diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a3a826b..ab8a7b7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@ multi-line editor; slash-command, unified `@` workspace/Plugin references and
 session events; `/mode`, `/model`, `/resume`, `/plugins` and other upstream
 slash commands; searchable model and reasoning-effort selectors, plus MCP and
 workflow panels; status-bar-only Shift+Tab mode cycling
-(`build` → `edit` → `guarded` → `yolo`), independent `/plan` toggling with an input-border indicator, Ctrl+N model and empty-prompt Tab effort
-cycling; structured session-goal status in the right side of the turn footer;
+(`build` → `edit` → `guarded` → `yolo`), independent `/plan` toggling with an input-border indicator, Ctrl+N model and Ctrl+T effort
+cycling (Tab also cycles effort on an empty prompt); structured session-goal status in the right side of the turn footer;
 animated active-turn timer with a static `ZCODE_TUI_REDUCED_MOTION=1`
 fallback; responsive context-remaining and session-token metrics.
 
diff --git a/packages/zcode-tui/src/index.ts b/packages/zcode-tui/src/index.ts
index 71c6db8..8413885 100644
--- a/packages/zcode-tui/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/zcode-tui/src/index.ts
@@ -1542,6 +1542,10 @@ class ZCodeTui {
         void this.switchModel();
         return { consume: true };
       }
+      if (matchesKey(data, "ctrl+t")) {
+        void this.switchEffort();
+        return { consume: true };
+      }
       if (matchesKey(data, "tab")
         && (this.turnAbortController || this.inputQueue.paused)
         && Boolean(this.editor.getText().trim())
diff --git a/test/tui/fixtures/input-actions.ts b/test/tui/fixtures/input-actions.ts
index d3c66c3..d3b5b43 100644
--- a/test/tui/fixtures/input-actions.ts
+++ b/test/tui/fixtures/input-actions.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ let history = [
   { role: "user", messageId: "question-1", content: "Original question" },
   { role: "agent", messageId: "answer-1", content: "Original answer" }
 ];
+let effort = "low";
 await runTui({
   initialModel: "scenario/model", workspaceDirectory: process.cwd(),
+  initialThoughtLevel: effort,
+  effortOptions: [{ id: "low", label: "Low" }, { id: "high", label: "High" }],
   loadSessionTranscript: async () => history,
   readClipboardImage: async () => ({ dataUrl: "data:image/png;base64,aW1hZ2U=", mediaType: "image/png" }),
   submitPrompt: async (input) => {
@@ -19,6 +22,10 @@ await runTui({
       history = [];
       return { response: "Rewound", resetSessionProjection: true, restoredMessages: [] };
     }
+    if (String(input).startsWith("/effort ")) {
+      effort = String(input).slice("/effort ".length);
+      return { response: `Reasoning effort switched to ${effort}.`, thoughtLevel: effort };
+    }
     return { response: `Sent: ${String(input)}` };
   }
 });
diff --git a/test/tui/input-actions.test.ts b/test/tui/input-actions.test.ts
index de32614..a2cf426 100644
--- a/test/tui/input-actions.test.ts
+++ b/test/tui/input-actions.test.ts
@@ -135,3 +135,23 @@ test("fragmented terminal palette replies do not enter the draft or trigger inpu
   await session.sendAndWait(" tail\r", "unaltered draft submitted", /Sent: retained draft tail/u);
   await session.exit();
 }, 20_000);
+
+test("Ctrl+T cycles reasoning effort without clearing a typed prompt", async () => {
+  await using workspace = await ScenarioWorkspace.create({ prefix: "zcode-effort-shortcut-" });
+  await using session = TerminalSession.start({
+    command: [process.execPath, join(import.meta.dir, "fixtures/input-actions.ts")],
+    workspace
+  });
+  await session.waitForScreen("ready", /Original answer/u);
+  session.send("Draft question");
+  await session.waitForScreen("draft typed", /Draft question/u);
+  session.send("\x14");
+  await session.waitForScreen("effort raised", /⚡ high/u);
+  await session.waitForScreen("draft preserved after effort raised", /Draft question/u);
+  session.send("\x14");
+  await session.waitForScreen("effort lowered", /⚡ low/u);
+  await session.waitForScreen("draft preserved after effort lowered", /Draft question/u);
+  await session.assertScreenExcludes("effort shortcut does not submit the draft", /Sent: Draft question/u);
+  await session.sendAndWait("\r", "draft submitted", /Sent: Draft question/u);
+  await session.exit();
+}, 20_000);