Allow configuring different models for plan mode vs execution mode
Problem
Users on Max/Team Premium plans want to conserve their Opus budget by using it for high-value tasks (planning, architecture, complex debugging) while using Sonnet for straightforward execution (writing code, editing files, running commands).
Currently there's no way to configure this — you must manually run /model to switch between phases of work, which is easy to forget and breaks flow.
Proposed solution
Allow users to configure separate model preferences for different modes:
{
"planModel": "opus",
"executeModel": "sonnet"
}
When entering plan mode (via /plan or Shift+Tab), Claude Code would automatically use the planModel. When exiting plan mode and executing, it would switch to executeModel.
Alternatives considered
- Manual
/modelswitching — works but relies on user discipline and breaks flow - CLAUDE.md reminders — fragile, can't actually switch models
- Running two sessions — awkward and loses shared context
Impact
This would help users get the most value from their weekly Opus budget by automatically routing high-reasoning tasks to Opus and routine execution to Sonnet, without any manual intervention.
---
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
This issue has 4 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗