diff --git a/dankclaw/hermes/config.yaml.example b/dankclaw/hermes/config.yaml.example
index 098e5d6..f29234c 100644
--- a/dankclaw/hermes/config.yaml.example
+++ b/dankclaw/hermes/config.yaml.example
@@ -35,7 +35,19 @@ auxiliary:
   skills_hub: {provider: dankserver-small, model: frank-small}
   approval: {provider: dankserver-small, model: frank-small}
   mcp: {provider: dankserver-small, model: frank-small}
-  title_generation: {provider: dankserver-small, model: frank-small}
+  # Title generation goes out over the Responses transport on purpose: Hermes
+  # hardcodes response_format=json_schema on this one call, no local back-end
+  # implements constrained decoding (it is a 400), and this transport is the
+  # only one that drops the field. reasoning.effort=none is required with it —
+  # the call caps output at 64 tokens, which a thinking pass would consume
+  # entirely, leaving an empty title.
+  title_generation:
+    provider: dankserver-small
+    model: frank-small
+    api_mode: codex_responses
+    extra_body:
+      reasoning:
+        effort: none
   memory_query_rewrite: {provider: custom, model: frank-small, base_url: http://192.168.0.235:7770/v1}
   tts_audio_tags: {provider: custom, model: frank-small, base_url: http://192.168.0.235:7770/v1}
   triage_specifier: {provider: dankclaw-large, model: frank-large}