diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
index 123af642..2b11a80c 100644
--- a/.env.template
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@ LLM_OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL=gpt-5.4-mini
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS=1
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS=250
-# DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__TOOL_CHOICE=any
+# DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__TOOL_CHOICE=auto
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__MODEL_CONFIG__TRANSPORT=openai
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL=gpt-5.4-mini
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS=5
-# DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__TOOL_CHOICE=any
+# DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__TOOL_CHOICE=auto
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__medium__MODEL_CONFIG__TRANSPORT=openai
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__medium__MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL=gpt-5.4-mini
 # DIALECTIC_LEVELS__medium__MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS=2
diff --git a/config.toml.example b/config.toml.example
index 236f3402..4c90e27c 100644
--- a/config.toml.example
+++ b/config.toml.example
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ SESSION_HISTORY_MAX_TOKENS = 4096
 [dialectic.levels.minimal]
 MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS = 1
 MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS = 250
-TOOL_CHOICE = "any"
+TOOL_CHOICE = "auto"
 
 [dialectic.levels.minimal.model_config]
 transport = "openai"
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ model = "gpt-5.4-mini"
 
 [dialectic.levels.low]
 MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS = 5
-TOOL_CHOICE = "any"
+TOOL_CHOICE = "auto"
 
 [dialectic.levels.low.model_config]
 transport = "openai"
diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index cae0c5de..1703b5cd 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -837,12 +837,12 @@ def _default_dialectic_levels() -> dict[ReasoningLevel, DialecticLevelSettings]:
             MODEL_CONFIG=_default_model_config(),
             MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS=1,
             MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS=250,
-            TOOL_CHOICE="any",
+            TOOL_CHOICE="auto",
         ),
         "low": DialecticLevelSettings(
             MODEL_CONFIG=_default_model_config(),
             MAX_TOOL_ITERATIONS=5,
-            TOOL_CHOICE="any",
+            TOOL_CHOICE="auto",
         ),
         "medium": DialecticLevelSettings(
             MODEL_CONFIG=_default_model_config(),
diff --git a/tests/llm/test_model_config.py b/tests/llm/test_model_config.py
index 20d4aa7c..0f0664ff 100644
--- a/tests/llm/test_model_config.py
+++ b/tests/llm/test_model_config.py
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ def test_config_toml_example_uses_nested_model_config_sections() -> None:
     minimal_level = DialecticLevelSettings.model_validate(
         config_data["dialectic"]["levels"]["minimal"]
     )
+    low_level = DialecticLevelSettings.model_validate(
+        config_data["dialectic"]["levels"]["low"]
+    )
     max_level = DialecticLevelSettings.model_validate(
         config_data["dialectic"]["levels"]["max"]
     )
@@ -331,6 +334,8 @@ def test_config_toml_example_uses_nested_model_config_sections() -> None:
     assert deriver_config.thinking_budget_tokens is None
     assert minimal_level.MODEL_CONFIG.model == "gpt-5.4-mini"
     assert minimal_level.MODEL_CONFIG.transport == "openai"
+    assert minimal_level.TOOL_CHOICE == "auto"
+    assert low_level.TOOL_CHOICE == "auto"
     assert max_level.MODEL_CONFIG.model == "gpt-5.4-mini"
     assert max_level.MODEL_CONFIG.transport == "openai"
     assert max_level.MODEL_CONFIG.thinking_budget_tokens is None
@@ -350,6 +355,8 @@ def test_env_template_uses_nested_model_config_keys() -> None:
     assert "EMBEDDING_VECTOR_DIMENSIONS" in env_template
     assert "DERIVER_MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL" in env_template
     assert "DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL" in env_template
+    assert "DIALECTIC_LEVELS__minimal__TOOL_CHOICE=auto" in env_template
+    assert "DIALECTIC_LEVELS__low__TOOL_CHOICE=auto" in env_template
     assert "SUMMARY_MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL" in env_template
     assert "DREAM_DEDUCTION_MODEL_CONFIG__MODEL" in env_template