diff --git a/Plugin/unraid/pages/ai.php b/Plugin/unraid/pages/ai.php
index 5d7bc35..6724302 100644
--- a/Plugin/unraid/pages/ai.php
+++ b/Plugin/unraid/pages/ai.php
@@ -198,6 +198,27 @@ if (is_dir('/var/log/varaverk')) {
                font-family:inherit; font-size:13px; padding:9px; resize:vertical; min-height:58px; }
 .vv-ai-input:focus { outline:none; border-color:#2d4a6a; }
 .vv-ai-ctrls { display:flex; gap:8px; align-items:center; flex-wrap:wrap; }
+
+/* ── Settings card ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+/* Collapsed by default and by markup, not by JS: the card is closed because the class is
+   simply absent, so it cannot flash open on a slow load or stick open if a script throws.
+   Same toggle idiom as the reasoning block in the transcript. */
+.vv-ai-set    { border:1px solid #262626; border-radius:6px; background:#0e0e0e; }
+.vv-ai-set-t  { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:8px; padding:7px 11px; cursor:pointer;
+                user-select:none; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:.08em; text-transform:uppercase;
+                color:#4a4a4a; }
+.vv-ai-set-t:hover { color:#777; }
+.vv-ai-set-c  { color:#333; font-size:9px; transition:transform .12s; }
+.vv-ai-set-t.open .vv-ai-set-c { transform:rotate(90deg); }
+.vv-ai-set-sum { margin-left:auto; color:#3a3a3a; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0;
+                 font-size:10px; font-family:monospace; }
+.vv-ai-set-b  { display:none; padding:2px 11px 11px; }
+.vv-ai-set-b.open { display:block; }
+.vv-ai-set-r  { display:flex; align-items:flex-start; gap:10px; padding:7px 0;
+                border-top:1px solid #1a1a1a; }
+.vv-ai-set-r:first-child { border-top:none; }
+.vv-ai-set-l  { font-size:11px; color:#8a8a8a; min-width:120px; flex-shrink:0; }
+.vv-ai-set-d  { font-size:10px; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.5; }
 .vv-ai-ctrls select { background:#0a0a0a; border:1px solid #222; color:#8a8a8a; font-size:11px;
                       padding:4px 7px; border-radius:3px; }
 .vv-ai-hint { font-size:10px; color:#3a3a3a; margin-left:auto; }
@@ -264,15 +285,6 @@ if (is_dir('/var/log/varaverk')) {
     <textarea class="vv-ai-input" id="vv-ai-input" rows="2"
               placeholder="e.g. what stops rsync and the mover running at once?"></textarea>
     <div class="vv-ai-ctrls">
-      <select id="vv-ai-kind" title="Restrict retrieval to one kind of source">
-        <option value="">All sources</option>
-        <option value="readme">README — what things are</option>
-        <option value="manual">Manual — how to do things</option>
-        <option value="header">Script headers</option>
-        <option value="template">Conf templates</option>
-        <option value="doc">Design notes</option>
-      </select>
-      <label class="vv-ai-toggle"><input type="checkbox" id="vv-ai-think" checked> reasoning</label>
       <button class="vv-ai-btn ghost" id="vv-ai-mem" type="button">Memory</button>
       <button class="vv-ai-btn ghost" id="vv-ai-clear" type="button">Clear</button>
       <span class="vv-ai-hint">Ctrl+Enter to send · 3-turn history · build <?=$_vv_ai_build?>
@@ -280,6 +292,43 @@ if (is_dir('/var/log/varaverk')) {
       <button class="vv-ai-btn" id="vv-ai-send" type="button">Ask</button>
     </div>
   </div>
+
+  <!-- Settings. Below the composer and closed by default: these change how the next answer is
+       built, not what it is asked, so they should be reachable without being in the way. The
+       header carries the current values so the state is legible while collapsed. -->
+  <div class="vv-ai-set">
+    <div class="vv-ai-set-t" id="vv-ai-set-t">
+      <span class="vv-ai-set-c">▶</span> Settings
+      <span class="vv-ai-set-sum" id="vv-ai-set-sum"></span>
+    </div>
+    <div class="vv-ai-set-b" id="vv-ai-set-b">
+      <div class="vv-ai-set-r">
+        <span class="vv-ai-set-l">Retrieval source</span>
+        <div>
+          <select id="vv-ai-kind" title="Restrict retrieval to one kind of source">
+            <option value="">All sources</option>
+            <option value="readme">README — what things are</option>
+            <option value="manual">Manual — how to do things</option>
+            <option value="header">Script headers</option>
+            <option value="template">Conf templates</option>
+            <option value="doc">Design notes</option>
+          </select>
+          <div class="vv-ai-set-d">Intent routing favours per-script headers, which buries the
+            top-level prose. Pick README for "what is X" and "why does this exist" questions.
+            Varaverk Assistant only — the other profiles do not retrieve.</div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      <div class="vv-ai-set-r">
+        <span class="vv-ai-set-l">Reasoning</span>
+        <div>
+          <label class="vv-ai-toggle"><input type="checkbox" id="vv-ai-think" checked> show the
+            model's thinking</label>
+          <div class="vv-ai-set-d">Kept and collapsed under each answer. Thinking time scales
+            with the question — seconds for a greeting, ~18s for a substantive one.</div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
 </div>
 
 <div id="vv-ai-memwrap" style="display:none;border:1px solid #262626;border-radius:6px;
@@ -525,6 +574,23 @@ if (is_dir('/var/log/varaverk')) {
     $('vv-ai-tok-stats').innerHTML = html;
   }
 
+  // ── Settings card ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  // The summary exists so the card is honest while shut. A collapsed panel that hides a
+  // non-default setting is how someone ends up puzzling over why answers changed.
+  function setSummary() {
+    const kind = $('vv-ai-kind');
+    const bits = [kind.options[kind.selectedIndex].text.replace(/ —.*$/, '')];
+    if (!$('vv-ai-think').checked) bits.push('no reasoning');
+    $('vv-ai-set-sum').textContent = bits.join(' · ');
+  }
+  $('vv-ai-set-t').addEventListener('click', () => {
+    $('vv-ai-set-t').classList.toggle('open');
+    $('vv-ai-set-b').classList.toggle('open');
+  });
+  $('vv-ai-kind').addEventListener('change', setSummary);
+  $('vv-ai-think').addEventListener('change', setSummary);
+  setSummary();
+
   $('vv-ai-tok-hosts').addEventListener('click', e => {
     const row = e.target.closest('.vv-ai-hostrow');
     if (!row) return;