diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/PromptInput.tsx b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/PromptInput.tsx
index 6f089960af..ed4162e3b6 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/PromptInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/PromptInput.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { useLanguage } from "../../context/language"
 import { useVSCode } from "../../context/vscode"
 import { ModelSelector } from "./ModelSelector"
 import { ModeSwitcher } from "./ModeSwitcher"
+import { ThinkingSelector } from "./ThinkingSelector"
 import { useFileMention } from "../../hooks/useFileMention"
 import { useImageAttachments } from "../../hooks/useImageAttachments"
 import { fileName, dirName, buildHighlightSegments } from "./prompt-input-utils"
@@ -314,18 +315,7 @@ export const PromptInput: Component = () => {
         <div class="prompt-input-hint-selectors">
           <ModeSwitcher />
           <ModelSelector />
-          <Show when={session.variantList().length > 0}>
-            <Tooltip value={language.t("command.model.variant.cycle")} placement="top">
-              <Button
-                variant="ghost"
-                size="small"
-                onClick={() => session.cycleVariant()}
-                aria-label={language.t("command.model.variant.cycle")}
-              >
-                {session.currentVariant() ?? language.t("common.default")}
-              </Button>
-            </Tooltip>
-          </Show>
+          <ThinkingSelector />
         </div>
         <div class="prompt-input-hint-actions">
           <Show
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ThinkingSelector.tsx b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ThinkingSelector.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..836e60256a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ThinkingSelector.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+/**
+ * ThinkingSelector component
+ * Popover-based dropdown for choosing a thinking effort variant.
+ * Only rendered when the selected model supports reasoning variants.
+ */
+
+import { Component, createSignal, For, Show } from "solid-js"
+import { Popover } from "@kilocode/kilo-ui/popover"
+import { Button } from "@kilocode/kilo-ui/button"
+import { useSession } from "../../context/session"
+import { useLanguage } from "../../context/language"
+
+export const ThinkingSelector: Component = () => {
+  const session = useSession()
+  const language = useLanguage()
+  const [open, setOpen] = createSignal(false)
+
+  const variants = () => session.variantList()
+  const current = () => session.currentVariant()
+
+  function pick(value: string | undefined) {
+    session.selectVariant(value)
+    setOpen(false)
+  }
+
+  const triggerLabel = () => {
+    const v = current()
+    return v ? v.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + v.slice(1) : language.t("common.default")
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Show when={variants().length > 0}>
+      <Popover
+        placement="top-start"
+        open={open()}
+        onOpenChange={setOpen}
+        triggerAs={Button}
+        triggerProps={{ variant: "ghost", size: "small" }}
+        trigger={
+          <>
+            <span class="thinking-selector-trigger-label">{triggerLabel()}</span>
+            <svg width="10" height="10" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" style={{ "flex-shrink": "0" }}>
+              <path d="M8 4l4 5H4l4-5z" />
+            </svg>
+          </>
+        }
+      >
+        <div class="thinking-selector-list" role="listbox">
+          <div
+            class={`thinking-selector-item${!current() ? " selected" : ""}`}
+            role="option"
+            aria-selected={!current()}
+            onClick={() => pick(undefined)}
+          >
+            <span class="thinking-selector-item-name" style={{ "font-style": "italic" }}>
+              {language.t("common.default")}
+            </span>
+          </div>
+          <For each={variants()}>
+            {(v) => (
+              <div
+                class={`thinking-selector-item${current() === v ? " selected" : ""}`}
+                role="option"
+                aria-selected={current() === v}
+                onClick={() => pick(v)}
+              >
+                <span class="thinking-selector-item-name">{v.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + v.slice(1)}</span>
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </For>
+        </div>
+      </Popover>
+    </Show>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/context/session.tsx b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/context/session.tsx
index 58457b92a6..521a97137b 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/context/session.tsx
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/context/session.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ interface SessionContextValue {
   // Thinking variant for the selected model
   variantList: () => string[]
   currentVariant: () => string | undefined
-  cycleVariant: () => void
+  selectVariant: (value: string | undefined) => void
 
   // Actions
   sendMessage: (text: string, providerID?: string, modelID?: string, files?: FileAttachment[]) => void
@@ -296,21 +296,12 @@ export const SessionProvider: ParentComponent = (props) => {
     return undefined
   }
 
-  const cycleVariant = () => {
+  const selectVariant = (value: string | undefined) => {
     const sel = selected()
     if (!sel) return
-    const list = variantList()
-    if (list.length === 0) return
     const key = variantKey(sel)
-    const current = store.variantSelections[key]
-    const next = (() => {
-      if (!current || !list.includes(current)) return list[0]
-      const idx = list.indexOf(current)
-      if (idx === list.length - 1) return undefined
-      return list[idx + 1]
-    })()
-    setStore("variantSelections", key, next)
-    vscode.postMessage({ type: "persistVariant", key, value: next })
+    setStore("variantSelections", key, value)
+    vscode.postMessage({ type: "persistVariant", key, value })
   }
 
   // Load persisted variants from extension globalState
@@ -926,7 +917,7 @@ export const SessionProvider: ParentComponent = (props) => {
     allParts,
     variantList,
     currentVariant,
-    cycleVariant,
+    selectVariant,
     sendMessage,
     abort,
     compact,
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/chat.css b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/chat.css
index ce626c753c..99ac0e47b8 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/chat.css
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/chat.css
@@ -576,6 +576,42 @@
   letter-spacing: 0.03em;
 }
 
+/* ============================================
+   Thinking Selector (uses kilo-ui Popover)
+   ============================================ */
+
+.thinking-selector-trigger-label {
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  text-transform: capitalize;
+}
+
+.thinking-selector-list {
+  min-width: 120px;
+}
+
+.thinking-selector-item {
+  padding: 8px 12px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.thinking-selector-item:hover {
+  background: var(--surface-interactive-hover, var(--vscode-list-hoverBackground));
+}
+
+.thinking-selector-item.selected {
+  background: var(
+    --surface-interactive-active,
+    var(--vscode-list-activeSelectionBackground, var(--vscode-list-hoverBackground))
+  );
+}
+
+.thinking-selector-item-name {
+  font-weight: 500;
+}
+
 /* ============================================
    Mode Switcher (uses kilo-ui Popover)
    ============================================ */