@ func ValidateConfig(config ThinkingConfig, modelInfo *registry.ModelInfo, fromFo
 	// Convert ModeAuto to mid-range if dynamic not allowed
 	if config.Mode == ModeAuto && !support.DynamicAllowed {
 		config = convertAutoToMidRange(config, support, toFormat, model)
+		// The canonical mid-range level may not be present in a model's discrete
+		// level subset (for example, Levels=[low, high]). Clamp the generated
+		// fallback just like a budget-derived level so providers never receive an
+		// unsupported value.
+		if config.Mode == ModeLevel && len(support.Levels) > 0 && !isLevelSupported(string(config.Level), support.Levels) {
+			config.Level = clampLevel(config.Level, modelInfo, toFormat)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if config.Mode == ModeNone && toFormat == "claude" {
@@ -170,9 +177,12 @@ func ValidateConfig(config ThinkingConfig, modelInfo *registry.ModelInfo, fromFo
 			config.Budget = clampBudget(config.Budget, modelInfo, toFormat)
 		}
 
-		// ModeNone with clamped Budget > 0: set Level to lowest for Level-only/Hybrid models
-		// This ensures Apply layer doesn't need to access support.Levels
-		if config.Mode == ModeNone && config.Budget > 0 && len(support.Levels) > 0 {
+		// ModeNone for a model that cannot be disabled falls back to the lowest
+		// supported level. Budget-capable models reach this path with Budget > 0;
+		// level-only models need the capability flags checked explicitly because
+		// their Min/Max range is zero.
+		cannotDisableLevelModel := !support.ZeroAllowed && !isLevelSupported(string(LevelNone), support.Levels)
+		if config.Mode == ModeNone && len(support.Levels) > 0 && (config.Budget > 0 || cannotDisableLevelModel) {
 			config.Level = ThinkingLevel(support.Levels[0])
 		}
 	}